[HPforGrownups] Inconsistencies (Was: Hermione's parents)

[Pamela Rosen]

No: HPFGUIDX 175522

Oryomai:

I think JKR just dropped the ball on this one.? She's making up the ending as she's going along.? 


I know I'll probably get flamed for saying this about JKR, but I think that she totally lost the plot and what she was doing in the final book.? I felt the book was sloppy, full of inconsistencies, and the worst HP book out of them all.? One of my good friends, who reads the books casually, said this to me last night: "I've always said that JK Rowling is incredible at creating fabulous characters and fascinating situation, but her plots sucks."? After DH, I must agree.



Pam says:

When my eight year old son knitted his brow and said, "but wait, polyjuice potion is only supposed to last an hour," I knew something was seriously wrong.  I realize that when JKR introduced polyjuice potion in book 2, it was something like eight years ago for her, a trifling detail to remember when so much has happened in her own life.  But both Bloomsbury and Scholastic have people employed there as continuity editors; it is these peoples' sole function to catch these kinds of errors. If a third grader is catching them on first read, surely they were not missed by not one, but several professional continuity editors.  If that is the case, could it be that these inconsistencies were left in on purpose?  That JKR's work went from being a manuscript of a novel to "canon"--something sacred, not to be touched too much by lesser writers?  I've pondered that often in the last few weeks. Did they just let it go because she's JKR?

But what bothers me the most is that these interviews she gave, where she explained and clarified things, told more about professions and futures, will not survive as part of the books. JKR could have made everything up on the spot and it wouldn't matter, because it's not in the books.  I wonder if children 20 years in the future will be reading these books and saying "Wait a minute," and there's no author standing there saying, "Well, let me tell you what I meant...."

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]