Schoolbooks and foreshadowing

[dfrankiswork at netscape.net]

No: HPFGUIDX 38984

I was thinking about this debate, and it occurred to me that whatever we think about the precise status of the schoolbooks (and part of the problem is that the idea of 'canon' is not as simple as one might at first suppose), I am fairly certain that they do contain foreshadowing.

I have two reasons for this.

Firstly, quite frankly, the woman is incapable of *not* foreshadowing. Every time she opens her mouth she drops hints about what might happen. If someone seizes on a detail in an interview she doesn't say "Goodness, I'd forgotten all about that!", she says "I like attentive readers; I can't say more right now but that bit's very important." Wink wink. She is the wind-up mistress extraordinaire, the ne plus ultra of the tenterhooks. So I doubt she would resist the temptation to just slip something in that she knows will be significant in hindsight - in fact, in the case of Kneazles, I think we may have confirmation that this is so from an interview, though I couldn't turn it up at Aberforth's Goat's engine.

My second reason is more subjective (what? *more* subjective? wasn't that bad enough?). I think that some parts of FB in particular just read as if they are significant. I can't explain it really. Parts feel as if she was struggling to fill the space, others just *feel* as if there is more going on. All those footnotes about centaurs and vampires. The description of the Lethifold.

And, Cindy, you are missing a treat. Yes QTTA does have some duller bits, but it has the dialogue between Crapaud and Grenouille, it has a hilarious foreword by Dumbledore (so it can't be canon, right, because Dumbledore wrote it, not JKR? ;-P ) including significant (well, OK, not very significant) character development of Madam Pince, and it reveals that the snitch was invented at Godric's Hollow. It introduces us to Dangerous Dai Llewellyn. It is endorsed by both Gilderoy Lockhart and Rita Skeeter.  What more could you want?

David


__________________________________________________________________
Your favorite stores, helpful shopping tools and great gift ideas. Experience the convenience of buying online with Shop at Netscape! http://shopnow.netscape.com/

Get your own FREE, personal Netscape Mail account today at http://webmail.netscape.com/