Patterns between the books as a series. OoP not as out of place?

[minetourjunkie]

No: HPFGUIDX 68287

Kristini said:
"I started thinking that, were it not for the three year gap in 
between GoF and OotP, we would see them much more as birds of a 
feather, and set apart from the set of PS, Cos and PoA, which follow 
very different narrative patterns. OotP has jarred a bit with many 
people because of it's difference from the other four, but then 
we've all spent so long contemplating that particular set of four 
books as a complete canon from which to base theories that I think 
any new addition was going to come as a shock."

My impression of OoP was actually that it fit quite well with the 
others.  I see them as a very even, uphill progression.  

I actually think JKR has done something rather genius here: not only 
is the main character aging, but the narrative voice is aging with 
him.  I'll go further even and say that I wouldn't actually set the 
first three apart as a set either: if you read PS, it's shorter, less 
detailed and a much simpler style.  And as you read through CoS, it 
grows - more detail, more style.  etc.  PoA to me, is still different 
that the previous books (I feel it's really where things get going in 
a greater story arc kind of way, which again, leads into a feeling of 
maturity.  Not all wrapped up neatly at the end etc. ...)  It grows 
more in GoF and then by OoP, Harry's older, he's moodier, he would 
pick up on more, he's more mature (or at least more of an 
adolescent ...) and that's reflected in the difference of narrative 
voice.  I actually started to think of this about half way through 
reading when it struck me how stylistically different everything was 
and I realized this has been gradually happening for the whole 
series: the prose is growing up right along with Harry.  After all, 
we see it through his eyes, so of course, the prose will become 
moodier, more elaborate etc.

I found it to be quite genuis in fact.  Which may explain why I 
wasn't jarred by OoP's style at all and, quite conversely, really 
liked it.

Cheers,
Sarah W.
jumping on the 80s song bandwagon to say her favorite Duran Duran 
song is "Hungry Like the Wolf", though "Rio" is a close second