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From: jeanne whitehouse <jwhouse>
Date: Tue, 12 Sep 2000 10:33:45 -0600
Greetings.
I'm interested in the comments of DAJ and Malibu... as they share their reading of Rowling's books. While I agree that there are many ways to connect The Harry Potter books to earlier series books, I'd like to suggest that not only is Rowling giving us an older Harry Potter with each volume, she is also making the form of each book (especially in the latest) more complex for the reader. The seemingly "slow" opening chapter is not the type opening we would expect from an author trying to "catch" new readeres.
In this way it is not like a Hardy Boy/ Nancy Drew page turner. Instead, in _Goblet..._ we were given a backdrop, a glimpse of the world beyond Harry, home and school, mystery and magic. This provided us with tension and a continuing sense of anxiety about the way Rowling would conclude the piece.
Also, Rowling gave us a puzzle as she began the piece. "What a slow opening," I heard us say. And, "Do I even want to read this?" We were given an opportunity to set the book down and not come back....something inexperienced readers might do, but not those who trust their writer.
One of the delights of reading is being "stretched" to entertain, then reentertain new genres, as well as new forms or shapes for writing. Rowling is providing not only an older Harry, but a more complex form which possibly "educates" the reader for more adult-like reading.
I've enjoyed reading your predictions. Like so many of you I believe we'll be stretched to see more than Harry sees at the moment. And I suspect we will see much more experimentation with the ways the story is told. In this way alone, Rowling's writing is unlike that of earlier writers of popular fiction.
Also, it might be fun to look at these books through the lens of "World of Innocence" - "World of Experience" (ala Blake and Glenna D. Sloan, _Child as Critic_) to ponder the balance of light/ dark images which are noticed and felt by "innocent" and "experienced" readers. I'd love to hear from you.
I am Jeanne Whitehouse Peterson , children's author and instructor of children's literature, part time, University of New Mexico jwhouse at unm.edu (and I don't know what to do to make this a link??) Thanks
.
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Received on Tue 12 Sep 2000 11:33:45 AM CDT
Date: Tue, 12 Sep 2000 10:33:45 -0600
Greetings.
I'm interested in the comments of DAJ and Malibu... as they share their reading of Rowling's books. While I agree that there are many ways to connect The Harry Potter books to earlier series books, I'd like to suggest that not only is Rowling giving us an older Harry Potter with each volume, she is also making the form of each book (especially in the latest) more complex for the reader. The seemingly "slow" opening chapter is not the type opening we would expect from an author trying to "catch" new readeres.
In this way it is not like a Hardy Boy/ Nancy Drew page turner. Instead, in _Goblet..._ we were given a backdrop, a glimpse of the world beyond Harry, home and school, mystery and magic. This provided us with tension and a continuing sense of anxiety about the way Rowling would conclude the piece.
Also, Rowling gave us a puzzle as she began the piece. "What a slow opening," I heard us say. And, "Do I even want to read this?" We were given an opportunity to set the book down and not come back....something inexperienced readers might do, but not those who trust their writer.
One of the delights of reading is being "stretched" to entertain, then reentertain new genres, as well as new forms or shapes for writing. Rowling is providing not only an older Harry, but a more complex form which possibly "educates" the reader for more adult-like reading.
I've enjoyed reading your predictions. Like so many of you I believe we'll be stretched to see more than Harry sees at the moment. And I suspect we will see much more experimentation with the ways the story is told. In this way alone, Rowling's writing is unlike that of earlier writers of popular fiction.
Also, it might be fun to look at these books through the lens of "World of Innocence" - "World of Experience" (ala Blake and Glenna D. Sloan, _Child as Critic_) to ponder the balance of light/ dark images which are noticed and felt by "innocent" and "experienced" readers. I'd love to hear from you.
I am Jeanne Whitehouse Peterson , children's author and instructor of children's literature, part time, University of New Mexico jwhouse at unm.edu (and I don't know what to do to make this a link??) Thanks
.
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Received on Tue 12 Sep 2000 11:33:45 AM CDT
