[HPforGrownups] Allowable reader response was Re: Disappointed in Potter?

[Sherry Gomes]

No: HPFGUIDX 127744


 
Potioncat: (after the chocolate)
Absolutely. I never meant to say that a Harry Potter fan shouldn't 
discuss different aspects of the books. Nor does a fan have to like 
every detail of the books, but they do need to like the books.

So I understand something along the line of "I'll be very upset if 
Susan Bones dies." But I don't understand "If Susan Bones dies, this 
series will really suck and I'll never read another book again. Even 
if I did like it up to now. because I didn't get my money's worth."

Sherry now

Ok, i'm the one who said that if it ended up being a dream, i'd never wanted to read another book of JKR's.  that isn't saying that I dislike the books or feel i've wasted money or even time and emotional commitment to them.  In fact, it's a ridiculously silly reason, but here goes.  As a very little girl, i was traumatized by the ending of the movie the Wizard of Oz.  Ok, maybe traumatized is too strong a word, but even now, many years later, I can remember my terrible disappointment at the ending.  Oz didn't exist, not even for Dorothy.  it was all a concussion based dream.  wow!  Talk about feeling devastated.  I know that's crazy, but that's how it affected me.  So, i would feel terribly disappointed if the same thing happened with Harry Potter, unless he woke up into a far better world than the one of his dreams.  And even if he did, ... well, i don't think I'd be very happy about it.  I probably would not feel like I wanted to read future books by JKR, because I would think that she would not be likely to take future stories in directions that would leave me feeling satisfied after the read.  that still isn't meant to be critical of her, just to say i would not want to follow her down that road. She must write to please herself, even if it doesn't please me in the end.  But I would still love all that led up to it.  And I'd probably still read Harry Potter over and over again, up to the point of him waking from the dream!  

I think that whenever an artist, be it author, singer, actor/director, captures the hearts or interest of the fans, sometimes it's great forever and sometimes not.  I've certainly had the experience of really loving the music of some singer or a band, but after several albums, the singer changes direction and style.  I might not like the new style and might not continue to follow their career or to purchase new music.  But I would still love the original things that hooked me in the first place.  

And besides all that, I have confidence that JKR is going to make the next two books so wonderful and satisfying, that whatever she does with them, most of us will be completely with her and reveling in it all.  After all, she's done a great job of it so far.  

Sherry