I was reading Warrior Mage by Lolly Phoenix because i remembered slightly enjoying the beginning and wanted something to do.

Less than half way through Harry stated that he is 6'10" tall, and that annoyed me enough to stop reading.
For some reason i hate it when authors make Harry tall.

I am tempted to make a list of things that annoy me enough to stop reading a fic.

 

Funny. I did the same thing with that fic. A physically abnormal Harry's always been a massive turnoff for me.

I think I stopped reading "Blood-Tipped Feather" when I read about Mrs. Vo hating Mr. Jingles, and then about poopies. Come to think of it, I didn't make it past the first sentence.

 

Physically abnormal Harry doesn't always make me hate a story, i managed to get through some weird story about animal gene splicing once where Harry had wings and stuff.
That annoyed me less than him being tall.

 

Lol. Then I'm surprised at how you got through eight chapters of mine...

As for the main thread, it happens in the best families. I also have quit reading some fics just because a couple of abnormalities annoyed me, let it be physical or not.

I also remembered fics as good ones but then when I wanted to reread them passed some time, I found that they were crap and couldn't stand reading more than a few chapters...

 

By abnormal I meant how the author blatantly enhances the character in a way that has nothing to do with the plot. A magical creature Harry can be stomached, but why bother making him tall? It's rarely anything other than a self-insertion.

 

I think I can trump your retarded reason: I hate stories that make Hermione younger than the males in her year. When I have asked authors why, the two reasons they give are 1) it makes Hermione seem ever more "special" and 2) they are worried about the "age of consent". Reason one is just plain old ageism at work; reason two, umm... Cho is older than Hermione, you idiot.

In my mind, Harry is not allowed to be taller than 6'1".

 

That usually happens because the author identifies himself with the main character (a.k.a Harry) and wants to make the others view him in an heroic or impressive way, rather than the scrawny kid he is described as in canon. What's more intimidating, A guy of the size of Elijah Wood or a 6'10'' guy. It's like they want you to take the character more seriously, but fail horrendously at doing so.

It is, in a way, self-insertion taken to a whole new level, but as any other type of self-insertion or Mary-Sue, fails in almost every way.

Aside from that, it usually bothers me too a physically impaired Harry, let it be crippled, blind, deaf... And all those angst stories of pity and self-improvement without a proper development.

 

Honestly. I'm not reading a story about Helen Keller, I'm reading a story about Harry Potter. Trials and tribulations surrounding some handicap just piss me off.

 

Frida Calho Potter lol. And it pisses me off even more if the handicap is a cheap excuse for Malfoy jr. or Snape to poke Harry's ass. And it usually is...

 

I've clicked on the link to a humor fic before, then read the author's attempt at a "funny" disclaimer and actually closed the fic without reading a word of it. Can't remember which one it was... But I doubt I'm missing much.

 

I like a regular built Harry, 5'10 etc. Makes it so he's more of the underdog I guess, not physically imposing so he has to manipulate people mentally. Makes for a more likable character in my opinion.

 

Neither extreme is very appealing to be honest. Be it Schwarzenegger!Harry or Mutilated!Harry.

 

Well, there's also the case when he's not made to be physically anything outstanding, but his character is made to be like that of a cheap badass rapper at a young age, and a mouth dirtier than Mitch's. I don't know what's worse, a crippled Harry or an eleven year old who curses worse than a sailor and has a mind similar to that of 50 cent...

 

I think that would be funny as can be if this is done with real cannon
I hate rap and all, but this would rock. Yeah, you can deny it all you want, but it will be funny if done right.

 

I agree with you there, but there is one problem: No one who would want to write that has the ability to do it right.

That said, while I dislike stories where the main character is too tall, I can generally overlook it (since it doesn't really get mentioned that often); I haven't read any stories where he's disfigured or handicapped (seeing as how I generally catch it in the summary). The only things I've really stopped reading stories for is grammar errors. I can only read that kind of thing for a certain amount of time before I start banging my head into the wall.

 

I honestly don't pay a whole lot of attention to how tall he is, I just don't like the story where Harry is like 4'10", but then he has a MAGICAL AWAKENING!!! And of course, is 6'10" the next day.

 

Usually when I stop reading its because there was even a mention of Harry doing that stupid, emo, cutting bullshit. Usually I can get around other stuff, but that emo BS makes me click on the old red x faster than anything else.

 

I can read cutting - if Harry does it by accident, ie a blade flies through the air, and slits his wrist as he's blocking it. I've only ever seen emo-cutting in Takeda Lee's Age of Deception and Shezza's parody. The first was pretty good, with Harry all controled, and the latter... well...

Another offputter isn't even in the story itself, but in the author's note, when the author asks the reader what Animagus forms Harry should have.

 

Well said, though I think stories in which time has passed from canon a description of the character is important. Personally I think your too kind. I won't even look at a fic if Harry is described as tall, and ridiculously handsome, where just one look from him causes dresses to fly off. I always won't read anything with Harry having a disfigurement of any sort, or a disability of any kind. I don't care about Harry's struggle to overcome adversity, if I wanted that I'd watch the Special Olympics (no offense).