Book 2 Rules (WAS HP Structure Idea)

[fourfuries at aol.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 28246

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., "Marcus " <prefectmarcus at y...> wrote:
> < snip > Perhaps this helps explain why many people feel HP2 is the 
weakest book.  HP1 is all introduction.  We meet many people and we 
learn many facts -- clearly first act.  HP3 introduces us to Sirius, 
Remus, Wormtail, and much more -- clearly first act.  What does HP2 
do?  Well, it introduces us to Lockhart, who promptly leaves the 
scene.We do learn a few important things about the universe but 
little else.  The rest of the books introduce us to important 
characters and  important facts.  HP2 confines itself to important 
facts.  Therefore, it is less satisfying.  Not necessarily bad, just 
less satisfying.  
> It is less strong when compared to the other first act books.<



In the words of the famous philosopher Popeye, "I can stand so much, 
and then I can't stand no more!"  I though HP3 (PoA) was the weakest 
book, and like JKR, thought CoS the best.

My reasoning is as follows.  HP1 is clearly a children's book.  
Clever, witty, novel, but decidedly juvenile in its perspective.  We 
meet a boy who lives under the stair, has dreadful "step-parents" and 
not much to look forward to.  We can not help but feel sorry for 
him.  He gets a totally unexpected induction into a new world, where 
he is a celebrity.  He defeats an evil wizard, who is but a shadow of 
his former self.  All very "Hardy Boys" if you ask me.

In Book 2 we begin to establish the major theme: the battle between 
Good and Evil is a battle within ourselves. We find out more about 
the nature of the Wizarding world.  It is starting to look remarkably 
like our own.  Grown wizards have prejudices, vices and jealousies.  
The kids merely act out what they learn at home.  Then people start 
getting attacked.  Harry gets accused.  He goes from celebrated 
legend to pariah.  What an irony that he should even briefly be hated 
in the world where he first found love and acceptance.  The 
unification of his bi-polar existences has begun.

Neither Harry nor his friends take on any real weight until book 2.  
Book 2 establishes the character of Harry, as opposed to the 
personality of Harry.  His fear is real.  The risk to his few friends 
is great.  And the climactic encounter with the bad guy is vastly 
more personal, intimate and engaging than the "white pain, pass out" 
events of Book 1.  He comes face to face with the twisted mind of Tom 
Riddle, a boy not unlike himself.  The encounter made him question 
himself, from which questioning all growth comes.  Thus his searching 
questions to Dumbledore about the similarities and the Sorting Hat.  

Book 3, on the other hand, does nothing to forward that most central 
theme of battling the Evil within in us through personal growth.  
Yes, it introduces important characters, but none of them is what 
they seem to be, and we can therefore learn very little from their 
examples for most of the book.  All the information is presented in 
a "third hand" fashion (maybe second hand in the case of the 
Shrieking Shack).  It's all background.  And the temptation to lock 
onto Sirius as father figure did not grip me at all.  I was so glad 
Harry didn't go off to live with Sirius!  How trite that would have 
been.

Book 4 has a huge burden, to complete the transition of the series 
from kiddy story to compelling adult morality play, and it succeeds 
magnificently, in spite of the overlong scenes inlolving Rita 
Skeeter, the World Cup, and the Dance.  The rebirth of Voldemort as a 
living, breathing menance was worth the wait.  Here we meet the TOm 
Riddle of Book 2 full grown and in the flesh, capable of anything, 
powerful again.  What he lacks in forsight, he more than compensates 
for in meglomania.  Yet it wouldn't be nearly as compelling if we had 
not met him as a youth in Book 2.  We wouldn't "know" him.  Now we 
can observe how he has grown during his years on the path of Evil.

Which brings me to the very entertaining threads aobut Evil Overlords.
While us grownups have to do something to entertain ourselves until 
OoP comes out, those who complain about the facile escapes, and 
the "Oh I forgot(s)...", ought to keep in mind that happy endings are 
not easy, but we all desperately want them.  Why complain when you 
get what you want most.  You get a good, even compelling read, and 
the hero survives.  What more is there?

4FR