Christmas / World Building And The Potterverse

[horridporrid03]

No: HPFGUIDX 167218

> >>Magpie:
> <snip>
> I mean, one might also ask why Wizards have countries the same as   
> Muggles do, following our borders, if they're their own world. But  
> the seem to have that too. Whatever they claim about being cut off, 
> and whatever Arthur's ignorance, they seem to always be a section   
> of whatever society in which they live, and not really a world     
> totally of their own.

Betsy Hp:
I *totally* have those questions.  Like, what did they have before 
a "wireless" and did it actually have wires?  How come they got the 
concept of sweaters, but couldn't figure out pants?

And just how "British" are these wizards?  After the battle of 
Dunkirk, were there wizards out there helping to collect the British 
army?  Did any wizards help defend England from German air-raids when 
the RAF was stretched so dangerously thin?  And for that matter, how 
did Hogwarts function during, say, the "Rough Wooing" of Mary, Queen 
of Scots in the 1500's?  What about the death of Diana: did wizards 
know or care about the actions of the Queen?

> >>Ken:
> <snip>
> The rest of the story is delightful but the Potterverse is always  
> creaking along, ready to come apart at the seams. I am an admitted 
> connoisseur of world building and it seems best to me to pay proper 
> attention to the art without neglecting the rest. The Potterverse  
> comes *so close* to being a truly wonderful created world that its 
> faults are particularly maddening to me. It would not have taken   
> the author much more in the way of effort and resources to do a    
> first class job of this.

Betsy Hp:
I tend to agree, especially when it comes to the functioning of the 
WW as a parasitical world within the Muggle one.  There is so much 
that is hinted at, and even more that (IMO, anyway) seems to be 
glossed over.  It keeps the world very surfacy.  Though, I do think 
the sort of "realistic" blue-print as to how the WW really works 
would have taken a bit of time on JKR's part.

> >>Shelley:
> <snip>
> So we know, and Rowlings has admitted to making mistakes in the    
> series. So what. I don't think any of us have the right to          
> criticize her for doing something that is way beyond what any of us 
> can do- which is to write a 7 book series that makes us instant    
> millionaires and shatters records for book sales in all categories. 
> It's kind of like those of us who can't skate criticizing a Olympic 
> skater for putting their foot down a fraction of a second early in a
> single jump while earning the Gold medal with a stunning            
> performance.

Betsy Hp:
Now, now Shelley, don't make me cite the 1st amendement <beg>.  
Seriously, I think this is exactly what this site is all about: 
digging down into the minutia and pulling up the good, the bad, and 
the ugly to study and examine to our hearts content.  That we bother 
to pull it up gives us the right to criticize.  It's the cool part 
about being a reader.

Personally, I'm so math blind myself that what bothers Ken doesn't 
register with me.  That the Quidditch team straddles brooms and flies 
about with great speed *while wearing robes* bothers me quite a bit.  
(Seriously, why this weird attachment to *robes*?  And also, what's 
up with the goofy hats?  Are they even still around?)

Why are most spells in latin? Where does paper come from?  Or 
beakers?  Or plates?  Or the cloth for those darn robes?

It's all part of world building, and I do suspect that you're right 
and JKR does a lot of "because I said so"-ing.  Which, okay, fine.  
It's a kid's book and maybe I'm looking for too much depth.  But it'd 
have been nice.  And I notice it.  And I wonder if the lack won't 
effect her in the end?  Will the Harry Potter books have the 
necessary weight to stick around after the party is over?

Betsy Hp (who loves the sort of world building that kind of slowly 
builds its layers and depths and is most notable when it's *not* 
there, and thinks Sarah Monette does a good job at it, and also 
wonders if there's some sort of award for longest sign off tag)