Taking it seriously (Was:Question for Snape Bashers)

[Wanda Sherratt]

No: HPFGUIDX 101933

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "dumbledore11214" 
<dumbledore11214 at y...> wrote:
> 
> Well, this is in my opinion absolutely inrealistic aspect of 
> children's reaction to Snape. Although, I guess Harry is supposed 
to 
> be a "hero", who should overcome everything life throws at him, 
but 
> again just look at Neville, whose biggest fear is professor Snape.
> 
> 
My problem is, I can't take this even one-onehundredth as seriously 
as other people do.  I just don't buy Harry Potter as a 20th century 
Young Werther - a boy of sorrows, and acquainted with grief.  Where 
other people are earnestly discussing his life with the Dursleys as 
a case for Social Services intervention, I see it as a satirical 
riot.  He lives in a closet!  Under the stairs!  With all the 
spiders!  It's all so over-the-top, it's funny, like "Willy Wonka 
and the Chocolate Factory" - all the grandparents bedridden for 20 
years, sleeping in the same bed, and everyone living on cabbage 
water.  It's a satire on sentimental, pathetic-waif stories 
like "The Old Curiosity Shop", with poor, persecuted Little Nell.  
It's great that Rowling can combine this with adventure and 
suspense, but comedy is never very far away, and I think that comedy 
is really what she does best. This is why I felt Book 5 was such a 
failure; I suddenly found Rowling was expecting me to take all this 
stuff seriously, and I just couldn't switch my view of Hogwarts from 
St. Custard's to Lowood School.  Maybe this was always her intention-
 to start us off with a lighthearted story and gradually turn it 
into a searing drama, but if it is, I think she's misjudged her 
abilities.  She really doesn't have what it takes to write a very 
deep, serious book, whereas she can write humour and satire as well 
as anyone and better than most.

Wanda