CCBC-Net Archives
ccbc-net digest 10 Nov 1999
- Contemporary messages sorted: [ by date ] [ by subject ] [ by author ]
From: Leda Schubert <lschubert>
Date: Mon, 15 Nov 1999 11:48:01 -0500
I'm so glad Caroline Parr mentioned the parallels between Will Stanton and Harry.
(" Harry's situation is somewhat similar to that of Will Stanton in
"The Dark is Rising." At the age of eleven (what is it about that magical time?), Will discovers that he is one of the Old Ones destined to fight against the forces of the Dark. Up until that time, he thought of himself as an ordinary boy in his family, just as Harry did....") I think there are many apt comparisons here. For example, "Over Sea Under Stone," the first volume in the Dark is Rising series, is far lighter in tone and intent than the four books that follow. This is true of other great fantasy series as well. I think it's too early to judge some of the elements in Rowling's work; we're participants in the creation. (And did Philip Pullman name Will in "The Subtle Knife" with Will Stanton in mind? )
I thought high fantasy involved the creation of a secondary world, and that it was not defined just by the quality of magic. Can someone clarify this for me?
Re Elizabeth Bluemle's comments about reading as a child would read - I had a few blissful moments of that total immersion recently while reading "Unbroken," (J. Haas, Greenwillow, 1999), and a few moments during Harry Potter. Kids who are swept up in this world are going to remember this forever; lucky them --as some of us older folks remember the joy of discovering Tolkien, and deciphering elvish, and feeling special. I still regard it as a privilege to reenter middle earth during a winter storm, snowbound at home. We were lucky then because the entire commercial/media world was so much more limited, but I do remember being horrified when people started naming their dogs Frodo or Gandalf. It so demeaned the experience. I am heartened to hear that there are some children that don't want any part of any HP paraphernalia. (And, one more thing - Lord of the Rings is Amazon.com's top book of the millennium. And I didn't even vote. Most interesting.)
Leda Schubert
Received on Mon 15 Nov 1999 10:48:01 AM CST
Date: Mon, 15 Nov 1999 11:48:01 -0500
I'm so glad Caroline Parr mentioned the parallels between Will Stanton and Harry.
(" Harry's situation is somewhat similar to that of Will Stanton in
"The Dark is Rising." At the age of eleven (what is it about that magical time?), Will discovers that he is one of the Old Ones destined to fight against the forces of the Dark. Up until that time, he thought of himself as an ordinary boy in his family, just as Harry did....") I think there are many apt comparisons here. For example, "Over Sea Under Stone," the first volume in the Dark is Rising series, is far lighter in tone and intent than the four books that follow. This is true of other great fantasy series as well. I think it's too early to judge some of the elements in Rowling's work; we're participants in the creation. (And did Philip Pullman name Will in "The Subtle Knife" with Will Stanton in mind? )
I thought high fantasy involved the creation of a secondary world, and that it was not defined just by the quality of magic. Can someone clarify this for me?
Re Elizabeth Bluemle's comments about reading as a child would read - I had a few blissful moments of that total immersion recently while reading "Unbroken," (J. Haas, Greenwillow, 1999), and a few moments during Harry Potter. Kids who are swept up in this world are going to remember this forever; lucky them --as some of us older folks remember the joy of discovering Tolkien, and deciphering elvish, and feeling special. I still regard it as a privilege to reenter middle earth during a winter storm, snowbound at home. We were lucky then because the entire commercial/media world was so much more limited, but I do remember being horrified when people started naming their dogs Frodo or Gandalf. It so demeaned the experience. I am heartened to hear that there are some children that don't want any part of any HP paraphernalia. (And, one more thing - Lord of the Rings is Amazon.com's top book of the millennium. And I didn't even vote. Most interesting.)
Leda Schubert
Received on Mon 15 Nov 1999 10:48:01 AM CST
