Good writer - Shallow and Deep

[lupinlore]

No: HPFGUIDX 141345

Steve/bboyminn:
<SNIP>
> So, my hope is that JKR can and will write a spectacular final book
> that will blow us all away, but my fear is that the last book will
> read more like a list, a list of items being resolved until the final
> BIG ITEM is resolved and we arrive at the epilog; item, item, item,
> item, BIG ITEM, epilog, end. 
> 
> I am satisfied with HBP, it moved the story forward and told us things
> we needed to know, but as a stand-alone book, I don't count it among
> the best books I've ever read. So; important as part of the series,
> but weak on its own.
> 
> But, again, that weakness leaves me very worried about the final book.


A very good point, and I think it actually speaks to what bothered a 
lot of people about HBP.  I think in a real sense JKR is ALREADY 
in "list checking" mode.  Looking at HBP, parts of it very much read 
as if the book were being composed by "list":

Horcruxes, check.  Harry brave for Sirius, check.  Harry/Ginny, 
check. Remus/Tonks, check.  Snape, check.  Aragog, check. Etc.

The question that arises is whether JKR was doing radical triage to 
get everything into place for her pre-set ending, or whether this is 
just the start of a cascade of "box checking."  One hopes the former, 
but fears the latter.  As Steve points out, there is just so much 
that cries out to be resolved you wonder how JKR can do it all 
without either leaving some important threads hanging or else 
resorting to lots of hand-waving and box-checking.  In addition to 
his list, I would add things like the ultimate reckoning with Dolores 
Umbridge (we know from JKR herself that she still has some role to 
play), the werewolf and giant and house-elf subplots (including the 
fate of Kreacher), the whole dementor crisis, and several more 
things, not least being Ron/Hermione.  

Joy.


Lupinlore