Opinions (was Harry's Motivation) (was Re: JKR's site up-date - Rumours Section

[dumbledore11214]

No: HPFGUIDX 127333


Potioncat:
Seems to me, no matter how the series ends, you've gotten your 
money's worth already. But the books don't come "satisfaction 
guranteed" so perhaps you should put your name on the waiting list 
at your local library now. 
 
As for me, I don't see any reason to attach any stipulations to 
the books. I've enjoyed the ride so far, and I expect I will 
continue to. I may not like some of the events that will occur...I'm 
sure of that in real life too... I've made some predictions, guessed 
at some back  stories and I'm waiting to see how I close I came to 
JKR's ideas, not how close she came to mine.


Lupinlore: 
<SNIP>
However, this does bring up an interesting question of how one 
approaches a set of books.  I think there are several different 
ways, none of which is reallys superior to another.  Perhaps there 
are two predominant ways, however:
 
One way is as a work of art, or an adventure if you will.  You sort 
of pay your cash (or not, as the case may be) and go along for the 
ride.  You expect to find some pleasant and unpleasant things, but 
overall accept it as an aesthetic experience, whatever that means to 
you (I think some people are primarily emotional in their approach 
and some primarily intellectual).

The other is to approach the books as a product that one invests in, 
whether it be time or money.  As with any product you expect a 
certain return for your investment.  
 <SNIP>
So, how one reacts to the Harry Potter series as a whole will depend 
to a large extent on what type of person you are.  If you are 
primarily "aesthetic" in your approach, then you will apply one set 
of values that add up to - did I have a superior aesthetic 
experience?  If, however, you are - as I tend to be - 
primarily "economic" in your approach, you will apply another (not 
necessarily exclusive) set of values that say - did I receive 
appropriate compensation for my investment?
<SNIP>
In general aesthetic readers value books as works of art and authors 
as artists.  The value of each depends on certain measures of 
quality and achievement. Economic types value books as products 
designed to fulfill a function and authors as producers.  The value 
of each depends on the fluctuating needs/demands of the individual 
consumer and the marketplace.
<SNIP>

Alla:

Hm, we have to disagree sometimes, right? My approach is the same as 
Potioncat, I think.

But I am very very curious to understand yours. Not being sarcastic, 
or anything, but could you please clarify. How could you employ 
economic approach for the work of fiction like this?

I mean I perfectly understand the economic approach to the non-
fictional books. For example, I expect from  the legal books I own 
to help me do my job. That is the DEFINITE result I expect from 
reading these books.

What kind of definite result can you get from reading Harry Potter? 
What kind of function in your own words do you expect those books to 
perform?
I am just genuinely confused, because I don't realy see how HP can 
be approached in any other way as work of art, whether you feel it 
or think about it.

I mean the only "return of my investment" so to speak I can expect 
from these books is whether I indeed had a great aesthetic 
experience. Can you please explain in more details what do you 
expect?

As I already mentioned earlier I realised that I did not enjoy OOP 
as much as I thought I did, but how can I measure my enjoynment in 
definite terms? What ARE those terms?

That blasted Dumbledore's speech at the end for example :o) It just 
does not ring true to my ears, it does not flow, it leaves me 
emotionally and intellectually unsatisfied. How can it be tranferred 
to non- appropriate compensation for the investment?

I have a feeling I probably misunderstood you. :o)

JMO,

Alla