Did you ever feel stupid?

[Amy Z]

Chris wrote:

> I was listening to Stephen Fry reading the books for about the 
>eighth time when it came to the scene where Harry finds the mirror 
>of Erised.  Now I always though that it was a strange name for a 
>mirror, but thought no more about it.  Then it struck me; Erised is 
>desire backwards!  I felt so stupid that I didn't spot this and you 
>are all probably saying "yeh yeh, that's so obvious my six year old 
>noticed it"  Has anyone else missed such an obvious play on words or 
>plot device?

I don't know what obvious plays on words I might have missed, since 
I, ah, have missed them.  But IIRC, you've said that you have never 
read the books, only heard them on tape, so if you ask me you get a 
gold star for figuring this out.  I don't think I got it until I read 
it.  (Listening to CoS, it took me several chapters beyond the one 
where the writing appears to get that it was "Enemies of the HEIR."  
I was thinking, "Enemies of the Air?  That's intriguing.")

However, I suspect you are not getting the whole picture on the 
Mirror of Erised; you really need to read the chapter in question.  
Get thee to a library.

;-)
Amy