What's different about OOP (WAS: a great representation of our time)

[lunalovegoodrules]

No: HPFGUIDX 77335

"Between the absence of Hagrid and the presence of those dragonish 
horses, he had felt that his return to Hogwarts, so long anticipated, 
was full of unexpected surprises, like jarring notes in a familiar 
song."

JKR is telling us here exactly what she is doing in the book. This is 
the definitive meta, as it were, in OOP. The sentence thus in fact 
reads - 

"Between the absence of naivete and the presence of death's 
remembrance, the book, so long anticipated, is full of unexpected 
surprises, like jarring notes in a familiar song."

I posted this before, but in these "Rowling's worth as a writer" 
threads, it might be time to ask those who gripe about OOP not 
being "the same" to clarify WHAT is different about it, because 
perhaps some of the criticism, being applicable to the whole series, 
but focussing on OOP, betrays what is in fact a criticism of where 
Rowling has taken the thematic material. That is to say - the "defend 
OOP" and "Rowling's pedestrian style" threads are, in fact, not about 
anything that has changed in Rowling's style, but about changes in 
Rowling's presentation of her themes.

That's what I believe, actually.

First, what is different about it, we should ask, the more specific 
the better, and then we should ask why. For, do the original posts in 
fact present a case at all, or are they just pouts?

It seems, in fact, reading these threads, that some listees want 
other listees to reassure them of the validity of Rowling as 
literature, and by extension their own interest in Rowling. While 
some might enjoin responding, and others enjoy asking, I think 
seeking clarification from the original thread posters might refocus 
the discussion to more interesting areas than those that seem to be 
taking up so much list space.

>From the SOED 5th Edition - literature

3.  a. Literary productions as a whole; the body of writings produced 
in a particular country or period. Now also spec., that kind of 
written composition valued on account of its qualities of form or 
emotional effect. E19.
American literature, English literature, Russian literature, etc. 
Wisdom literature: see WISDOM.
   
S. Spender Trying to distinguish the kind of writing which is 
literature from that which is worthless.   J. Plamenatz The quality 
of a literature does not always improve..as population increases and 
literacy spreads. 

This is obviously the sense about which some are talking. Translated 
roughly, it means, will Rowling be filed under "classics" at the 
chain bookstores in some decades?

Now, in the used book stores there is often no such aisle. And in 
university bookstores, there is rather a "course" aisle, and 
a "fiction" aisle. Is the concept so central? How long 
has "literature" been "literature." Are we discussing Chapters' 
filing criteria? Or what?

That is why I think, to all those posters, we must address the 
questions I've suggested.

Because if we're discussing Chapters' filing criteria, I can happily 
go on to a more fruitful thread, but if we are talking about Rowling, 
style and meaning, that is, at least, interesting.

dan