Re: Harry’s fate according to the bookies (some literary spoilers)

[justcarol67]

> 
> Me too, and when a book can reach that visceral level it becomes a
> true work of art.
> 
> Eggplant
>
Carol responds:

But the literary worth of a book doesn't depend on the protagonist's
dying. I'm adding spoiler space here in case people haven't read the
classics I'm referring to and don't want them spoiled.

S
P
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L
E
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*
S
P
A
C
E

The HP series isn't "Moby Dick" (a tragedy in novel form) and Harry
isn't Captain Ahab (whose antagonist lives on, to, presumably, take
more lives and limbs). It's more of a Bildungsroman, a genre in which
the young protagonist learns a moral or spiritual or life lesson and
grows up. (He doesn't acquire the wisdom of an old person because he
still has some living to do ("experience" to undergo), but if the
tradition of "Jane eyre" and "David Copperfield" holds true, he'll
find domestic bliss with his ideal partner. (I mean, why bother to
create Harry an ideal wife if he's not going to marry her?)

BTW, that article contained some misinformation. "Rowling has refused
to give any clues about which characters will be killed off. Writing
on her Web site last month, she asked people not to spoil the ending
for fans by speculating about the outcome." Actually, she's said
nothing against *speculating,* which is what she *wants* us to do (and
couldn't stop if she tried. It's what we're doing right now.) She
simply asked people who actually *know* what's going to happen not to
spoil the book for other readers.

There was a brilliant quote from someone who calls the books and films
"drivel" without ever having read or seen a single one (now there's an
authority!), and states that the bookies are taking bets on whether
Voldemort or *Snape* kills Harry(!).

Snape killing Harry would certainly be a surprise, but it's a much
longer shot than Harry's survival, which is surely at least 50/50 (or
is it 1/1 in bookie parlance?) at this point. 

Carol, who will offer her books to Lupinlore to be made into mulch if
Snape kills Harry