HP: Mystery or Adventure?

[Renee]

No: HPFGUIDX 117936


--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "lupinlore" <bob.oliver at c...> 
wrote:
> 
> 
> The words "mystery" and "adventure" are often used to characterize 
> the HP saga.  However, these two kinds of stories have quite 
> different characteristics.  I wonder if much of the argument over 
HP 
> in fan circles has to do with whether one approaches it more as a 
> mystery or more as an adventure?

<snip>

> Personally, I think HP moves between mystery and adventure.  
However, 
> it is likely that there are times when we think JKR is writing 
> adventure that she is engaged in crafting a mystery, and also many 
> times when we are sure we are dealing with a mystery of great 
import 
> when in fact JKR is giving us an adventure story.  Thus arise a 
good 
> many of our confusions and disappointments.  And thus arise a good 
> many of our criticisms of JKR, that is we often feel she has 
played 
> dirty with mysteries when she was writing adventure, and we often 
> expect because she was doing one thing in a particular 
circumstance 
> she will do it in another (i.e. if x is important why isn't y?).
> 

Renee:
You've got some very good points here. I hope I'm not making things 
more confusing by adding a third genre to the mix: fantasy. Though 
it's obvious the HP saga isn't a conventional fantasy tale set in 
some never-never land, it contains elements usually not found in 
mysteries or conventional adventure stories, such as magic and non-
human sentient beings. Also, fantasy tales often make abundant use 
of symbolism and archetypes, and it seems to me HP is no different 
in this respect. It is, for instance, particularly strong in - 
(medieval Christian) symbolism: phoenix, stag, unicorns and snake 
(the basilisk). Harry frequently descends into the underworld to 
resurface more or less victoriously. Many characters have symbolical 
names. Etc. 

And it doesn't stop at mystery, adventure story and fantasy: the 
books also have a satirical element demanding an approach of its 
own, and I'm sure others could come up with different genres yet. In 
short, to analyse and interpret the books the way they deserve, it 
won't do to slap a label on them and then proceed to unravel them in 
terms of that particular genre alone; they have to many layers. The 
ideal interpretation, IMO, would be one that does justice to all the 
different elements these books are composed of and succeeds in 
harmonising them.  

Renee