Literary value and fan interaction - please help with my research!

[thinmanjones1983]

No: HPFGUIDX 162793

Welcome Ceridwen!

<snip>
> I like the books or I wouldn't read them.  My main reason for reading
> books is to enjoy myself.  I am not looking for social commentary or
to
> be informed of some cause or plight.  I am an "escapist" reader.
<snip>
> I didn't read the books when I first heard of them.  They
> were 'trendy', and that often means a book has some transient morality
> or some other politically correct viewpoint that I don't want shoved
> down my throat.  I did break down and get HP & The Philosopher's Stone
> when the movie was about to come out, because my youngest wanted to
see
> the movie and I thought we should read the book first.
>
> Hee!  Completely hooked.
>

klotjohan:
Interesting that you bring up the lack of overshadowing moralities, I'm
not that sensitive about it myself but it points directly to the core of
the problem that you adress further down. Zipes describes it as a modern
issue: "The general accumulative effect of this pop culture is to make
consumers out of children, not responsible citizens concerned about the
quality of their social life." According to him the "cultural
socialization" of children is partly beyond the control of their
parents. Now, I'm not sure if Zipes supports overt moralities in
literature, but I suspect he's bothered about the emptiness of
conventional mainstream culture. As I remarked in another post, I fail
to see how this concerns Rowling since the HP series are arguably more
meaningful and less homogenized than the average book a child might pick
up today. I don't think Zipes want the 70's teaching style back, but
rather a more diversified market with books that lets children make up
their own minds on what to think. Again, I'm not sure why he sees a
problem with HP.


> Ceridwen:
<snip>
> The Harry Potter series is no Lord of the Rings.  I wouldn't expect it
> to be.  Both have their elements of fantasy, but Rowling is going for
a
> different audience and a different effect than Tolkien.  Frodo's
> journey is more blatantly a hero's journey and quest, while Harry is
at
> school and suffering the same sorts of problems kids have faced since
> schools began.  The stories have a resonance on the level of a
familiar
> story told by friends, not on some epic scale.
>

klotjohan:
Yes, it's less "classic" in that way, more intimate and perhaps
therefore more human. I'd say it's a good thing that books aimed
(partly) at children demonstrates that life isn't black and white, and
that you should keep an open mind about other people. When set in a
reasonably realistic environment as well, I'd consider it very suitable
indeed.


> Ceridwen:
<snip> But I have also heard of an interview where
> JKR states that she is writing the books to please herself.  If that
is
> so, then criticism wouldn't play as much of a part as it would to a
> writer who wants to write to please his or her audience.
>

klotjohan:
Naturally, and from what I've gathered this was true in C.S. Lewis' case
as well. To write something you yourself would want to read is an
excellent idea. If she indeed is telling the truth, it becomes even more
difficult to substantiate any arguments about commercialistic interests
and/or homogenization.



> Ceridwen:
<snip>
>
> But, what is so bad about writing within a particular cultural
> viewpoint?  Even Science Fiction stories set on different planets have
> some sort of cultural background.  Homogenization?  Is that another
> term for 'brainwashing'?
>

klotjohan:
I answered this in part above and in other posts, but it's a slippery
term. Cultural background is probably neccessary if you're not going for
something artfully abstract and experimental. Zipes argues, I think,
against the equalization of the literary market caused by commercial
interests. He seems to feel that too many books are bland commodities
designed to enhance consumerism and establish buying habits at the
earliest possible time in people's lives.


Thanks a bunch for your contributions Ceridwen!

Klotjohan