Too much information? (wasRe: JKR's interviews about Snape and in general.

[Linda K.]

No: HPFGUIDX 140213

First time I've written here and I hope I'm doing this right.  Read the
rules and found them a tad confusing.
 
Potioncat:
On a slightly different thread, ordinary readers don't know the same 
details that we do. Those of us on this list know off the tops of our 
heads how old charaters are, when their birthdays are, that 
Theodore's mother is dead, that the Prewetts were Molly's brothers, 
that Dean's father was a wizard who was killed by LV, that the 
bartender is DD's brother. Do we need to know any of that? We've 
certainly used some of that information in making our theories. Do 
you realise there are tons of fans who never read those interviews? 
It doesn't take anything away from the basic story if you don't know 
those things. Does it add to the story? Does it add to the fun?

(new)LittleBitGal:
Details are what make a story.   I'm new to HP having just read all 6
books in August while sitting for 3 boys who had them.  It was all those
little extra details that kept me glued to the pages and got me to read
6 books in less than 2 weeks.   It was all those little details that
caused me to go out and buy books 1-4 (store didn't have 5 & 6)  and
re-read them again.  Wanting to learn more about those details made me
find this group and read for hours through the archives.  As I read
PS/SS for the 3rd time, I keep coming up with more details that I'd
missed previously and then I come online and search various sites and
readers boards for answers to my questions.  I'm sure I'm not the only
one to do this.   I also find that reading your posts make me go back to
the books and re-read sections to see exactly what you are talking
about.  
 
Potioncat:
The books themselves are full of little details about minor 
characters that make them seem perhaps more important than they are. 
Some of them have their 15 minutes of fame and fade away again. Does 
that muddle the story at all? Or does it provide a backdrop to help 
set the mood or mystery? Should the minor characters be less fleshed 
out?  Did she give us too much about Neville's family in the books? 
How has it helped the story for us to know about Frank and Alice? Do 
we really need to know about Neville's uncle or that Aunt Marge's dog?



(new)LittleBitGal:
I keep hoping that details like Neville's parents, can be changed to a
happier ending in the 7th book.  We don't know that if LV and the DE's
are finally defeated, that the spell on Neville's parents won't be
broken and they could be normal again.   Even if they are not cured,
those details let us know why Neville is the way he is and why he tries
so hard to become a stronger person.
 
Minor characters help to carry a story and I think that JKR has done an
excellent job of using those minor characters to keep this series of
books continually interesting and grabbing.  
 
 
LittleBitGal - - - now going back into reading mode and staying quiet.