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

[stormbringer43]

No: HPFGUIDX 73274

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, Irene Mikhlin 
<irene_mikhlin at b...> wrote:
> 
> 
> kiricat2001 wrote:
> 
> > 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.  She has described Snape as a 
sadistic teacher who abuses his power.  And, yet, lots of readers 
think Snape is a wonderfully complicated character who has ample 
backstory to explain whatever inadequacies he may have as an adult.  
And, they can find all sorts of explanations as to why his teaching 
style is maybe not that bad.  
> > 
> > JKR has said she likes Sirius and she cried when she killed him 
off.  And a number of people on this list said either, 1) they didn't 
care about Sirius, so the death didn't bother them, or 2) they don't 
like Sirius, so thank god he was the one who died, or 3) gee, she 
said this was the death of a major character, but it was only Sirius, 
so what's the big deal...
> > 
> > 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.

> irene_mikhlin wrote: 
> I could not disagree more. It's exactly the sign of well-written, 
three-dimensional character that he (she) is able to take a life of 
his own and make different and unintended impressions on the readers.
 If the character conveys exactly what the authors planned and 
nothing more, this character is just a one-trick pony.
> 

Stormbrinbger43 Adds:

Mr. Strombringer wholeheartedly agrees with Ms. Irene.  One of the 
reasons we love Jo Rowling's creations is they are real to us.  We've 
been picked on with Harry; we've been embarrassed by our unmet wants 
with Ron; we're been treated unfairly with Hermoine, for our small 
successes.  Our stomachs lurched with Harry when he tried to ask Cho 
to the Yule ball.  We sighed with relief when he finally had a 
successful conversation with her in the Owlery.  We've burned at 
Snape for belittling Harry in potions.  

Jo gets it right. 

JKR's characters are real;3-D; hard to fully understand, and not 
always predictable, even to their closest friends and insightful 
readers.  If they were shallow, predictable, 2-D, their motivations 
would be transparent to everyone; there'd be no dispute as to their 
actions and character, and the books would never have become part of 
our lives.

As to whether or not she's written her characters well enough for 
everyone to understand, the problem with this is that a common 
understanding is the lowest possible denominator, isn't it? The more 
complex the literary creations, the more the viewpoint of the reader 
will color the understanding of the character.
  
This forum is a fascinating place, not always for the sharing of 
research and insightful interpretations, but for some of the 
dissentions against the canon, which reveal more about the poster 
than the books themselves.  Wouldn't the books be dull, if we could 
all agree on everything in them?

Stormbringer