A surfeit of Hogwart’s
In anticipation of the release of Harry Potter VI, which I knew was the one in which A Beloved Character Was to Bite the Big One, I decided to catch up on Books IV and V, which have languished in my youngest son’s room lo these many years. (I hadn’t read III, either, but I saw the movie, which — as I stood there, contemplating a pair of books which individuallyweighed more than my cats — I decided was close enough. I knew what happened, I figured I was up to speed.)
In any case, and with a light heart, I dove in. Some 1500 pages later, I had finished both IV and V (impressing the hell out of my non-reading spawn — what’s up with that, anyway?), loved them so much I didn’t even envy J.K. Rowling her millions (not too much, anyway) and couldn’t wait to get into VI, even though it was now some weeks after the book’s release and I already knew who died.
About a hundred pages in, however, I started to feel like a participant in one of those see-who-can-scarf-down-the-most-brats-in-ten-minutes contests. I got slower. . .and slower. . .and began. . .to wonder. . .if it would ever end. So I’m wondering. . .was my ennui due to having swallowed the previous two books practically whole, so that the magic was no longer special (bearing in mind that I do not generally read fantasy, anyway)? Or were Dumbledore’s conversations with Harry really as interminable as they seemed? Did Rowling — who I still truly believe is one of the most brilliant plotters in the known universe, and whose attention to detail, both in world-building and characterization, is unparalleled — resort to as much “telling” as I think she did?
In any case, I think I’m just as glad the last book won’t be out for another couple of years. It’ll take me that long to digest the three I just ate.
Currently reading: THE INTERRUPTION TO EVERYTHING, Terry McMillan
I can’t comment on HP, but I’m just enjoying being in your blog…. ggg
Comment by Anna — August 23, 2005 @ 8:19 am
I completely agree with you. Rowling has proven to be a great story plotter, but there was a lot of telling in Book VI — probably more than there needed to be. There was so much telling that I think the series could have been better served if some of the back story that Dumbledore shared with Harry in the book was sprinkled and spread out throughout the other books. More than half of Book VI was back story. It was important stuff, but it was all back story. My friends who are ever devoted Harry Potter fanatics disagree with me. They feel as if Book VI is the best one to date.
Comment by MichelleK — August 24, 2005 @ 4:22 am