Readers in the WW (was: JKR and "Think of the Children!")

[dumbledore11214]

No: HPFGUIDX 162110


> > >>Alla:
> > I think what Neri meant ( hopefully I understand it) is that
it
> > would screw the feeling of Potterverse in general as **real** (
as
> > much as it can be), as in it would be easier to think - if
Harry
> > reads the fiction that when he goes to WW, it is all product of
his
> > imagination, regardless of whether he started reading fiction at
> > Dursleys or not.
> > <snip>
>
> Betsy Hp:
> Why assume that the only fiction out there is fantasy? Why assume
> that the only books on Dudley's shelf are fantasy? Why assume
that
> if JKR wanted to make Harry as book-lover or a reader she'd have
> limited him to the fantasy genre?

Alla:

That is not what I understood Neri's point to be and it is
definitely not mine. It does not matter whether Harry will be
reading fantasy or **any** other fiction in order for Neri's
argument to work in my opinion. All that is needed is for Harry to
have overactive imagination , influenced by **any** type of fiction,
by any book that describes fictional events. As long as we know
that, well, we can never be sure whether Harry just dreampt up WW
just as he would be dreaming about adventures of his favorite
characters from the books, any books?

And if JKR wants to stress that WW is real, I understand what Neri
is saying as plausible argument.


Betsy:
> All I'm saying is that Harry doesn't touch the books on Dudley's
> shelf. He is not a reader.

Alla:

How is the second sentence follows from the first though? Yes, Harry
does not touch books on **Dudleys shelf** He does not read them,
while he cares enough, he is curious enough about his school books
to look through them while he is still at Dursleys.

He reads them, thus in my opinion he is a reader.


> Betsy Hp:
> Harry reads his school books, yes. But no canon has been
presented
> to show that Harry reads for the pleasure of reading. And he
> certainly doesn't read any fiction (and fiction does not mean just
> fantasy, to be clear). Ergo, he is not a reader; he is not a book-
> lover. (Which, as Magpie pointed out, does not suggest that Harry
is
> illiterate.) And that's *fine*. So yes, the scramble still
amuses.

Alla:

See above and one more thing, what is reading for pleasure? Why
Harry reading Qudditch book is not reading for pleasure?

I absolutely read many fantasy books, but I also read lots of non-
fiction, for pleasure that is.

I mean, we do not see Hermione reading fiction either, does it mean
she is not reading for pleasure?

In my book she certainly does , because for her "Hogwarts a history"
is pleasure reading and for Harry Quidditch related books are
pleasure reading IMO.

I mean, really I am not saying that Harry reads **nearly** as much
as Hermione, but neither would I agree that he does not like the
books **at all**. I think he has some books he likes, some of them
we see as Quidditch books for example.

ETA:

Just thought of example from RL. I have a friend, also a lawyer, 
whose reading for pleasure as far as I am aware of constitutes one 
book a month for her bookclub, that is it.

Now, I read well, on the average at least ten fifteen  books a month.

Would you say that my friend is a reader or not?

Because I would say that she is, since I had met by now some people 
who did not pick up a book for years.

Same with Harry. I am not sure if he reads for pleasure often, but 
as long as he does sometimes, he is a reader to me.

JMO,

Alla