Boring Harry Potter

[elfundeb]

No: HPFGUIDX 34370

> --- In HPforGrownups at y..., "serenadust" <jmmears at p...> wrote:
> > Zoe. I've been wondering lately if 
> > many of the posters even enjoy the books as written, or if they 
feel 
> > that they could personally improve them by changing the 
characters' 
> > behavior, or plotlines.
> 
Since I'm on record as criticizing characters, I must respond that 
the books I love most are the ones with believable characters with 
real flaws.  I love the HP books as written and it is the humanity of 
the characters that keep me going back to them, not the magic or the 
plot.  I think the quality of the characters lies in their 
imperfections, and if we are quicker to cut slack to characters that 
we like, it's a reflection of how we might react to them as people.  
I may complain about Hagrid, think he's recklessly endangering the 
students, setting a bad example, and should not be teaching, but I 
don't think he's a poor character.

> Zoe wrote
> >JKR tells us who the good guys are, and I'm 
> > prepared 
> > > to take her word on that. 
> 
If there's one criticism I have about JKR's characters, it's that 
the "bad guys" (as in Harry's perpetual irritants, not the plot-twist 
bad guys like Pettigrew) are too flat and too obvious.  Draco is too 
predictable and has shown IMO little growth as a character over the 
four books, with the same insults (Mudbloods, Weasley poverty and/or 
Harry's choice of friends) every time we see him; the only reason I 
think he might not end up killing someone is that I don't think he 
has the guts.  I can feel sorry for him, but not much more.  I'd 
really like to see some more development of Draco as a character in 
OoP.  (Ditto the Dursleys, who are predictably mean and petty to 
Harry, summer after summer after summer after summer.)  Others agree 
or disagree?
> 
> 
I hope that Rowling will finish this off well, I have a 
> good feeling about her finishing it off well, but I don't trust 
her. 
> Trust no author until they're finished.
> 
> Eileen

I have found that just when I'm really tired of something JKR does, 
she accommodates me by doing something different.  So I will trust 
her to do the same, to continue to surprise and to finish it off. 
It's possible that she would ruin it.  But I'm not expecting it.  

Debbie (who loves Snape as a character because he is evil and good 
and mysterious and wants to love McGonagall but thinks she is too 
boring)