Who is the proper audience for the Harry Potter "fairy-story"?

[eldritchhobbit]

Harry Potter is a Hobbit: Rowling, Tolkien, and The Question of ReadershipJ.K Rowling draws censure from cultural critics and laypersons alike: her works rank among the most challenged books of the last decade due to their supposedly mature content, and yet highly visible reviewers consistently poke fun at their allegedly juvenile nature. Libraries

Comments

[readerravenclaw]

Thanks for posting this; I found it to be a well-written and interesting article. However, there are some critiques/suggestions that I wanted to mention.

First, I think you place too much importance on finding a "legitimate" readership for Rowling's books. Millions of people, and millions of adults, are quite happily reading her books; the fact that some critics say that the books should not be read by children, or should not be read by adults, does not detract from Rowlings actual adult and child readership in the slightest. Using such language as "At day's end, a diffuclt question emerges from these disparate but repeated lines of fire" and "solution to this dilemma" is lending too much credence and authority to her critics. The tone of your article is that the HP books need to be given some sort of legitimate readership, when in fact they are perfectly fine on their own, without any sort of categorization or classification or explanation. :) They don't NEED any "approval" to be be read by adults and children, and there is no

[eldritchhobbit]

Thank you for your very thoughtful and helpful reply! I will definitely keep your points in mind when I revisit this topic. A few replies

[driedplums]

Fabulous article, thanks

[eldritchhobbit]

Thank you for your thoughtful post!

I'm going to delete out of the question (in my mind) the idea that JKR is writing to a market rather than an audience and assume what you wrote was about "who reads this?" rather than "who BUYS this? and why is it profitable?"

Ah, quite right. And that is an important distinction!

You've put your finger on some very key points, and I appreciate your perspective. I agree whole heartedly with you conclusion, that the HP series is age-appropriate for both ages for different reasons.
most convincingly because of the comment at the end of the essay regarding exposure of children to the harsh parts of life (and teaching them to retain optimism in spite of them)

Yes! A very compelling argument, I think. And you make an important point that children understand these things, and often have visited dark places themselves.

are sufficiently courageous and spiritually centered to be able to experience -- as an adult -- entirely new, internally consistent realitiesBeauitfully put! Thank you for your

[marm]

Thanks for making this article available online. I greatly enjoyed it.

I wrote a little (though much less eloquently or completely than you) of the transcendent power of fantasy around this time last year, when I was making my way through the Chronicles of Narnia for the first time as an adult. In particular, I experienced Recovery and Consolation in a way I do not believe I had consciously comprehended at any previous time, though I have been a devotee of fantasy and science fiction since childhood.

I think these books (and other fantasy works, as Tolkein would qualify them) become most powerful when the author believes in the Truth of them, which is why books written for a focus-group will never have the same quality (and I commend JKR for refusing the temptation of doing so).

[eldritchhobbit]

Thank you so much for your kind reply. I read and enjoyed your post on the power of "deep magic before the dawn of time."

...ecome most powerful when the author believes in the Truth of them, which is why books written for a focus-group will never have the same quality

I couldn't agree more! Well said, indeed.

Again, thanks!

[driedplums]

Well said!

Actually I'd go so far as to say this about any product. This is why startups, often led by people who are sophisticated consumers of the goods/services they're producing, make nifty things (they believe the Truth of them) but corporations sometimes to be moving forward only because the odds of hitting *something* positive increase when you've got 5000 employees (and if they don't, well, then they buy the startup). All the consumer research in the world only refines the product/market after you have some basic idea what you're doing (brand extensions, anyone?) but they don't make something new, from scratch, very well.

[eldritchhobbit]

Very good point! That really puts it into perspective.