FAQs: Lily died before James?

[Steve]

No: HPFGUIDX 103369

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Brenda M."
<Agent_Maxine_is at h...> wrote:
> >>> Steve wrote:
> > 
> > The UK edition, which is the first publication, has James
> > coming out first. 
> > 
> > On her website, JKR said three times ... James comes out before 
> > Lily. She flat out says that the ... change to the US edition was 
> > a mistake. 
> > 
> > ... the most recent UK versions have been change back to 
> > the original form. (...or, so I've been told.) <<<
> 
> 
> Bren now:
> 
> I agree with Steve. US edition is much different, heck, it has even 
> different title in the first book. I'm just glad I got my Canadian-
> British edition ;P
>

Asian_lovr2:

I would much prefer to read the UK/Canada editions but the font used
and the font point size make the books very difficult for me to read.
Not impossible, but difficult. 

For the most recent book, I ordered from Canada, and given the Font
problems, and the fact that, with each new book, there are fewer and
fewer changes, I've pretty much decided to stick with the easier to
read US editions. Maybe I'll get a boxed set from the UK when the
series is finished.


> Bren continues:
> 
> What I don't understand is WHY US editor made that suggestion, and 
> on top of that, WHY JKR went along with it. ...edited...
> 

Asian_lovr2:
There are several long thread going on right now on this subject, so
you may have missed this little tid-bit. In SS/PS, when Harry
confronts Voldemort in the last chamber, Voldemort says (paraphrased)
that he killed James first and followed up by saying that Harry's
mother didn't have to die.

First, Lord-V is not a very reliable source of information. The hard
cold facts usually come from either Dumbledore's or Hermione's mouth.
Lord-V is very self-serving, and as evil overlord are prone to do, he
is not above ammending the truth to suit the moment.

In her explaination, which has been quoted in a couple of other
threads here, JKR explains that fatigue and a rush to publication were
influencing factors. 

We must understand, that at that time, we and the publishers had four
books, one of which hadn't actually been published yet. JKR on the
other hand has years and years of work, and volumes and volumes of
data (character histories, outlines for the full series, notes,
backstory, after-story), that's a lot of information to keep track of. 

Persumably, for the explanation, in the heat of the moment, the US
publisher may have said 'the first book says James dies first'. Then
under under pressure to give an immediate answer, she probably thought
'that makes sense' and approved the change. She probably never gave it
another thought until thousands of obsessed fans started questioning
her on the point. Then she was stuck for a graceful way to undo it.

> Bren continues:
>
> ... Anyways, I'm willing to count on JKR's written words on her own 
> website than her spoken words in interviews.
> 
> Bren

Asian_lovr2:

Amen to that. I think there is a tremendous margin for error in
spontaneous interviews. So, we must certainly temper anything she says
with some common sense. As I like to say, interviews aren't 'canon'
they are 'canonish'.

Just a thought.

Steve/asian_lovr2