Why down on all the characters?

[Mike]

No: HPFGUIDX 179279

> Jeanette wrote:
>
> It just might be me but since the release of DH there seems to be
> a very negative feel to a lot of the posts.

Mike:
I'm not! Oh sure, there were plenty of plot holes, but they didn't 
ruin the story for me. We've been pointing out the plot holes for a 
long time on this list. In fact, I rather have fun discovering them.
Pointing them out doesn't mean the story sucks, imo.


> Jeanette
> People are trashing JKR as a  writer, people are trashing 
> the various once-loved characters.

Mike:
Kind of depends on who's "once-loved" characters we're talking 
about, doesn't it? I loved Sirius, and I'll defend him until the 
cows come home, warts and all. I never particularly liked Dumbledore,
found him too self-centered for my taste. I think DH exposed us to 
what I thought about DD all along. I still don't hate him, like I 
hated Snape, but he never was in my top 10 characters. 

I like Ron, thought his humor was one of the best things about the 
books. I was rewarded with a lot of it in DH. I also got to watch 
him grow up and transform in a way that I didn't think Harry and 
Hermione did.

As to trashing JKR; I don't agree with that position, but I'll 
defend ones right to say it. If I don't think a position is valid, 
I can ignore it or argue against it. But this is a 'for Grown-ups' 
site, so we don't have rules that tell someone they can't say it.


> Jeanette
> It feels like if a newbie wandered onto this site he/she would 
> conclude that the books aren't worth reading and we all have 
> joined the list just because we hate the books/characters and 
> want to warn people not to waste their time.

Mike:
I've no doubt that some do feel that way. But I also think the vast 
majority of the posts are critical analysis of the plot lines, the 
characters, and the messages being conveyed. There may seem like a 
lot of negativity when one poster is defending their character 
against another post defending their character. 

Take the on-going Sirius vs. Dumbledore thread. One says that 
Dumbledore cost Sirius his chance to be a good godfather/guardian 
to Harry. Another says that Sirius's recklessness was at fault. 
Both of those are spoken (written) negatives, but there is the 
unspoken (unwritten) implication of the positive for the character 
one is not blaming.


> Jeanette
> Is it because we invested a lot of time and emotion on the story 
> and feel cheated either that it is over or that it didn't end in 
> the way we wanted?

Mike:
I'll turn this question back to you, is either the way you felt? 

For me, I had guesses on what had happened and wanted to find out 
whether I was right or wrong (obviously hoped I was right). My 
only disappointments were when I didn't get a satisfactory 
resolution to things that I thought needed it, especially things 
JKR *promised* we would get more of. I wanted to learn more on the 
werewolf prank, we got some but not enough, imo. I guess JKR didn't 
think we needed more than we got. I accept that even if I didn't 
like that.

For some, I imagine that the story not ending with, say, a better 
resolution for the Slytherin situation meant that JKR failed in her 
authorial duties. I don't hold that opinion, but that doesn't make 
that opinion invalid, and I appreciate that we have a place to 
discuss that position. I wouldn't participate in a board that said 
that only some opinions are acceptable. I'd much rather have the 
chance to say that I disagree with such and such opinion, than 
say "Oh, that's too negative, we don't want to put up with that 
kind of talk here."


> Jeanette
> Either way, it's not pleasant reading these days. Before there
> was always some interesting theory or insight being played with 
> between posts; surely we have not run out of ideas spawned by the 
> incredibly rich world JKR created.

Mike:
I'm sorry you feel that way. I thought there was much more negativity 
right after DH's release than there is now. And I think that's 
natural, it's much easier to find things wrong with a book than it is 
to convey what one thought was right. That seems to take longer to 
put into words. Also, there are no more "Is Snape evil?" kind of 
story lines left after the last book.

I certainly don't think we are out of topics, and I think there are 
plenty of unresolved plot lines that are still available to speculate 
upon. Of course there aren't as many as before, the series is over, a 
lot of those theories have been sent to the bottom of Theory Bay.

Mike, who still enjoyed the entire series, including DH, plot holes, 
failed plot lines and all. ;)