Harry Potter, the boy who caused so much fandom wank.
Tempted to block Harry Potter before Tumblr ruins it for me the week before the premiere.
I completely agree that JKR isn't the world's strongest writer, but the fact of the matter is that she created a world (that while it has its problems) has become a cornerstone of children's literature. It's a book series that will continue to live on, even now after the last movie comes out. It will continue to be read by kids not because of its excellent writing, but because it captures the imagination that something more is out there-- that we can get away from the dull monotony of our daily lives and that there's such a thing as magic.
All this talk about what JKR "dropped the ball on" just annoys me. Yes, there are some things we never learn, but people are losing sight that the series is from HARRY's point of view. From the point of a narrative, it's a good thing that we weren't sidelined into a backstory about some minor character or how the Ministry of Magic works.
Look at Lord of the Rings, there are footnotes and appendixes so time isn't wasted on working details and backstory into the plot in a clunky, muddling way. I don't know if it's just me, but to discount something that an author worked that hard on completely is rude.
Kristen said (which I completely agree with):
"I mean, of course. This brings into what 'excellent writing' means. Does it mean that her prose isn't lyrical enough for some people? Does it mean her characters are a little flat? IDK what it means. All i know is that on some level, JKR IS an excellent writer because she managed to weave a story, to create a world, to give characters life, that captured an entire generation's imagination."
JKR has a right to expand on her characters and her world and some people are losing sight of that. It's not our world, as much as we like to visit, it's purely JKR's creation.