Nineteen years later

[sigurd at eclipse.net]

No: HPFGUIDX 191546

Dear Bart

Bart:
God may be able to do that, but if an author puts God in a machine,
that's cheating the reader, unless well foreshadowed or done with ironic intent. Which neatly outlines the problems inherent in the climax of POA. And the problems in writing about a magic based world; one pushes away the inherent self-contradiction with the explanation, "magic".

Otto:
Excellent point, but not really a path we might want to go down as it threatens the necessity of the "suspension of disbelief." There are huge logical problems involved if we assume everything is "magicked." Why does Mrs. Weasley have to have the garden de-gnomed?  Why do they even have to bother growing food? Why can't they just magic into existence whatever they wish. Likewise, why can't they "magic" their looks to whatever they wish to be. I thought about this a lot and basically put a lot of these questions (like the economy of Magic-land with their Doubloons, Knuts etc). How is money made? How is it exchanged? Who supports the Ministry of Magic? Are they taxes? Why? Perhaps the most troubling is the mentioned exchange of Muggle to Magic Money for the parents of Hermione. It's one of those nasty little details you just leave alone otherwise it blows up the whole thing.

I think Rowling starts to wander off the rails a bit when she begins to make the magic world as a replacement for the real one, that is a complete alternate reality. I think the whole thing works a little better when the Magics live in and amongst the Muggles, and use Muggle technology and ways just like them.

Do Magics vote?  How do they get away not sending their kids to Muggle Schools? Is this all cleared with the Muggle Ministry of Education?

By the way, as a fan of Asimov I remember his writings with fondness, but remember Asimov was never an easy read. He kept it as close to "science" as he could.


Otto