HPforgrownups Re: What do you like best about the HP books?

[kiricat2001]

No: HPFGUIDX 72487

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "ellejir" <eberte at v...> wrote:
> --- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, Marianne wrote (in a much 
> longer and interesting post):
> 
> "A lot of people think that none of the Slytherins are more than 
two-
> dimensional, and that Draco has not progressed at all as a 
character 
> over the last several books.  I personally have a real problem with 
> how Sirius' characterization has changed from GoF to OoP. 
> And, there is the question of how JKR seems to think she has 
written  
> characters, judging by what she says in interviews, with how 
readers 
> perceive the same characters.  <snip> 
> Well, are those readers missing the point, or has JKR not written 
> those characters well enough to make people see them the way she 
> purportedly does?
> I'd give JKR no more than a C+ or B- for characterization."
> 
> Me:
> Whoa! You *sure* are a tough grader!  I would give her *much* 
higher 
> marks for her characterization. 

Yes, I'm tough, but I've also had a bad day at work, so I'm more than 
usually cranky.

 Yes, the Slytherins are one-
> dimensional, but they are merely supporting players in the drama, 
> and, as has been pointed out by others, we are viewing them through 
> Harry's eyes.  For every one-note character like Crabbe and Goyle 
we 
> have two or three Gryffindors with distinct personality traits--
think 
> Neville, Seamus, Fred and George (OK--the latter two are like one.)
I must confess that I happen to *like* the unrelenting nastiness of 
> Draco, and I hope that he never changes.  (Not every evil character 
> has to evolve into a good one.)

I'll give you the Gryffs. And, yes, I think the development of 
Neville was a high point of OoP. But, Draco has become a caricature. 
Nasty is fine, but unrelented nasty with no deepening, no shading, no 
change is simply dull.  He hasn't become worse or a more developed 
picture of evil; he's remained static. And, no, I don't want him to 
join the choir of the angels, although at this point any movement at 
all towards good or evil would help.  

> As for JKR's stated interpretation of a character being different 
> from some reader's perception of that character, this may be an 
> example of how rich her characterization actually is rather than a 
> point for criticism.  I think it is fascinating that there are so 
> many Snape and/or Percy-lovers out there, when Harry (the lens 
> through which we view the story) hates them both.
>  
> Elle   (No Umbridge-lovers out there though, are there??  There 
is    
> some unambiguous characterization for you!)

I bet there are some frog fans or some kittens-on-a-plate fans who 
think Umbridge is simply misunderstood. Perhaps she was bullied as a 
young girl...

Marianne