Lily and the Art of Being Sisyphus and the Art of Bringing Me to Life

WIP Lily and the Art of Being Sisyphus by The Cannibal Muffin

Give-and-take in 'Sense of humor' started by Stan, Jan 16, 2015.

: three.8369565010071/v, 92 votes

Folio ane of vi

Stan Club Member

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Title: Lily and the Art of Being Sisyphus
Author: The Carnivorous Muffin
Rating: T
Genre: Humor/Fantasy
Chapters: 21
Words: 122,102
Updated: January sixteen, 2015
Published: December 9, 2013
Condition: Work in Progress
Library Category: Sense of humour / AU
Pairings: None
Summary: Lily is non quite a normal lilliputian daughter. The Dursleys always say she's a freak just similar her freakish parents, her uncle Death seems to be convinced she's the grim reaper, and her always political and invisible best friend Wizard Lenin just thinks she should take over the world. On top of all that the hole-and-corner gild of wizards think she's Jesus. AU female person!Harry among other things.
Link: Lily and the Fine art of Being Sisyphus
This was recommended a couple of times in the Nigh Recommended thread, but to my knowledge, hasn't been put for review.

The story is a surrealist fic, written through the eyes of Elanor Potter, daughter of Lily and James Potter and indentured servant of the Dursleys. The story follows Ellie as she befriends her 'uncle' Death, plots with Magician Lenin (who is the horcrux of Voldemort in her head) to bring him back to life, visits Knockturn Alley and discovers the infamous Drug Lord known to the world as Lily Riddle and attends Hogwarts where she finds herself in a bitter rivalry with Snape. Ellie's antics are e'er amusing and her interactions with the other characters is the main role of the story. Add Muggle psychiatrists, mysterious rabbits, missing ghosts, bloodthirsty vampires and cheerfully manipulative headmasters to Lily's unique personality and it makes a fun story to read.

The story would probably be hitting-or-miss for many people, but I like it. There are a few bug - I didn't like the portrayal of Slytherin house, for ane. The story could probably apply a scrap more conflict too, but it is a humor fic, so inflicting unspeakable horrors upon the protagonist is not essential. There are a couple of times the sense of humor didn't click, similar in the sorting ceremony, simply it more often than not works and I found myself giggling at times.

The author writes a fan requested i-shot for every 100 reviews she gets, so there are quite a few side fics to the main story. Information technology is best to read those every bit y'all get forth, but nigh can be read at any time. These stories are prompted by readers, so many of them are just as entertaining (or more then) equally the the main story. These are the best ones:

1. Lily Riddle and the Narcotics Emporium : Or how the vampire Frank, previously named Constantine, learned to stop worrying and honey the anarchy produced by a rather insane little daughter.

2. Grit Of Snow : Wizard Lenin and Lily briefly accost the futurity in which Wizard Lenin returns to the textile plane leaving Lily backside. The future, it seems, is more uncertain than either of them expected.

three. The Pettigrew Incident : In which at that place is mystery, commotion, maps and of course murder.

4. Pygmalion : In which Hermione Granger tries and fails to shape Eleanor Lily Potter into a normal homo in the course of one forenoon.

Overall I would give the Lily Riddle universe a 4/5. You may or may not come to beloved this story, just do make sure to at least give it a try.

Last edited past a moderator: Feb viii, 2015
FriedIce Seventh Year

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Honestly this is some of the best surrealist writing I've read.
4.five/5
Jeram Elder of Zion ~ Prestige ~ DLP Supporter

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You lot think that would piece of work for other authors?
Vira Tertiary Year ~ Prestige ~

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Just read it all in i become. Is information technology weird that I constitute Rabbit to be the most interesting affair about this fic? Otherwise, there's not much to talk about. If this wasn't a surrealist fic, it wouldn't work at all. While in that location'due south little conflict, I found it fun and a skillful time-waster.
iv/5.
I actually like this author. He/she has a way with words, and even if the author's turns of phrase were somewhat impuissant in her earlier works, her more recent ones are all excellent imo.
And aye, information technology is a surrealist work. It doesn't always make sense, information technology can get disruptive but information technology'southward worth the read.

4/5
Mutton Order Fellow member

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I definitely think surreal is the best way to describe this fic, non crack; information technology's got a very definitive tone that it's running with which makes reading a joy. In that location are times the facade breaks (generally the talk of glitches), just otherwise I'one thousand quite enjoying information technology.
4/five
Stan Order Member

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You are right. 'Surreal' is the give-and-take I was looking for. 'Crack' never seemed to fit at all, only the writer describes the story as a humour fic, so I just went with information technology. 'Absurdist' works too - the author describes her fic every bit such.
Ash Moves Like Jagger DLP Supporter

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Just read this fic in 1 sitting, as well every bit ane of the ane-shots (the Fred & George one). I really loved it, actually, it was amusing most of the time, and a piddling moving TBH in a couple of spots. I am intrigued by Rabbit, expecting the worst...he is a bit unsettling.
Information technology'due south been a while since I read a fic, let alone ane with Fred & George, I had forgotten how much I loved them. Hopefully there volition exist less of Ron and more of them in the future...

And then what is the bargain with Sorcerer Lenin and the girl he knew, who married a nearsighted boy with bad pilus? There are many people that could refer to, merely I actually have no solid thought, am I missing something?

Anyway, 4/five from me.
I kind of assumed the girl he knew with red hair was Lily tbh (her mother, non the chief character), since she's the only one that fits the nib and it'd explain why Lenin doesn't like Severus. The only affair I can't figure out is the timeline.
This was surprisingly coherent and interesting.
Fifty-fifty though the Magician Lenin raised my eyebrows at outset, I really chuckled when it was explained, and managed to bear with the weight of communism further forth.

The story is... absurd, for the lack of better word, simply in the absurdity itself there lies entertainment.

In a way, this carries a sure vibe of Rorschach's Absorb'southward - if the Mr. Blackness stories were better written and would flow properly, this could be the style they could take. Why Mr. Black? Because "Riddle Inc." is a improve "Black Inc.".

Out of 1-shots, the house and its recruitment were the bits that I concluded up liking the most. Otherwise, there'due south fun all effectually.

On the other hand, Lily is way too relaxed and overpowered, fifty-fifty though that is to be expected. Her craziness is over peak, trying to 1 upward itself with each passing conversation, and fifty-fifty though hilarity follows, 1 easily gets lost looking for a shred of reason. Well, if it has to be done...

This, surprisingly, doesn't go in the fashion of fun. Peradventure, when one writes a story where the bizarre and unexplained powers are the norm and the source of the conflicts and merriment... Ane can exist allowed a lot of leeway.

I'chiliad giving this a weak 4/5, but a 4/5 nonetheless.
Really enjoyed information technology.
Lily's baroque idea processes that become on crazy tangents and get more and more absurd fabricated for a really enjoyable narrative. Her upbeat, playful mental attitude and the mode she somehow manages to avert taking anything personally is pretty endearing, and yous tin meet why even Lenin manages to warm upwardly to her. He's also decorated going "The fuck is this daughter on...? Wait, what? No don't do that! Whyyyy....my entire understanding of the universe just died..." to maintain whatever sort of disdain for her.

But by far, my favourite scenes were the ones with Dumbledore.
Both of them.

The initial meeting. Fun, playful with twinkling overload as Lily meets someone who she feels gets it.

Then the second meeting, where she approaches him as an adversary. Her talk of fiddles, speeches and melodies. Oh wow, for a crack fic, that was a freaking epic slice dialogue.

At that place were a few times that the jokes barbarous flat, just by and large managed to keep a smile on my face the whole way through, while leaving enough "plot" to go on me looking forward to what was going to really happen.
My only question is where it'll go from hither. As Nauro pointed out, I think Lily may be just a bit likewise overpowered at this point. It's fun watching anybody's reactions to her craziness, but once people kickoff agreement that she's basically God, that volition probably stop being a affair. I think this fic would leave a lot more open in the hereafter if she had to struggle a tad.

4/v.
Stan Order Member

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The story updated with another oneshot.
Mimsy were the Borogoves : Lily, after opening the wrong doors at the wrong time, tries to depict her feel in detention with professor Quirrell and comes curt of the essence of things.

This was crawly. I'm tempted to increase my rating to v/5 after reading this. For all the surreal moments in this story, I don't think anything came shut to this one-shot. Rabbit getting creepier, the Death Chasm, the new version of Voldemort, Lily feeling real fear for the first time in her life.... at that place was no humor here, this one was really meant to freak y'all out. If you read the story, definitely requite this ane a read.

Last edited: January 25, 2015
Dark Minion Brilliant Henchman DLP Supporter Retired Staff

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I read it over the last week, and information technology was cracking.
Absurd or surreal describes it quite well. In the beginning chapters Lily's perception of reality and her interaction with the rest of the world matches how I call up Luna's heed works. Lily is a otherworldly Being with probably unlimited powers and magic comes naturally to her, however the author doesn't cross the line into the typical super!Harry cliché territory. He toes with it simply he knows where to stop.

While at first the author said he didn't have a plan or plotline for the story, he now patently has at least a crude concept with "Riddle. Inc" and Voldemort's youth.

The author manages to stay in character and to continue up the mode and quality at a decend update rate (21 chapters with 120k words in 13 months). At that place are some glitches (grammer, spelling) but they aren't really bothersome.

I rate it 4.5/v for plot, fashion, length and update rate.
Ched Da Trek Moderator DLP Supporter ⭐⭐

Not certain WTF is going on with this, but it'south fantastic. 4/five
iv/five
I dearest the story, read all the updates immediately etc. What is missing, is any existent sense of conflict. Information technology'south all about the atmosphere etc and one may fear that this way will not be sustainable..
Mutton Social club Member

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I don't know; the story has it's ain sense of disharmonize, it but happens to be very asunder from what we normally recollect of every bit a Harry Potter storyline. Lily's current quest is to figure out a way to make Magician Lenin a body. She's had stops and starts along the way, while general Dadaist shenanigans occur. What makes the story work is that it doesn't focus on her powering through the Harry Potter storyline; that's all groundwork noise.
Ched Da Expedition Moderator DLP Supporter ⭐⭐

It's sustained itself on humor and curiosity at what volition happen side by side for 122k words at present. That's longer than your average novel, and so later on it's made it this long I don't call back information technology'll get 'old' as well quickly. So long every bit the author manages to keep (1) making us laugh and (ii) making the states wonder what will happen next the gimmick should proceed working.
It'south true that there isn't much beyond that, which is why I give it a 4/v instead of all 5 stars, simply there doesn't need to be.
Stan Social club Fellow member

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Its around 200k words if you count the one-shots.
As for the conflict, I don't think the normal kind of disharmonize would piece of work in this story. Lily'south overpower-ness and emotional untouchability is an integral part of Lily's grapheme, and an important office of the story. Exit those out, and Lily simply won't be Lily. The author breaks out enough stuff - some very original stuff like Rabbit and Drug Lords and Vampire Revolutions that somehow blend in perfectly with Lily's odd personality, making the story amusing and mannerly.

The all-time part of the story is that it is unique in the fandom. It is this uniqueness that makes the story a must-read. Lily's characterization and amuse is the best part of the story - sacrificing whatever role of it for the sake of traditional conflict seems like an incredibly stupid matter to do.
Taure Magical Core Enthusiast ~ Prestige ~ DLP Supporter

So I guess I'g the only one who hates absurdism. Fics similar this just brand me angry -- aroused that an patently talented author has put work into silliness instead of a existent fic. If the same talent and effort had been put into something with proper characterisation, realistic plot etc. then we could have ane of the best fics in the fandom. Instead we have the fanfic equivalent of Lady Gaga.
Nerox High Inquisitor

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No you're non. I totally agree with you.