Feelings on OoP

[Jen Reese]

No: HPFGUIDX 80112

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Mev532" <mev532 at y...> wrote:
> 
> A lot of people have criticized this work as 'a downer' or bleak or 
> depressing but in a way these are the aspects that really impressed 
> me about the book. I feel the tone and content of the stories 
> has 'grown up'  as Harry has begun seeing more gray in his 
> previously black and white world. 

<snipped some good throughts here>

> While sometimes painful to read I feel the realistic gritty feel to 
> the characters made up for the books faults.  I feel every book in 
> the series is better than the last, OOP included. Anyone else think 
> so?

Jen:

Even though I'm one who characterizes OOTP as bleak, I didn't dislike 
the book in the context of the series.  

Yes, it was painful to read at times, watching Harry so tormented  
and disconnected from his support group.  On the other hand, he grew 
tremendously through this process of learning to rely on himself 
rather than depending on Ron, Hermione, Sirius or Dumbledore 
to "translate" the workings of the WW for him, and give meaning to 
his experience. Harry can do that for himself, now.

Watching one of my favorie characters, Sirius, essentially imprisoned 
again, spiraling down into a very dark place, and then killed 
(symbolically sacrificed for the plot)--ouch, not what I wanted to 
see happen. But on some level I knew Sirius's role had been fulfilled 
and that it would be very hard as a writer to continue to deal with a 
character who is backed in a corner with nowhere to go. So I could 
accept he had to exit.

And there were bright moments: Luna has a whole chapter named for 
her!  I think her intuitive gifts will be important for Harry's 
development in the future. And I found the introduction of the DA, 
with Harry's evolution into a leader and teacher, as both believable 
and essential for future books.

The bottom line for me with OOTP: I grieve for the more innocent, 
naive Harry who always had his friends to turn to, a seemingly 
infallible Dumbledore to explain the world, and exciting adventures 
with his friends where they always triumphed. But that ended at the 
graveyard in GOF, "time to put away childish things", and now the 
gritty part of growing up begins. 

As I parent, I sometimes want to shield my child from the ugly parts 
of the world, at the same time knowing that I won't always be able to 
do that. I have those same feelings about Harry. OOTP makes it clear 
that no one can shield him--he is the one bearing the burdens now.