was Re: Interview w/ JKR [Sirius]

[curly_of_oster]

No: HPFGUIDX 73078

Well, Marianne has already responded to this, and she expressed 
herself perfectly well, but I still feel as if you and I are talking 
somewhat at crossed purposes, so here goes:

Dublina: 
Lisa, sorry to hear that the comment "are you for real" was 
considered rude but the comment that was made and I quote
****So, the final two books have lost a lot of their potential 
allure for me****, actually made me laugh out loud to the point 
where my co  worker in the next bay to me wanted to know what I was 
laughing at.

Again, as I said before it is getting to the best bit and stating 
that the potential allure is lost on someone, I found quite humorous.

Me:
Yet you later admit that you would 'feel gutted' if one of *your* 
favorite characters had died.  If this made you somewhat less 
emotionally involved in the story, or lessened, to some degree, your 
anticipation of the next books (I'm not saying it would or wouldn't, 
just 'if'), would you want someone to publicly laugh at you for it?  
That's why the comment came off as rude and dismissive to me.  
Marianne was stating her personal emotional reaction to what 
happened, and you were apparently laughing at her.  I'm sorry, but I 
just don't think that's very nice.
 
Me, earlier:
Each of us has our own reasons for liking these books, and our own 
emotional reactions to them, and seeing such a dismissive response 
to someone's reactions bothered me.


Dublina:  
Such a dismissive response?  Isnt saying that *potential 
allure is lost* dismissing the last two books of the HP series?  

Me:
Marianne already addressed this, but I'll have a go too.  The two 
things are not at all the same.  In the case of the 'potential 
allure is lost,' Marianne did not, as she points out, 'dismiss' the 
rest of the books out of hand.  She did not suggest that Rowling 
was 'wrong' in what she did, or that people who are still just as 
interested in the books as ever were 'wrong' or worthy of scorn or 
laughter.  All she did was say that for her, personally, *something* 
was lost.  By replying with a seemingly sarcastic 'are you for 
real,' you *seemed* to be saying that her reaction *was* 'wrong,' or 
at least laughable.  The former case is a statement of one persons' 
personal response to the book, while the latter seems to be a 
sarcastic dismissal of that response.  That may not have been your 
intention, but's that what it sounded like to me.

I also note that your response to me didn't address, at all, my 
explanation of why I think Marianne or others losing some of their 
emotional connection to the books, and therefore the books losing 
some potential allure, makes sense.

[much snipping]
 
Me, earlier:
On a related note, I think another part of the 'problem,' so to 
speak, is the length of time between books 4 and 5.  We all had so 
much time to think, analyze, interpret, and--perhaps most 
importantly in this context--speculate.

Dublina: 
I dont think there was a 'problem' in waiting between book 4 
and 5, we had to wait and that was it.  JKR has found herself a new 
husband, had a baby, taken may people to court, and is also trying 
to write a book.  I consider that a pretty heavy workload.  Yes, it 
is very difficult *not* to analyse the books but in the end she  
ultimately *calls the shots*.  So what ever _is_ analysed can really 
only be taken with a grain of salt.  We come together as a community 
to speculate but that is all.

Me:
Let me clarify here.  My use of the word 'problem' was not directed 
at JKR, so your vigorous defense of her is unneccesary. <g>  I 
completely understand her need to take more time, and I don't 
begrudge her that.  I was trying to say that such a long wait can 
affect fans and their reactions to what happens, because it gives 
*us* so much more time to think, speculate, and perhaps get even 
*more* attached to the characters than we might otherwise have.  We 
wonder and discuss things like 'Why does Dumbledore really trust 
Snape?' or 'Will Neville play a greater role?' or 'Will Sirius ever 
clear his name?'  And in the process, many of us develop an 
emotional investment in the answers to these questions.  I don't 
blame JKR for this at all (nor did I in my original post).  I'm just 
pointing out that it happens, and that the long wait contributes to 
it.  

Me, earlier:
Think about it in terms of other characters.  If you love Snape, 
and  can't wait to find out if he's really on the side of light or 
dark, how would you feel if he had been 'accidentally' killed in 
some sudden and arbitrary fashion, before we ever found out?  If Ron 
is your favorite, and you want to know if his Mirror of Erised 
vision comes true, and he dies suddenly in the next book, how will 
you feel? 


Dublina: 
I would feel gutted that a fav. character of mine had died 
in the story but this is how the story has to unfold.  

[snip]

But this is a story, seen through the eyes of Harry and if someone 
has to die, then someone has to die (because he is telling us his 
_life_story_) and you *grieve* but you move on, just as in life, and 
yes, you should never forget the passing of a life because everyone 
_is_ precious.


Me:
And would you want to be laughed at while you were grieving?

Lisa