CoS irrelevant?

[silveroak_us <silveroak_us@yahoo.com>]

No: HPFGUIDX 48829

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Brooks <GinWeasRox at a...>" 
<GinWeasRox at a...> wrote:
> Several people have pointed out aspects of CoS that fit into the 
> series. I would like to approach Laura's question from a different 
> direction. Perhaps the reason it seems irrelevant is because the 
> Harry Potter series did not truly begin until PoA. PS/SS is a stand-
> alone book. It had to be, because nobody knew if it would sell. It 
> did sell, so a sequel was written. It was at that point that 
> Bloomsbury Publishing realized how far this gold mine could be 
taken, 
> and JKR sat down with the editors to develop an extended story line.
> 
> I'm sure that she had ideas back at the beginning about how the 
story 
> and the characterizations would develop, but she didn't complete 
all 
> seven manuscripts before going out to find a publisher. If she 
*had* 
> done that, we would not have this insufferably long wait for OotP.
         <snip> 
> Events from CoS were worked into the series once it was decided 
that 
> there was to be a series. I hope this helps to explain why CoS 
seems 
> just slightly out of place.
> 
> Brooks

me now

Sorry, but Ms. Rowling has consistently said, and there is no 
evidence to contradict her, that the books were all outlined before 
the first was published, and that she has remained relatively true to 
the outline ever since. While it is true she did not finish all seven 
manuscripts before going to a publisher, that does not mean that she 
did not have a very clear idea of what would be in each story.

She has said that she had to rewrite parts of the fourth book because 
the story-line was not working well, so there is a certain amount of 
revising of the stories as she writes.

At this time we can only speculate as to why the fifth book is not 
yet published, but we cannot use the wait as evidence that If she 

>*had* 
> done that, we would not have this insufferably long wait for OotP.
>

In conclusion, the second book is by no means "slightly out of 
place", rather it is an integral part of the entire seven book story. 
Although perhaps some of its relevance and connections remain murky.

**Martin Miggs, the Mad Muggle**