Disapointed in Potter?

[lupinlore]

No: HPFGUIDX 127700


--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "potioncat" <willsonkmom at m...> 
wrote:
> 
>
> 
> If you are so sure you're going to be disappointed to tears, go 
read a 
> different book! Join a different group. There are over 600 book 
> discussion groups on Yahoo alone (I just typed book discussions in 
the 
> yahoo search bar and counted them.)
> 
> Or stay on this list, but if you can't say something nice, or 
something 
> connected to canon, don't say anything at all."


Well, none of those things is going to happen, I'm afraid.  That is, 
people expressing their disappointments aren't going to go away, 
they aren't going to stop speaking, and they aren't going to quit 
reading the books.  As with politics, discussion of literature does 
engender a great deal of disagreement and expression of discontent.  
It's the nature of the beast.  If it makes people frustrated and 
distressed to here the HP books criticized, I am truly sorry, but it 
isn't going to stop or change.

The fact is that people bring many different things to the books, 
and what pleases one will severely disappoint another.  There is 
nothing wrong with that, nor is there anything at all wrong with 
expressing EITHER pleasure or disappointment.  The only thing people 
can do is to express their genuine feelings and perceptions.  All 
you can ask of people when it comes to the basic content of their 
opinions is that they be honest.

Now, the fact is that many people feel that JKR has made some 
serious mistakes, and there is nothing wrong whatsoever with having 
that opinion.  Many of these same people also believe she has had 
some major triumphs -- which in many ways make the mistakes all the 
more tragic.  Other people feel like whatever mistakes JKR may have 
made are very minor, and there is nothing wrong with that, either. 

Now, and here's where we get to the nub, both sets of people have 
every right to air their opinions and will do so.  And if you think 
that the other side is going to shut up, or go away, or quit reading 
the books, you are buying into a belief that is going to cause you 
an enormous amount of pain and anguish because IT AIN'T GONNA 
HAPPEN.  Indeed, as the final form of the plot and characters 
becomes evident, the expressions of disagreement and discontent will 
only multiply.  It is an inevitability and even JKR herself has said 
as much.  

To put it in a humorous way (and this IS meant as a pure joke, so 
don't anybody fly off the handle) if you are deeply distressed by 
expressions of disappointment, disagreement, and outright severe 
criticism of JKR and the books, you might want to find something a 
little less stressful to do in your spare time.  I suggest 
volunteering for the local bomb squad.


Lupinlore