When I returned to the States, I read a the two Mammoth books I picked up at the airport in Paris, Angelica Avengers by Dinesan (not her best work, contrived), Flame in Byzantium (Oliva Rocks!), Confession of An English Opium Eater ( I had read Byatts’ book about Wordsworth and Coleridge while in Denmark), and the first Harry Potter book.
This is the entry, the date was July 12, 2000. Edition is the Scholastic paperback. Brackets are comments added as I proof this.
“He hurried to his car and set off for home, hoping he was imagining things which he had never hoped before, because he didn’t approve of imagination” (5) [Today, that comma before because would have me seeing red]
Refers to Mr Dursley.
Sen [sentence]. Variation needed.
“there will be books written about Harry – every child in our world will know his name” (13) - psychic
“What happened down in the dungeons between and Professor Quirrell is a complete secrets so, naturally the whole school knows” (296)
All in all a pretty good book.
Sometimes the writing could use variation in words.
Good characterization and plot. The fact that Harry was not responsible for Gwforydor attaining the final points needed to win but is in fact Neville.
While the characters, at least in this book, seem to be pigeon holed into types, are still well drawn.
Some very funny moments and like the fact that Hermoine did contribute a lot. I hope that Rowling doesn’t pair her off with Harry but with Ron [Boy, did the last two books kill this ship]
Rowling does seem to draw up [on] other fantasy novels but combines [them] pretty well. Also come movies remember something similar, done earlier, something involving witches.
Of the course the question arises of why Harry was sent back to his family for the summer. Wouldn’t both parties be happy to do so? [pretty sure, I meant wouldn’t both parties be happy if this happened]
It is strange, to say the least, to look at that entry now with what Rowling has recently tweeted about trans women. While it is true that the Potter books have always been flawed (the less than diverse cast, the marriage of Ron and Hermoine, the only women who work seem to be single), Potter, despite his inherited wealth, is also an abused child. An outcast, an outsider at least in his immediate family. (At the school, at least after the first book, this is less the case). It is difficult, if not impossible, to see a connection to any child, to all children, who feel like an outsider and separated from everything that surrounds them. Those stories have always been popular, look at the lasting Little Princess or Secret Garden.
While the opinions of Rowling must be especially hurtful to those who grew up with the The Harry Potter series, it really isn’t that entirely surprising. While you could argue that they were many hints of issues in the books themselves, the Rowling endorsed follow up play actually is so -ist and-ic that we should have seen it coming. There is the use of Hermoine’s daughter to tell us that Scripus is not gay. There is the insulting Hermoine as old maid. There is the nephew/aunt kiss. Women are so belittled in that play and Rowling okayed it, that it is not surprising that she has such a narrow view of women hood that it should not be a surprise that she narrowly defines it.
Still sad to look back though.
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