Why Do You Read the HP Books?

[lolita_ns]

No: HPFGUIDX 142938


Well... First, I would have to say that I am well on my way of 
becoming a literary expert, since I've graduated from English 
language and Literature and I'm now a postgraduate in Anglo-American 
literature. My MA is going to be in Nabokov, but I can't wait for my 
PhD, since I'm going to do it in HP. That is one answer to your 
question - you could say that I'm reading HP as part of my job. :)

But now seriously. I started reading HP after I got PS from a friend 
as a birthday gift. Frankly, I didn't think that the first book was 
particularly good - sure, it was interesting, but from a purely 
literary PoV, it was highly conventional, even old-fashioned in terms 
of today's trends in children's literature. It seemed to me that PS 
wasn't good enough a realisation of a highly ambitious idea of 
Potterverse. I concluded that the reason for this was that PS was a 
first in a series of books. And I was right. Rowling's style has 
generally approved with the consecutive books (well, until HBP, but 
more of that later). Also, one must not forget that HP is a fist 
published work of a new and inexperienced writer, and, as such, is 
rather a strong debut.

I have recently written a seminar paper on the phenomenon that is HP 
as part of the course in children's and teenage fiction I had. And it 
was really difficult to try and put together a list of why the Potter 
series is so popular. My conclusions were the following:

1. Reading HP is trendy. Part of the phenomenon has to do with Go-
with-the-flow idea. Nearly everyone wants to be 'knowledgeable' in 
terms of popular culture. And HP *is* part of pop culture.

2. HP was a refreshment in an era when children's fiction block 
lacked some serious new kids on it. It was new, and it was chic, and 
in terms of narative technique, it offered an escape to an earlier 
era of children's fiction. Children's fiction is characterised by a 
less than equal relationship between adult author and child reader. 
Postmodernism brought about more 'writerly' texts (i.e. those where 
the reader can participate in the creation of the meaning, with 
numerous intertextual references and the discussion - with the 
reader - of the process of writing itself, thus deconstructing it). 
Rowling's narration, however, relies more on the previous tradition, 
with confident authorial voice which doesn't allow for much by-play 
with the reader. She presents the reader with the story, and while he 
is active in a way (like the reader of mystery, for example, because 
he has to catch all the clues and be wary of red herrings), he is 
never a part of the very process of writing. Thus, reader is less 
responsible in the discerning of meaning, he is safely navigated 
through the story by the author/narrator. This return to a 
traditional mode of narration has earned Rowling the support of both 
child and adult readers who, for a change, just wanted to be told a 
story.

3. HP is a work in progress. It positively invites the readers to 
read on and on, in order to figure out just what is actually going 
on. Moreover, it is similar to mystery in this way, because the 
reader just can't put the book down until he has seen the puzzle 
unwrap.

4. In terms of themes, HP is attractive to both children and adults 
because it deals with archetypal themes and - one might say - staple 
genre conventions in children's literature; however, it somehow 
transcends them. For instance, you've got horrible teachers and 
bullies, friendship and animals, etc. in almost all school stories. 
However, while heroes of other such stories get into scrapes with 
teachers and bullies but are never in any real danger, Harry faces 
very real, very true horrors. (e.g. Dahl's Captain Lancaster in 
Danny, the champion of the world is a horrible, strict teacher, but 
is not even close to the levels of Umbridge, Fake!Moody and our all 
times favourite, Snape). Animals in Potterverse are also given new 
facets (compare The Famous Five's Timmy and Animagi, and it'll be 
clear). And so forth.

5. Rowling depicts horror faithfully - the real horror of killing, 
torturing and controlling, symbolised by the Unforgivables. Also, she 
allows her characters to grow up, as well as older. This earns her 
points with adult readers, mostly.

6. Genre variation is probably the only Postmodern treat in HP. Genre 
distinctions in children's literature are more blurred than in 
literature aimed at adults and children's fiction is thus generally 
enjoyed by lots of different readers. The possibilities of reading HP 
as a classic Bildungsroman, quest story, horror story, even romance - 
insure that every reader can find something for himself, adults and 
children alike.

7. In terms of humour, Rowling is rather strong. Her humour is 
varied, in accordance with different characters. So, you've got low 
comedy, or farce, when Fred & George are concerned (think U-No-POO), 
then you've got high comedy (think Snape's dry, sarcastic, typically 
British humour), and there is also DD's light, sligtly mad humour 
(think the cheese cauldron :) ).

8. As for literary tradition, Rowling relies on previous literature - 
most notably, Macbeth (the self-fulfilling prophecy), folklore (House-
elves, Horcruxes...), fairy-tales (the original gory ones, not 
Disney's celuloid dreamlike worlds); thus ensuring more support from 
her readers. I've said it before - there are no original themes in 
literature any more - everything's already been said hundreds of 
thousands of times before. But as an author, you are to take a go at 
a theme and try to give your version of it. Which Rowling effectively 
does.

9. Last but by no means least - HP fandom, which has become quite a 
machinery; and what cannot be overlooked - clever marketing and all 
the hype surrounding the books.

I may have skipped something, but this is turning out to be quite a 
long post, regardless. :)

As for the characters, the amazing thing is that a lot of readers 
seem to think of them as of real people (Admit it! Did you cry when 
DD died? :) ) I was particularly pleased with how she developed the 
character of Voldemort - until HBP, that is. For in the majority of 
children's books, villains are either comical (Count Olaf, e.g.) or 
purely Evil personified (Sauron - yes, LOTR qualifies as teenage 
fiction). Voldemort seemed to be a flesh-and-blood character (at 
least metaphorically). Rowling repeatedly said that he was not born 
evil, and underlined the importance of choices. However, in HBP we 
were given the picture of the Gaunts and of 'funny baby Tom' which, 
to me at least, went to prove that Voldemort's evil was inherited, 
that he had no choice whatsoever but to become a monster (surely, as 
we were shown, he was a monster in development long before he had 
even heard of the wizarding world). But that is not the topic for 
this post... What I'm trying to say is that somewhere along the road. 
Rowling seems to have forgotten her original ideas. It seems to me 
that she started off with a more ambitious plan, and now it appears 
as if she can't proceed at the pace she walked at in, e.g. PoA. 

So... To me, at least, the Pro!HP list is much longer that the Con!HP 
list (I haven't even comprised a list to post here of the downsides 
of HP). True, Rowling is not a 'literary' writer, HP is closer to 
what you would call 'storytelling' than to literature, and the hype 
surrounding the books probably puts a lot of people off HP. But hey - 
HP, no matter how 'lowbrow' it may be (and since we lack the whole 
picture - that is, the whole story - we can't really give a 
definitive answer to the HP phenomenon. With the ultimate conclusion 
of the series, a lot of in-depth literary analyses are bound to 
spring up, for only then can we be in a position to really be 
truthful to the series), HP returns the reader to one of the basic 
pleasures of literature - the enjoyment in being told a good story. 
Beyond any doubt, regardless of the fact that there are some serious 
consistency issues and old-fashioned literary modes in HP, the books 
will be widely read 20 years from now as they are today. Which is, 
when all is said and done, really all that matters.

Lolita