What the Heck, J.K. Rowling? "Hermione Should Have Wed Harry"
The stuff Ms. Rowling says about her books is often unbelievable - almost a parody of herself, but she doesn't realize it. She seems to think of the books as an ongoing project that never ends, and we are here to take note as she changes her mind.
And she picked a rather funny time to drop a bombshell - the day after Chamber of Secrets Forum closed, possibly forever. Fandom is funny like that. This week's controversy is right out of the Shipping Wars of several years ago - for background on that Read This Article.
JKR now says, ta da! - Ron might not have been the best match for Hermione, and they would have needed marriage counseling. Like, duh! Almost any fan could have told her that before she wrote the ending of Deathly Hallows. But I'm sure some fandom heads are exploding. Of course some of them wish Harry had married Hermione, and some of them think Ron is TOO GOOD for Hermione (yes, those fans really exist).
Thanks to FifthOfFive on HPN for the link:
From Andrew Sims on Hypable
The shocking revelation came in the new issue of Wonderland, of which Watson is a guest editor this month. The comments were obtained by The Sunday Times.
Rowling says that she should have put Hermione and Harry together in the Harry Potter series instead of Hermione and Ron, according to the publication’s headline, which reads, “JK admits Hermione should have wed Harry.”
“I wrote the Hermione/Ron relationship as a form of wish fulfillment,” she says. “That’s how it was conceived, really. For reasons that have very little to do with literature and far more to do with me clinging to the plot as I first imagined it, Hermione ended up with Ron.”
“I know, I’m sorry,” she continued, “I can hear the rage and fury it might cause some fans, but if I’m absolutely honest, distance has given me perspective on that. It was a choice I made for very personal reasons, not for reasons of credibility. Am I breaking people’s hearts by saying this? I hope not.”
Watson didn’t seem shocked by these comments and agreed with her. “I think there are fans out there who know that too and who wonder whether Ron would have really been able to make her happy.”
Rowling also says that Ron and Hermione would have needed “relationship counseling.”
Almost all the relationships between JKR's characters are extremely contrived, from Lily and James, through Ginny and Harry, and especially the dreadful Tonks and Lupin. (The exception is perhaps unrequited Snape and Lily - at least they had a sweet childhood friendship that stayed pure.) She comes close to depth with Harry/Luna in OotP, but backs away from it in favor of Ginny in HBP because . . . red hair and just because. It's really a shame that JKR didn't think outside the Gryffindor box enough IN THE BOOKs. In the actual books, Ravenclaw girls make good dates, but you just don't marry them!
Lisa Bunker - otherwise known as "Madam Scoop" on Accio Quote - wrote this on Facebook:
Unbelievable "shipping" wars were fought over this, but I was never in the H/H camp. I didn't think Ginny was right either... But the biggest missed opportunity plot-wise was that Jo didn't give us scenes between Neville and Luna. Can you imagine what could have been if she applied her insights to his situation?
CNN writes:
If anyone here feels Ron and Hermione should not be united in holy matrimony, speak now or forever hold your peace.
Well, guess who's got a problem -- seven years later.
Author JK Rowling, the woman who dreamed up the pair and turned them into two of the most recognized figures in literature, is now throwing cold water on the central romance in the gazillion-selling Harry Potter series.
Rowling now says she should have paired Hermoine Granger with Harry Potter, instead of his bud Ron Weasley.
And then she delivers this punch to the gut of Ron fans everywhere:
Ron and Hermione would have needed relationship counseling. What the what??!!
And she picked a rather funny time to drop a bombshell - the day after Chamber of Secrets Forum closed, possibly forever. Fandom is funny like that. This week's controversy is right out of the Shipping Wars of several years ago - for background on that Read This Article.
JKR now says, ta da! - Ron might not have been the best match for Hermione, and they would have needed marriage counseling. Like, duh! Almost any fan could have told her that before she wrote the ending of Deathly Hallows. But I'm sure some fandom heads are exploding. Of course some of them wish Harry had married Hermione, and some of them think Ron is TOO GOOD for Hermione (yes, those fans really exist).
Thanks to FifthOfFive on HPN for the link:
From Andrew Sims on Hypable
The shocking revelation came in the new issue of Wonderland, of which Watson is a guest editor this month. The comments were obtained by The Sunday Times.
Rowling says that she should have put Hermione and Harry together in the Harry Potter series instead of Hermione and Ron, according to the publication’s headline, which reads, “JK admits Hermione should have wed Harry.”
“I wrote the Hermione/Ron relationship as a form of wish fulfillment,” she says. “That’s how it was conceived, really. For reasons that have very little to do with literature and far more to do with me clinging to the plot as I first imagined it, Hermione ended up with Ron.”
“I know, I’m sorry,” she continued, “I can hear the rage and fury it might cause some fans, but if I’m absolutely honest, distance has given me perspective on that. It was a choice I made for very personal reasons, not for reasons of credibility. Am I breaking people’s hearts by saying this? I hope not.”
Watson didn’t seem shocked by these comments and agreed with her. “I think there are fans out there who know that too and who wonder whether Ron would have really been able to make her happy.”
Rowling also says that Ron and Hermione would have needed “relationship counseling.”
Almost all the relationships between JKR's characters are extremely contrived, from Lily and James, through Ginny and Harry, and especially the dreadful Tonks and Lupin. (The exception is perhaps unrequited Snape and Lily - at least they had a sweet childhood friendship that stayed pure.) She comes close to depth with Harry/Luna in OotP, but backs away from it in favor of Ginny in HBP because . . . red hair and just because. It's really a shame that JKR didn't think outside the Gryffindor box enough IN THE BOOKs. In the actual books, Ravenclaw girls make good dates, but you just don't marry them!
Lisa Bunker - otherwise known as "Madam Scoop" on Accio Quote - wrote this on Facebook:
Unbelievable "shipping" wars were fought over this, but I was never in the H/H camp. I didn't think Ginny was right either... But the biggest missed opportunity plot-wise was that Jo didn't give us scenes between Neville and Luna. Can you imagine what could have been if she applied her insights to his situation?
CNN writes:
If anyone here feels Ron and Hermione should not be united in holy matrimony, speak now or forever hold your peace.
Well, guess who's got a problem -- seven years later.
Author JK Rowling, the woman who dreamed up the pair and turned them into two of the most recognized figures in literature, is now throwing cold water on the central romance in the gazillion-selling Harry Potter series.
Rowling now says she should have paired Hermoine Granger with Harry Potter, instead of his bud Ron Weasley.
And then she delivers this punch to the gut of Ron fans everywhere:
Ron and Hermione would have needed relationship counseling. What the what??!!