What If . . . What If It's A *Dud?*

[Judy <penumbra10@yahoo.com>]

No: HPFGUIDX 51975

"Cindy C. wrote:
> Lately, for reasons I don't fully understand, I have been consumed 
> with angst over the possibility that OoP will be . . . oh, I don't 
> know . . . unsatisfactory.  Substandard.  Disappointing.  *Dud-
> worthy.* <snip>
Leaving us stuck with OoP as our only canon to analyze for a very 
looooong time.  ::bites fingernails:: <snip>

I think what you are really saying here that you're afraid that JKR 
has set impossibly high standards for herself and this future work 
cannot possibly measure up.   *After all, look at what a muddle 
George Lucas did to the Star Wars saga...* 
Obviously, with the disappointing introduction of the "midi-
choridians" as 'Force' middlemen,' Lucas had not established the 
story of Darth Vader's fall before he created this new trilogy.  He 
seemed to be grasping at plotting straws and the story has lost its 
mystery and magic.  More's the pity.  JKR, however, is in the process 
of writing one extremely long novel, which, unlike Lucas, she took 
five years to meticulously plan out.  We have only gone a little more 
than half way through and we've enjoyed the ride so far.  Why should 
the second half be any different?

Cindy:
> I think my main worry is that the book will be excessively sappy.  
> Too much romance, or worse, too much attempting to wring tears out 
> of the reader.  But I'm also a little concerned that JKR might 
> resort to something we've seen before to carry the main plot 
twist.  More polyjuice.  Or animagi.  Or time-turner.  Or there will 
be a confrontation with Voldemort that won't measure up to the 
graveyard scene.
<snip>

Me:
I'm quite surprised to hear anyone say this because it is abundantly 
clear that Ms. Rowling has an extraordinary feel for plot 
development.  She has never in nearly 2,000 pages of text tried to 
wring tears out of the readers or resorted to sappy melodrama.  In 
fact, she has emphatically stated that she abhors that kind of 
writing.  We watched Harry being horribly neglected and abused by his 
only living relatives, suffer being ostracized by classmates,  
bullied by the English equivalent of *Snidely Whiplash*,  tortured by 
soul-suckers, and falsely accused by someone he loved and trusted—all 
without a trace of melodrama.  Why should she start with OoP?   As 
for romance, we are observers of the coming-of-age of an 
extraordinary young man.  To maintain Harry's three-dimensionality, 
romance, I think, will of necessity play a large role in this book 
and perhaps the next.  He won't be truly mature until he can 
understand his own heart.  If JKR is a secret "Inkling"(a la Tolkien 
and Lewis, as some analysts seem to think) and this work is covertly 
religious in nature, then I'll bet my CPU romantic love, which is 
often used as a symbol for the loftier love of God, will play a 
major, major role.  And what is so terrible about that?  JKR will 
treat it with the same deft hand and sly humor she has treated all 
the other issues in Harry's life.  

As for a confrontation with LV, JKR has hinted that Harry will not 
openly confront LV again for a while.  And this makes perfect sense, 
doesn't it? I sincerely doubt that LV will even make a *live* 
appearance in OoP.

David wrote: 
Sappiness (saptitude? sapismo?): <snip> Judging by Cedric, 
she will think she has gone overboard on mass sapporama and the 
fandom will say "eh?" or "huh?", depending on their country.

IMO, I don't think Cedric was the least bit sappy.  We have to 
remember that Cedric was still young.  As a teacher, I've met good, 
decent, kind kids just like him who still believe in those ideals we 
adults constantly ram down their throats simply because they haven't 
been in out in the world to see how few people actually adhere to 
them.   I think if she made one mistake about Cedric, it's in judging 
how skeptical her audience would be about accepting his essential 
goodness.  He needed to have been more developed.  IMO, I don't think 
JKR will change her story one iota because some of the fans think 
Cedric's life and death were sappy.  She has already formulated her 
story and she has repeatedly said that it is the story she will 
tell.  I say, good for her.  

David expressed another concern: 

<I think (in the books) we have steadily increasing complexity. This 
<is partly because there is more in each volume to build on from 
<previous volumes, but I think it is also that she clearly enjoys her 
<repeating patterns, each time with a further twist. I think this is 
<a positive development, but I see a possible danger in a plot so 
<complicated that half her readers, well, lose the plot.

I think if JKR continues to use her "repeating patterns," we are not 
very likely to get lost, but, because Dumbledore is going to "tell 
Harry everything," we are going to be moving away from the questions 
that have carried the first four books, and perhaps our comfort 
zone.  The BIG question for the past four books has been "Why did 
Voldemort try to kill Harry in the first place?"  Since OoP will, 
doubtless answer that question, we will be exposed, I'm certain, to 
an entirely new set of mysteries.  Regardless of how much she focuses 
on romance, or other things people *dread* seeing, we cannot help but 
be intrigued by these new questions.
If Harry's journey in these last three novels is half as good and 
engaging as it has been in the first four, it will still be 
extraordinary and I, for one, can't wait to get on with the trip.
--Judy