Black and white and read all over.

[cubfanbudwoman]

No: HPFGUIDX 116908


Kneasy:
> Spoon-feeding - isn't this what JKR is doing on her web-site?
> "Oh, they need extra clues, guidance, whatever on this subject or
> that individual. I'll drop this nugget in there for them." 
> Personally I'll use what she gives, but I  don't feel totally 
> overjoyed about it and I'm not alone. I've had mails that wonder 
> if she's belatedly realising that she's not provided enough 
> information in the books that in hindsight could be pointed to as 
> acceptable foreshadowing or clues. The new information regarding 
> letters to Petunia being the most obvious example so far.
> 
> If there are many more web-site revelations then it may be 
> justifiable to wonder if the actual books, the 'pure' canon is 
> sufficient to enable valid conclusions to be drawn or key story 
> lines to be identified. It is to this aspect of the fun and games 
> of analysis and interpretation that the section above, clipped 
> from my previous post, refers. Perhaps I should have made this 
> more explicit, but since there are no other instances of what 
> could be referred to as 'spoon-feeding' I thought it would be 
> obvious. 
> 
> Plus the possibility that sticking to book canon may be of limited 
> value and that we, you, I or whoever might as well sit around 
> waiting for crumbs to fall into our laps - because it's the only 
> way we're going to be able to reach accurate conclusions. Hence 
> the remark that the implication is that we should be happy to 
> receive fresh snippets rather than thinking about the existing 
> text, because it might be a pointless undertaking anyway. And if 
> it turns out to be so I'll be absolutely livid.


SSSusan:
Oh, I don't know.  I think it's just all meant to be fun!  (Call me 
a simpleton, I guess.)  JKR knows there are millions of people out 
there, anxiously awaiting another book -- something else to sink our 
teeth into -- some new goodies to add to what we've built up over 5 
books.  So, she tosses some tidbits for fun.  Some of them are pure 
fun; some of them are things she's likely never going to find room 
for in the next two books; some of them are clarifications of oft-
questioned plot or character points; some *may* be things she thinks 
will be appreciated as "No, dears, you're going the wrong way; look 
*here*."  (**We** know that some don't care for such tips, but I'm 
guessing many do.)

Anyway, I think it's all about killing time and handing out 
triflings to keep her fans content in the interim.  You yourself 
note the frequency with which the same threads & arguments arise 
around here.  When I find out one of the chapter titles for Book 6, 
for instance, I get excited, thinking about the possibilities.  
Fresh meat!


Kneasy: 
> Even with this possibility lurking in the background I am not 
> prepared to sit around and do nothing. I'll still attempt to 
> squeeze as much out of the books as possible - and quite probably 
> more than many think justifiable.

SSSusan:
As I think you should!  You clearly have fun coming up w/ new 
theories; people have fun responding.  Have at it!  Some of us get 
our jollies by thinking up potential outcomes for the series just 
from the 5 books so far; some prefer to use the clues JKR provides 
to give a little focus to those doings; others are content to wait 
for the answers to come straight from JKR in books 6 & 7 and really 
aren't interested in figuring out how it'll all end at all.  I don't 
see a problem with different strokes for different folks.

Siriusly Snapey Susan