What JKR Finds Important (previously Kids and Grownups)

[Ilana Lydia]

No: HPFGUIDX 115912


Hi Everyone.  I've enjoyed reading the incredibly diverse views here--thanks for letting me come out and play.  

Lupinlore wrote:  

JKR has said time and again that this is *Harry's* story.  In fact, she has gone so far as 
to say that Harry appeared, more or less full blown, in her 
imagination and she proceeded to wrap the story around him.  This 
means that any other character, child or adult, is only important in 
so far as they touch on Harry.

I sometimes think that were JKR not such a polite person, she would 
dissolve in torrents of laughter at many of the theories so hotly 
disputed and deeply held among long-time readers, myself included.  
Is Snape and his redemption the key to everything?  Chuckle, titter, 
laugh!  Does the prophecy actually refer to Neville? Guffaw!  Is the 
basis and answer for everything to be found in the MWPP generation?  
Oh please cease and desist while I catch my breath!

Ilana replies now:

Isn't it funny how quickly our pet theories come into focus when we use this test?  I think it's a fair one.  Of course, there's absolutely nothing wrong with making "improvements" on JKR's vision and weaving tales that don't fit strictly into her world--that's what fan fiction is all about!  I think you make a valid point, though, that it's going to continue to return to Harry again and again and again, just when we're begging for another POV.  

I'm not certain if personal experiences of reading the book are off topic or not--I haven't seen too much of it come up--but I'd be interested to hear if others had the same impression of OOP as I did.  It seems to me that JKR included a lot more moodiness (outbursts of anger, suppressed rage, and worry) for Harry in the final book than we saw in the previous books.  It was almost melodramatic--too much--reminding me of something like Raskolnikov in Crime and Punishment (not to imply similarity of guilt or character, but of authorial technique.)  My question is do you feel this was a device to create distance between the reader and Harry, rather than to continue and sustain unwavering empathy?  Did anyone out there feel claustrophobic reading OOP--like JKR was pushing Harry's view to the point that you couldn't see the story unfold clearly?

Thanks for your insights!

Ilana     
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