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amanuensis1Goodness, it's been a while since I posted. I've still been an active fandom consumer in the past few months, though--just keeping up with tv shows and movies feels like enough of a proud accomplishment these days. Maybe at some point I'll make a "watched all these things" catch-up post.
What's brought me out to talk today? The story about the JK Rowling interview, where reportedly she admits may not have made the most convincing romance between Ron and Hermione. I haven't come to gloat; I tend to retreat and play devil's advocate at unexpected victory, so let me say this: I didn't write the Harry Potter series, I dunno how many people could have, and for every moment that I muttered over the tell-not-show of the romance or the muddle of the last two books' storylines, I should have countered with a hundred examples of the world-building and foreshadowing and sheer cleverness that she put into those books, that neither I nor any of her critics are likely to accomplish. And I try not to put a lot of significance into voiced author regrets in general because I think they just reflect a feeling of "I wish this were perfect and had no flaws and I guess I have to apologize to everyone for any perceived flaws, especially if I agree" which, heck, I feel all the time about my own stuff. Don't we all?
The image we had in Sorcerer's Stone of Ginny running after the Hogwarts Express, pages before Hermione made her first appearance--sure, I understand that was meant to be a portent. Problem was, we saw so little of Ginny after that, given that she was supposed to become someone very important to Harry. All the moments where Ginny could have been moving into her own little piece of spotlight, denied again and again and again. (I cite Lois McMaster Bujold a lot in this comparison; when, after numerous books and adventures and female companions for the adult Miles Vorkosigan, Bujold decided to introduce a new character who would be the Mrs. Miles, she gave half the book's viewpoint to this new character, in a completely new precedent for the series. And it not only worked, it triumphed.)
So, yeah, this admission is a little satisfying. But not for any reason of "soulmates" or compatibility or attraction etc. between Harry and any other character--just the acknowledgement that if you want your beloved seven-book aimed-at-kids protagonist to end up with a spouse, don't devote all of his on-screen time to ladies other than her.
(But it's still a helluva series.)
What's brought me out to talk today? The story about the JK Rowling interview, where reportedly she admits may not have made the most convincing romance between Ron and Hermione. I haven't come to gloat; I tend to retreat and play devil's advocate at unexpected victory, so let me say this: I didn't write the Harry Potter series, I dunno how many people could have, and for every moment that I muttered over the tell-not-show of the romance or the muddle of the last two books' storylines, I should have countered with a hundred examples of the world-building and foreshadowing and sheer cleverness that she put into those books, that neither I nor any of her critics are likely to accomplish. And I try not to put a lot of significance into voiced author regrets in general because I think they just reflect a feeling of "I wish this were perfect and had no flaws and I guess I have to apologize to everyone for any perceived flaws, especially if I agree" which, heck, I feel all the time about my own stuff. Don't we all?
The image we had in Sorcerer's Stone of Ginny running after the Hogwarts Express, pages before Hermione made her first appearance--sure, I understand that was meant to be a portent. Problem was, we saw so little of Ginny after that, given that she was supposed to become someone very important to Harry. All the moments where Ginny could have been moving into her own little piece of spotlight, denied again and again and again. (I cite Lois McMaster Bujold a lot in this comparison; when, after numerous books and adventures and female companions for the adult Miles Vorkosigan, Bujold decided to introduce a new character who would be the Mrs. Miles, she gave half the book's viewpoint to this new character, in a completely new precedent for the series. And it not only worked, it triumphed.)
So, yeah, this admission is a little satisfying. But not for any reason of "soulmates" or compatibility or attraction etc. between Harry and any other character--just the acknowledgement that if you want your beloved seven-book aimed-at-kids protagonist to end up with a spouse, don't devote all of his on-screen time to ladies other than her.
(But it's still a helluva series.)
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Date: 2014-02-03 10:39 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-02-05 10:59 am (UTC)