A Look Back was Re: 'Clue to his vulnerability' (Coming to a conclusion )

[mooseming]

--- In the_old_crowd at yahoogroups.com, "potioncat" <willsonkmom at m...> 
wrote:
snip
> Clarify something for me though, what first brought you into the 
> books? Not, why did you start reading them, but what captured you 
and 
> started you on this time consuming hobby of Harry Potter and the...
> What about the story really got your attention? And then, what 
> changed? 
> 
snip

>> Kathy W.

Now listen guys I simply *cannot* keep up with all the interesting, 
thought provoking discussions going on here!

I have decided to group some of my associated thoughts into a *how I 
got here post*; although it's really a response to loads of 
different questions raised.

I read books 1 through 4 on a superficial level, I enjoyed them but 
couldn't say I was stimulated by them. At the end of GoF I started 
to get the feeling JKR was going somewhere *new* although not sure 
where. On publication of OOP I felt sure she was subverting the 
genre in an unexpected way and that's when I looked for and found 
HPFGU.

First off I realised some people had been *much* quicker in seeing 
the potential in the books than I had. In searching for a HP 
discussion group it was the Fantastic Posts section of HPFGU that 
convinced me that I wanted to participate. Florence, magic 
dishwasher, stoned!Harry how much I had missed! How dull my previous 
readings had been, how stupid was I?

A couple of years of reading and sporadic posting taught me that if 
I thought I'd understood the potential after reading OOP I was 
deluding myself. So many compelling arguments, different 
interpretations, focal interests (is that the right way to say 
that?) it seemed incredible. 

It came to me eventually that JKR couldn't possibly explore all the 
fascinating avenues her world had created. It also became apparent 
that my theories were always generated by what I wanted to say about 
the  `real' world, although based on canon the theoretical 
development of themes, characters, plot was driven by my internal 
world. A large group of posters are similar to me I think, some are 
more `scientific' in their approach, some less. Like many posters I 
started to enjoy the HPFGU experience not because we were hunting 
for the 'true' ending to the series but because I was enjoying the 
collective creativity, playfulness and respect whilst learning about 
other peoples internal worlds and therefore my own. By this time I 
didn't care what ending JKR was aiming for so long as it fulfilled 
at least some of the potential of the world she'd created.

However, just before the publication of HBP, mostly in respect to 
JKR statements, I started to get the ghastly premonition that JKR 
wasn't going to capitalise on ANY of the *alternative* futures for 
her story and characters.  HBP has not quieted those fears.

Much of the disillusionment I see is based on this. Yes some people 
will be disappointed when JKR ends the series in a way that is at 
odds with their own interpretation. Others, like me, will be 
disappointed that she isn't saying something more radical. To be 
fair JKR has never said she was attempting to challenge accepted 
beliefs, she has said she is a Christian, that her beliefs are what 
the books are about, that Harry is an everyman making moral choices 
in a world divided by good and bad. I cannot accuse her of 
misleading me.

She has said that she is attempting to subvert the genre, whether 
she achieves this in the end I cannot say, the jury is still out. My 
fear is that she is not.

She also said she did not realise she was writing a fantasy novel. 
Now I'm with Terry Pratchett on this one who said "I would have 
thought that the wizards, witches, trolls, unicorns, hidden 
worlds... would have given her a clue?". To be sure I sense a 
certain defensiveness to `his' genre here but its still fair none 
the less.

It seems then that what she *thinks* she is doing and what she 
actually *is* doing needn't be the same.

Where does that leave me?

The potential for more radical interpretations of the `real' world 
still exists in HP. If JKR doesn't follow through the life questions 
raised by her own text to my satisfaction well hey ho! It's a small 
step from accepting any number of theories on HP could be satisfying 
to many may be far more interesting than the author's. JKR still 
demands respect from me because she has created a fictional world 
that is so complete and compelling that we can all explore it and 
use it as fuel for our own thoughts and creations. I don't think I'm 
going to get any unexpected philosophical answers from JKR's 
completion of the tale, though I remain open to the possibility, on 
the other hand you lot are definitely going to keep me occupied!

Regards
Jo