rantage

[extemporanea]

Reading Harry Potter fanfic has made me realise (for the umpteenth time) what a damned crappy writer Rowling actually is. OK, a lot of fanfic writers don't write well, but, lordy, the spaces they find in the canon manage to hopelessly show up Rowling's facile, plastic, stereotyped, psychologically unlikely characters and situations for the basic

Comments

[anonymous]

Makes me think of the library story-time we went to the other day. Nice librarian had taken some time and trouble to pick out all kinds of picture-books with a 'nose' theme for the toddlers. The kids were fairly into them, but the biggest rush of excitement came when she produced the book about Elmo (from Sesame Street) getting hayfever - and 75% of that excitement was generated by the _parents_: "Ooooh! Look, it's _Elmo_!" "Elmo!" "It's Elmo!". Not that I have a problem with Sesame Street, or Elmo (in fact, I think he's kind of sweet, and I admit this in a public forum :)). What made me sad was the example the parents were setting, and how it smacked of our shallow, TV-based culture, when there's so much more out there. Sigh.
Kathy.

[anonymous]

(It's late, sorry, hope it's not too obscure a connection between Harry Potter and Elmo, cardboard cut-out Boy Hero and cute, fuzzy red monster thing ;)).
K

[extemporanea]

Makes perfect sense. Really, the hype about Potter is mostly recursive, rather than being based on true quality. Clever marketing, as much as anything else. Everyone has to read it because it's the Next Great Thing, as much as because it's fun escapist wish-fulfilment candyfloss. A huge part of HP selling is adults or young adults, and I often wonder how many kids really enjoy it.

am feeling cynical. Possibly because of a weekend fighting the damned video machine. Current situation: can watch videos without sound. Can listen to DVDs without picture, because I can plug the audio out into the sound system. Thus cannot re-watch Shrek II which, bizarrely enough, I really need to do to finish this chapter update. Aaargh!

[origamitiger]

Just to let you know on kids enjoying Harry... the answer is a lot. Especially the first few. Working in school library's the Harry Potters are generally kept 'out the back' as they are most likely to get stolen. Being stealable is a pretty good indication of readablity for children. Also the fact that they are borrowed out a lot and the copies come back tatty.

Theban band

[pinkthulhu]

Erm, funny you should mention Harry and Draco as a cosy couple, when I've received news that Harry's already taken. (warning: and it's not Hermione)

http://www.squidge.org/praxisters/mates.html

Re: Theban band

[extemporanea]

LOL! lovely piece of fanart. Harry/Ron is surprisingly less common in fandom, or at least among the fics I've read. (In fact, that picture is the only Harry/Ron on that page, and there are four or five Harry/Draco, which is, as I've said, something of a fetish). And I don't think it'll be Harry/Hermione in canon: I think Rowling is setting it up, with her usual sledgehammer obviousness, for Harry/Ginny and Ron/Hermione. *goes out on limb*.

There's very interesting criticism on slash fanfic which analyses it as a specifically female form of eroticising (given that over 80% of fanfic writers are apparently female, and almost all slashers are) - tends to be emotional, intimate, idealised projection of male tenderness. Although a lot of it is pretty explicit, as well ;>.

Re: Theban band

[pinkthulhu]

Lol! I see what you mean. Yes, I've heard it's mostly women writing slashfic.

That site has some excellent Johnny Depp/Pirates of the Caribbean slash art as well. And Legolas/Lord of the Rings. Hmm. :)

[anonymous]

Harry Potter - Enid Blyton on steroids...
Still, if it's getting kids reading, that can only be a good thing, and hopefully will lead them into reading writers of a better calibre.
Kathy