JKR's Writing

[queekie99]

No: HPFGUIDX 34735


In response to Mark Saunders (UK) who said: "The other problem I 
have is with her use of punctuation, mainly within dialogue. JKR 
doesn't always seem to know when to end a sentence. For example, on 
page 81 of GoF (assuming you're reading the same paperback edition 
as me!), when Arthur Weasley introduces Ludo Bagman to the gang, 
this is how JKR punctuates it: " 'Everyone,' Mr Weasley 
continued, 'this is Ludo Bagman, you know who he is, it's thanks to 
him we've got such good tickets-' " Any English student knows that 
that actually should be punctuated like this: " 'Everyone,' Mr 
Weasley continued, 'this is Ludo Bagman. You know who he is. It's 
thanks to him we've got such good tickets-'", 

I say this: 

yes.. well, in response to Mark's comment about Rowling's 
punctuation, I do realize that it is grammatically 'incorrect', but 
I believe she writes in that manner to give us an idea of how the 
characters themselves speak- are they speaking quickly? Slowly? When 
I first read that excerpt in Goblet  of Fire, I imagined that Mr. 
Weasley was speaking rapidly in order to get his surrounding 
companions acquaintanced with Ludo- which fit my mental image of the 
atmosphere of excitement that was occuring in the book at that time. 
If Rowling had done the proper punctuations for Mr. Weasley's 
statement, then it would have seemed he was talking more slowly,  
etc...

-Alice Wack (Alicey)