JKR and the boys

[lupinlore]

No: HPFGUIDX 161498

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Steve" <bboyminn at ...> wrote:
>
<SNIP>
>
> Personally, I am positively stunned by how well JKR
> captures the inner landscape of her male characters. I
> think it is a stunning achievement, and a task she
> succeeds at far better than most other female authors.
>
> Remember, you heard it here first.
>
>

Well, I guess this is just one of those areas where many of us will
never understand where the other side is coming from.  I have often
found JKR's grasp of emotions and emotional psychology to be so
laughably bad as to inspire nothing but derision.  Especially in HBP
her dealing with Harry's emotions were so unbelievable I couldn't
credit that she thought anyone could  buy it.

As has been pointed out in the past, the problem is that JKR's
characters react as they have to react in order for the plot to go in
a certain way, not in ways that are believable, understandable, or in
any way satisfying for the reader.  So, for instance, Harry is deeply
affected by Cedric's death but he shrugs off Sirius' demise with an
incredibly silly stiff-upper-lip speech.  Yeah, right.  All the
issues between him and Dumbledore are swept firmly under the rug with
three sentences.  Excuse me while I engage in incredulous laughter at
the bad writing.

JKR often confuses detail with completeness.  Her plots, for
instance, are incredibly detailede, but often filled with huge,
gaping holes.  Similarly her characters' reactions are worked out in
detailed ways that are dictated by the plot, not believable or well-
written in terms of believing in the characters -- much less in terms
of buying the messages she tries to send about how we are supposed to
view the characters.


Lupinlore