JKR's writing in OoP (was Re: Sirius's Future)

[nrenka]

No: HPFGUIDX 118019


--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "lupinlore" <bob.oliver at c...> 
wrote:
> --- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "cat_kind" <cat_kind at y...> 
> wrote:
>> 
>> Why do deaths have to be significant or life-lessons?  They 
>> aren't in Real Life, perhaps that is the point JKR was trying to
>> make? No, Sirius' death doesn't make much sense, and that's exactly
>> why I think it might be well written after all.  
>
> Lupinlore:
> I think this is true.  Death, particularly in war, often is sudden, 
> random, and SEEMINGLY pointless (although remember that JKR has 
> said there was a reason for Sirius death).

The thing that keeps recurring to me today is 'literary economy'.  
And it leaves me conflicted, as so much does. :)

On the one hand, not all details are meaningful.  Many times, reading 
interviews with writers and such, they comment about knowing your 
characters, and getting a feel for things--and that's what it takes 
to write.  Things where every single detail is a Symbolic Clue 
generally get old, at least in the style of the modern novel.  
Details are often just there to make a world live and breathe.

On the other hand, novels are often generally awfully similar, in 
some ways, to RPGs (role-playing games).  There's a very true joke 
about cliches in these games: anything on the map is significant--the 
designers don't have the space or time to create intricate caves that 
don't have treasure at the end, or plot relationships.  I generally 
feel this holds somewhat true for the mystery/fantasy/adventure of 
Harry Potter, too--anyone who has a significant amount of time spent 
on them has it done for a reason.  This may, however, be more 
atmospheric than strictly plot related, and it's the balance between 
the two that she exploits for her own amusement at our confusion.

OotP doesn't stand alone very well, I've considered from when I 
finished it (and Renee mentioned upthread).  I'm waiting to see what 
the literary payoff is for the truncation of Sirius' character arc, 
because she's promised that there is some.  And we (in the general 
sense) shall have to agree to disagree about his (now null and void) 
potentiality as a continuing character.  I can think of many things 
that could have been done with him, and some unresolved issues.  
Final evaluation will have to wait for the continuation of threads.

-Nora gets ready for some hard-core opera going and thus vanishes 
until tomorrow