What's fun about the HPs? (was: Request for new topics)

[Randy]

No: HPFGUIDX 152544

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Geoff Bannister" 
<gbannister10 at ...> wrote:
>
> --- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "potioncat" <willsonkmom@> 
wrote:
> 
> Potioncat:
>  
> > The Harry Potter experience is so much fun. One of the best 
parts is 
> > that my 11 year old can read it and I can read it and we can 
both 
> > enjoy it on different levels. My 17-year old, who wouldn't read 
a 
> > book if his life depended on it, can at least discuss the story 
with 
> > me.
> 
> Geoff:
> This, I believe, is one of the factors which makes 
some "children's" books 
> so engaging to all ages.
> 
> Among my great favourites - which I must confess I read fo rthe 
first 
> time at about the age of 23 - are the Winnie-the-Pooh books by 
> A.A.Milne  which are ostensibly for quite young children but can 
very 
> definitely be read on two levels and can have adults howling with 
> laughter at the subtle jokes while children look on blankly.
> 
> I have always be highly amused by JKR's wordplays which are 
sometimes 
> lost on young people and also will leave readers who are not 
native 
> English speakers lost.
> 
> Consider names such as Diagon Alley, Knockturn Alley, Hogwarts, 
> Durmstrang, Grimmauld Place and Umbridge just to list a handful....
>


Speaking of playing with words and phrases....

I really love the way JKR takes a well known phrase and turns it 
into an actual event in the books.  Here are some examples...

1. The basilisk causes people to turn to stone.  They are scared 
stiff.

2.  Professor Umbridge starts issuing proclamations left and right 
and then she takes over.  She gets carried away.  Later the Centaurs 
literally carry her away.

3.  Quirrell turns out to be lying about himself. He is two faced 
and has a face in the back of his head.

4.  Professor Lockhart's plan to take credit and blame others 
backfires on him at the end.  This actually happens when Ron's wand 
backfires on Lockhart.

5.  Professor Moody is literally the teacher who has eyes in the 
back of his head.

6.  I used to hear my father say "if he could bottle someone else's 
luck then things would turn out better."  In HBP we have bottled 
luck.

7.  In a less humurous fashion, I have heard that depression sucks 
the life out of someone.  Dementors suck the soul out of their 
victims.

8.  The often used phrase "If I could turn back time" comes to 
mind.  JKR invents the time turner.

9.  When Lucius Malfoy was furious with the outcome in Chamber of 
Secrets,  I am sure that he was getting tired of Harry and 
Dumbledore's lectures about people doing Voldemort's evil deeds.  He 
probably wanted to tell them to "put a sock in it!" I am sure he did 
not intend for Harry to put a sock in the diary!

10.  Of course, who could forget how Sirius Black slipped "beyond 
the veil".

These are the kinds of word plays that have made Harry Potter a joy 
for me to read to my kids and myself over the last 6 years.

Randy


10.