From: Kathleen Odean <KOdean>
Date: Mon, 24 May 1999 20:24:56 -0400

I'm a little baffled here. Diana Wynne Jones' books were raised in conjunction with Harry Potter, which is why I made the comparison. As you will notice, I also mentioned The Secret of Platform 13, another good book that has what I called a Dahl-esque cliche. I don't mean just an orphan in difficult circumstances, I mean a greatly exaggerated villianous family, often with a grossly spoiled child, and an unusually nice orphan or the like whom they treat badly. To me, it lacks subtlety. I enjoyed the other parts of Harry Potter much more.

I don't understand the idea that I shouldn't compare Jones to Rowling because Rowling's book is selling so well. I'm comparing what literary merit, not financial success. My wish that more people knew DWJ's books stems from my enthusiasm for her work, not a concern about her income

Kathy Odean kodean at compuserve.com
Received on Mon 24 May 1999 07:24:56 PM CDT