Bad Writing? (was: JKR and the boys)

[sistermagpie]

No: HPFGUIDX 162420

   
>   Katie writes: I feel that many people on this list are really 
only interested in tearing the books apart and deriding JKR. The 
books are not perfect - no book is. No plot is perfect, no writer 
without weaknesses. However, I really don't understand devoting time 
and effort thinking about and writing about a writer/book you don't 
actually like. 
>    
>   I could read Potter books everyday, and I think JKR's plotting 
is pretty incredible. I admit that her handling of teen romance is 
fairly awkward, but I would rather talk about the books' strengths 
than the weaknesses. I would rather discuss plot theories than talk 
about why JKR's writing is substandard. I guess, in short, I agree 
with Eggplant, but felt the need to add that lupinlore is NOT the 
only person on this list who seems to hate the books and think JKR 
is a hack. 
>    
>   Not being one of those people, and loving JKR, Harry and the 
lot, Katie


Magpie:
Having come up against this question in every fandom I've ever been 
in, I'll try to explain.  People enjoy different things from fandom, 
as you just said. You like discussing theories, by which I assume 
you mean guessing what's going to happen.  I sometimes like that, 
but only if it relates to what's already happened. Usually don't 
care for it--I'll just wait for what the author tells me.  What I 
like doing with certain books--and not always books I love--is 
pulling them apart.  Pulling or tearing?  I assume seeing it 
as "tearing them apart" means that you see destruction in that 
activity.  To me, it's all the same.  Sometimes pulling them apart 
makes me admire strengths in them. Other times weaknesses.  But 
those weaknesses don't always make me feel any less about the 
books.  In fact--not referring to anything specific here but I've 
seen it happen--sometimes it's the people who "love" the books who 
don't seem to be able to appreciate them, since they can't look at 
the flaws or can't accept that there can be flaws.  They must love 
the books, speak kindly about them and also love the author. Just as 
you ask why someone would bother talking about books they hate, one 
might ask why you bother joining a conversation about books if you 
don't want to hear certain things about them. (I'm not actually 
asking you that myself!)

For me, fandom doesn't always have to be about that.  I get into 
fandoms because I want to talk about the books--sometimes 
negatively.  If I just really like a book sometimes I feel no need 
to talk about it.  I don't agree with all of Lupinlore's feelings 
about the books.  I don't think there's any specific thing that has 
to happen to keep me from feeding them to the woodchipper. (I admit 
when I read the word "Snapey-poo" I see red.) Some things he 
considers bad writing I don't--but I don't have a problem with 
charges of bad writing in general. I don't think that a person who 
claims the books suck because X happened is necessarily so far 
removed from a person who says the books have to be great. Sometimes 
I get more out of negative reviews of the books--even if I don't 
happen to agree with the person's position--than I do out of praise 
of the book. 

I definitely don't consider it odd to find the most extreme 
criticism of a canon coming from fandom.  That's one of the most 
basic things about any fandom.  It's not about loving the books, 
it's about caring enough to discuss them for whatever reason.  (See 
that recent hilarious article about how Star Wars Fans Hate Star 
Wars.) So ironically to me when there's two people talking and one 
of them is questioning why on earth someone would stay in a fandom 
or on a list for a book they hate or a creator they don't respect 
I'm probably more inclined to assume it's the person being 
questioned who's more of what I think of as a fan.  By which I don't 
mean they're a "better" fan in terms of acting the way fans 
are "supposed" to act.  Just pulling/tearing canons apart is what 
fans do in my experience. Including me.:-)

-m