[HPforGrownups] Fan Readings & Subversion (WAS: Where's the Canon -- Part Two)

[Pen Robinson]

No: HPFGUIDX 35131

Porphyria (I think) said:

>> Does anyone have any issues with the writing style?

Elkins said:

><wince>
>
>
>
>Er...do I get lynched around here if I say that I do sometimes
>have some problems with the writing style?
>
>What can I say?  I think that Rowling's an excellent story-teller.
>Her prose style, on the other hand, leaves something to be desired. 
>All IMO, of course.  Obviously I read the books with enjoyment, so
>it can't be all that big a problem for me.


I find that *listening* to the books has made a difference in how I
appreciate JKR's style.

I'm a lazy and greedy reader - I hurtle through a book to find out what
happens, thus missing all sorts of details on the way.  Second and
subsequent readings are slower, but my bad habit of sliding over paragraphs
of 'description' is hard to break.

Listening to a book (the Stephen Fry versions, in case it matters to
anyone) forces me to experience the story one word at a time.  I have
developed an increased respect for JKR's plotting, characterisation and
misdirecting abilities, but I have developed something like hatred for...

... oh, it's cruel, cos once I've mentioned it, *you* won't be able not to
notice it either...

...the way Harry has so often *never/ever seen/done/heard/tasted [FITB] in
his life*.    Argh.  One day, when I feel particularly nitpickery and
obsessive, I shall start a list of these.

The other thing that annoys me is word repetition.  I know that 'thesaurus
disease' is undesirable, but then again, when listening to a sentence or
paragraph in which a word is re-used several times, I get cross.  I mean,
repeating 'blast-ended skrewt' is reasonable, as there can be no synonyms,
but why repeat, oh, say, 'excellent'?

It seems to me that someone in the editing department could be a little
more observant.

Pen