JKR's marriage

[Penny Linsenmayer]

No: HPFGUIDX 50306

Hi --

[snip lots of stuff I agree with regarding the "inner censor" of Ron and Harry]

I said: 
<< JKR had an unhappy marriage with lots of "sparks" and 
arguments and tension. It ended badly. I'm not so sure that 
"tension and sparks" is really her cup of tea.>>

Pippin asked: 
<<<<Do tell! I thought JKR refused to talk about the problems with her 
first marriage. Source, please?>>>>>>>>

Sure, no problem!

J.K. Rowling: A Biography, by Sean Smith (London, Michael O'Hara Books Ltd.: 2001).

As a budding biographer myself, I'd be the first to tell you that biographies are suspect sources in many ways, particularly unauthorized biographies.  This one is, however, in a *completely* different league than that horrid one by Shapiro back in 2000.  Smith is a former journalist who's written several books in the past 6-7 yrs about "contemporary topics" in Britain.  I don't know his reputation or how he's regarded in the UK in particular, but he seems to have done a reasonable job in tracking down sources and interviews.  IIRC, when I read the book a few mths ago, I could only find a few minor quibbles with his facts (unlike Shapiro, who couldn't even figure out what year JKR was born!).    

Anyway..... on to his account of her marriage.  He traveled to Portugal and did interview some of her friends from that time period.  It does not appear that Jorge Arantes talked directly to Smith .... Smith seems to be basing some of his narrative of their meeting and early relationship on an interview that Arantes gave the Daily Express a few yrs ago.   Smith says friends recall that Rowling was the jealous one early-on in the relationship but the roles reversed later, after their marriage.  However, everyone seemed to be in agreement that it "was always a tempestuous relationship."  

She got pregnant and suffered a miscarriage sometime in the summer of 1992.  Arantes proposed to her shortly after this, and they were married on Oct 16, 1992 (Smith notes with amusement that the date Rowling chose for Trelawney's prediction relating to Lavender was Oct 16th ..... "that thing you dread, it will happen on Oct 16th").  Her friend from the school where she taught English recalls one blazing argument not long before the marriage though.  There was a public declaration of passion and reconciliation with this one, though it was alarming enough that someone had called the police before the couple got everything sorted out.  Smith says "Only Joanne and Jorge know how many more rows of this nature occurred behind closed doors."  She got pregnant again quickly, and Smith did talk to Arante's mother who confirmed that the couple argued constantly.  

Smith says it's not clear from interviews with Arantes whether he did or did not hit Rowling in the final public argument that was the end of their marriage, but in any case, he did forcefully throw her out of the house in Nov 1993.  With the baby inside.  Eventually, her friend Maria had to go to the flat the next morning and beg Jorge to give the baby to her.  As a mother, this makes my skin crawl.  :::shudders:::::

The story doesn't stop there though.  Sometime not long after she settled in Edinburgh, Jorge followed her there.  She got an "Action of Interdict" (basically a restraining order) against him in March 1994. Smith says the burden of proof to make such an interdict permanent is high, but Rowling's became permanent in June 1995 (her divorce was final that same day).  

Now.  Please don't misunderstand and think that I'm suggesting Ron would be violent or abusive to Hermione.  I'm not.  Not at all.  I'm also not suggesting that all relationships where the couple spark from the passion created by rows end up in violence and threats.  I know there are plenty of couples out there who thrive on the bickering and what-not, although frankly I don't happen to know any of them personally.  

All I'm saying is that Rowling had one relatioship with lots of tension, sparks and passion ..... and it did not end well at all.  I've no idea what her relationship with Dr. Murray is like, but if I were a betting woman, I'd say that she might well have had her fill of tempestuous passionate relationships marked by lots of bickering and rows.  

Penny   

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