Submitted by Josh Rogan (not verified) on Sun, 12/30/2007 - 12:20.
Where to begin, always a problem with things like this. Ok, an overview of the lot first.
All in all, the 7 books show to us that Ms Rowling aint no Dickens, that's for sure. The narrative wasn't terrible as the snotty literary hacks from the broadsheets tell us, but, it was inconsistent throughout the series, further complicated by muddy explanations of certain aspects ( Voldo's half life status for one ) and over-contrivances in others, ( eg - use of the pensieve near the end to complete the jigsaw), but, what the hell, what a writer and what a series. I'd sooner have flawed genius than nothing, and this is what we got.
Having said that, I don't believe JK really did have the story wrapped up in her head and then on a notepad in a Scottish greasy spoon, I do think she changed some things mid-series. Unlike the owner of this goodly blog, I don't think Snape was due to be shown as a goody in the end, I think he was going to be Mr Evil-all-along, but, perhaps publisher pressure made JK get with the formula for the genre. ( See the comical breakdown of what trilogies are supposed to be all about in the Scream movie series, for those who would point out this is actually 7 books, then double the advice and add on a 1/3, and if that doesn't do it, shove a Bezoar down its throat. ).
I think there was enough to let us know Draco was - originally - going to turn to the good side; many of his supposed derogatory comments I think were down to his background and teenage immaturity which stopped him from saying he fancied Hermione. but again, I think a little Bonifacing was the order of the day on JKs' part
But, what I did love about the stories, was the fantastic result of it being a derivation ( no one can be truly original, or those that are so obcure they disappear up their own cauldron ), I love the in-jokey narrative references to popular culture ( starting with welcome back Potter which must have been inspired by that dreadful US TV show starring Travolta ), there's a touch of Star Wars, Billy Bunter ( yes, as odd as it sounds, either Newton or Cherry was a lad from the wrong side of the tracks not fitting in ) as well as that film where the working class lad got into Eton.
There are also many more, I just cannot recall at the minute.
There is also the fantastic Dickensian style orphanage section, I am sure JK had Kathleen Harrison in mind when writing the character of the woman who ran the place, and of course, Gin, rather than Ginny, had to appear somewhere.
I could argue that there's a touch of Mildred Hubble too, but, these type of similarities simply have to be seen as the oft-used framework within a genre.
The real weak link in all this is Order of the Phoenix, one bad book that; it is very like the Tolkien trait of writing a good story but then inexplicably encasing it in an absolute pile of codswallop, it is too long, it is too miserable, it is too angry, I wonder what made JK persist with publishing it?
Finally, one other bad piece of narrative and dialogue / plot, surprisingly from POA.
It is one bad thing in an otherwise brilliant book. I will reconstruct it to show the spirit, ( not the words used, so mucho license on offer ), what it seems like to us when reading it.
'You broke Ron's leg and you are trying to strangle me!!'
'Oh sorry about that, now although you may still think I am a mass murderer and I look like death warmed up, other than that, do you want to come and live with me?'
'Yes'.
The Whole Shebang
Where to begin, always a problem with things like this. Ok, an overview of the lot first. All in all, the 7 books show to us that Ms Rowling aint no Dickens, that's for sure. The narrative wasn't terrible as the snotty literary hacks from the broadsheets tell us, but, it was inconsistent throughout the series, further complicated by muddy explanations of certain aspects ( Voldo's half life status for one ) and over-contrivances in others, ( eg - use of the pensieve near the end to complete the jigsaw), but, what the hell, what a writer and what a series. I'd sooner have flawed genius than nothing, and this is what we got.
Having said that, I don't believe JK really did have the story wrapped up in her head and then on a notepad in a Scottish greasy spoon, I do think she changed some things mid-series. Unlike the owner of this goodly blog, I don't think Snape was due to be shown as a goody in the end, I think he was going to be Mr Evil-all-along, but, perhaps publisher pressure made JK get with the formula for the genre. ( See the comical breakdown of what trilogies are supposed to be all about in the Scream movie series, for those who would point out this is actually 7 books, then double the advice and add on a 1/3, and if that doesn't do it, shove a Bezoar down its throat. ).
I think there was enough to let us know Draco was - originally - going to turn to the good side; many of his supposed derogatory comments I think were down to his background and teenage immaturity which stopped him from saying he fancied Hermione. but again, I think a little Bonifacing was the order of the day on JKs' part But, what I did love about the stories, was the fantastic result of it being a derivation ( no one can be truly original, or those that are so obcure they disappear up their own cauldron ), I love the in-jokey narrative references to popular culture ( starting with welcome back Potter which must have been inspired by that dreadful US TV show starring Travolta ), there's a touch of Star Wars, Billy Bunter ( yes, as odd as it sounds, either Newton or Cherry was a lad from the wrong side of the tracks not fitting in ) as well as that film where the working class lad got into Eton.
There are also many more, I just cannot recall at the minute.
There is also the fantastic Dickensian style orphanage section, I am sure JK had Kathleen Harrison in mind when writing the character of the woman who ran the place, and of course, Gin, rather than Ginny, had to appear somewhere. I could argue that there's a touch of Mildred Hubble too, but, these type of similarities simply have to be seen as the oft-used framework within a genre.
The real weak link in all this is Order of the Phoenix, one bad book that; it is very like the Tolkien trait of writing a good story but then inexplicably encasing it in an absolute pile of codswallop, it is too long, it is too miserable, it is too angry, I wonder what made JK persist with publishing it? Finally, one other bad piece of narrative and dialogue / plot, surprisingly from POA.
It is one bad thing in an otherwise brilliant book. I will reconstruct it to show the spirit, ( not the words used, so mucho license on offer ), what it seems like to us when reading it. 'You broke Ron's leg and you are trying to strangle me!!' 'Oh sorry about that, now although you may still think I am a mass murderer and I look like death warmed up, other than that, do you want to come and live with me?' 'Yes'.