Nancy Stouffer vs. J.K. Rowling

[rainy_lilac at yahoo.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 14531


There are quite a few things on her list which betray that Stouffer 
does not really understand what the HP books are talking about-- and 
the stone is a classic example.

Interestingly Nicholas Flamel, a character in SS/PS, is an ACTUAL 
historical alchemist who really lived and who really sought the 
Philosopher's Stone-- an item which has a long, long, long theoretical 
history! For Rowling to write about the Philosopher's Stone is a 
little bit like writing about the Holy Grail. It is ancient and does 
not really belong to anybody. (A much more interesting segue for this 
thread would be to talk about the multitude of references Rowling 
makes to medieval alchemy throughout these books! She certainly knows 
her lore!)

A "worry stone", on the other hand, is an item which Greek ladies 
carry around in their pockets and rub their fingers over to sooth 
anxieties and to help them think. It is, I think, also a popular 
object in other cultures-- but it is NOT the Philosopher's Stone; it 
has nothing to do with the Elixer of Life; it is not an item in the 
Harry Potter universe; nor is it *AHEM* an invention of Stouffer's. 
For Stouffer to list this as a "similarity" is REALLY desperately 
stretching things, and for her to claim invention of even HER "worry 
stone" is groundless.

We could go through Stouffer's absurd list point by point for our 
little  troll's benefit-- but all of this has been done before by 
others. The main thing is that the claim that Rowling lifted "the main 
idea" of her stories from Stouffer is NOT EVEN CLAIMED BY STOUFFER, 
who has not been able to come up with even one plot similarity.

What does that suggest?

Jeez, I would love to swat this mosquito once and for all! ick!

--Suzanne