Now Rowling's control, was Less than 1000 posts/ some War and peace spoiler

[dumbledore11214]

No: HPFGUIDX 180302

> va32h:
<SNIP>
> Of course her characters and her stories belong to her, just as my
> children belong to me.  But once they are sent out into the world,
> neither author nor mother can control how other people react to 
them.  


Alla:

Control how other people react to them? Of course not I agree.

But contrary to real babies who when grow up parents cannot make 
decisions for them, she if she chooses so still can make ANY 
decisions she wishes to, if she does as much as writes a sequel.

As Julie said for example if she wants to write that Snape is 
resurrected, that would be it – in the new book Snape will be 
resurrected by some means – after all no body was found etc and this 
version will be canon, no matter how much I or any other reader would 
still think of him as dead in my head.

There is a great example of it with my beloved War and Peace. I 
recently read the first draft of the novel, which I never knew 
existed as finished product. Believe me it is a great book in its own 
right, well IMO anyways. I even think that in some aspects it is more 
enjoyable – less philosophical interludes or almost none. It is also 
in many aspects very similar to finished product plot wise. BUT there 
is at least one major difference besides book being shorter and not 
going into few more years – one main character, specifically my 
dearly loved Prince Andrey survives the end of the book.

Hmmm, so I would guess that in the minds of many fans of the novel 
who read the first draft Andrey lived as well. But in a few years 
Tolstoy is doing a rewrite of the novel and indeed publishes it too 
and this version becomes known to general public and survives for 
almost 150 years now.

I would speculate that some fans were not happy with Tolstoy at all. 
I mean I know I was unhappy every time I read about his death and I 
reread this book at least every couple years.

So, to go back to Potterverse what I am trying to say is that if 
nothing else but only by virtue of Rowling's possibly doing anything 
she wishes with the characters, if she writes another book, I 
consider her version official.

I do not consider her version always taking precedent in my mind, by 
all means. I gave examples in the past of ignoring some of her 
interview statements as contradicting my picture of potterverse, but 
it does not mean that I consider mine version to be of same value as 
hers. Simply because I feel that I had been allowed to play in her 
universe and that I did not invent it. It is my opinion of course, 
but like if Tolstoy was still alive, I would never say that by 
rewriting the novel he dared to interfere with my prince Andrey, whom 
I own in my head (?) and that is why he is not allowed to kill him 
off or something. Again IMO.

I mean, I know that so far she is doing interviews, but just by the 
fact that she CAN write a sequel, her version will always be official 
for me whether I agree with it or not.

JMO,

Alla.