Camping WAS Re: Why down on all the characters?

[dumbledore11214]

No: HPFGUIDX 179314

> Susan:
> The camping scenes were enervating,
> > but I thought JKR was trying to involve us in how the trio
> > felt (tired, cold, lost, irritable, fighting, unhappy). 
> 
> Julie:
> This was a valid plot choice by JKR, but to me it did hurt
> the story in some ways. For instance, why couldn't the Trio
> have hidden in the Room of Requirement, had the House Elves
> bringing them food and maybe the DADA members sneaking in 
> and out, all right under Voldemort, the DEs, and Snape's noses
> (though the latter might have eventually figured it out and
> allowed it to continue)? Admittedly this idea is off the top
> of my head, and I haven't thought out any ramifications, but
> as a reader I really wanted to know what was going on with 
> other characters, especially at Hogwarts, rather than to be
> forced into the same months-long ignorance and hiding as the
> Trio was. 
> 
> Basically it seemed like JKR wrote much of the middle of DH
> in sort of a passive voice (subverting the actual literary
> meaning of "passive voice" intentionally here) rather than in
> an active voice, plot-wise. It just wasn't as riveting nor as 
> action-oriented a read as I was expecting in the end...


Alla:

Right, I know that you said that it is a  valid plot choice by JKR, 
but at the same I do not quite get how it hurt the story.

I mean, I totally understand a valid frustration if you wanted to 
know more about other characters, about what was happening in 
Hogwarts, etc.

But, I mean, it did not seem to me that it was the story JKR chose 
to tell, no?

I mean, she was telling us about what was happening in Hogwarts in 
brief glimpses, right? But seems like she was concentrated on Trio 
and their thoughts and frustrations first and foremost.

I mean, to me it is easy enough, because I was always very 
interested in Trio and  was happy with story concentrating on its 
main characters.

Again, not that I MIND learning more about secondary characters, but 
I much preferred to stay with main ones.


I mean, sure there was not much action during camping, but again the 
frustration and helplesness and attempts of figuring out what to do 
next to me made perfect sense within the story, within the story JKR 
chose to tell.

So, I guess my question is whether you could clarify ( if you wish 
obviously) how did this plot choice hurt the story that JKR was 
telling NOT the story you ( hypothetical you) wished to see?

As an aside of the sort I finished rereading DH quite recently ( it 
was actually only my third time, with the first one being the fast 
read during first day, so I still feel that I do not quite remember 
all the little details of the story) and I was keeping in mind the 
camping and couple other things.

List members were saying that camping scenes went forever and I was 
not quite sure myself. I am only talking about the relative time 
period of them within the larger timeline of DH.

You know, to me, camping passed quickly enough. It is not like I 
wanted more of it, but to me it did not seem to drag on and on and 
on.

Seemed to start and end fast enough. IMO of course.

Alla