There's a wonderful new and lengthy interview with J.K. Rowling in the Spanish language newspaper El Pais.
Here's the original interview in Spanish, and here's the English translation, available at the Leaky Cauldron.
Spoiler
space
for
those
who
haven't
finished
reading
Harry
Potter
and
the
Deathly
Hallows.
Here are a few quotes from the interview that really stood out to me:
Rowling (discussing chapter 34 in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows): "For me, that chapter is the key of all the books. Everything, everything I have written, was thought of for that precise moment when Harry goes into the forest. That is the chapter that I had planned for 17 years. That moment is the heart of all of the books. And for me it is the last truth of the story. Even though Harry survives, of that there was no doubt, he reaches that unique and very rare state which is to accept his own death. How many people have the possibility of accepting their death before they die?"
The chapter she is talking about (The Forest Again) where Harry walks into the Forbidden Forest to consciously face his own death, is probably the most powerful (for me) in the whole series. I was crying as I read it, because I believed Harry was walking to his death. It makes sense to me that she planned it for 17 years, because it's an absolutely crucial moment.
Rowling (talking about Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix): "The fifth book is the darkest of all because there is an absence of anticipation and an oppressive atmosphere. I think because of that, people didn’t like it as much. Even though there are readers who prefer this book to the others, they are a strange minority."
I give Rowling a lot of credit for saying this. Very few people like the fifth book. Lots of people have been unable to get past it (which is unfortunate, because I think the sixth and seventh books are better). I'm impressed that she's able to recognize that the fifth book isn't as likable. I think that's hard for an author to admit. It also intrigues me that she says that the book wasn't supposed to be enjoyable.
If you have a moment, I highly recommend taking a look at the full interview. There are a lot of interesting comments in there.
oooh...very nice interview. While #5 was not my favorite, I do get why J.K. Rowling wrote it the way she did. So many things were going on in Harry's life and to write it any other way would not have made it believable.
ReplyDeleteI think #5 the best-written of all the books. Even though Rowling's a British author, it seemed as if she were writing about much that was going on in the American government. Whether or not that was intentional, I appreciated it.
ReplyDeleteJill and Alkelda-
ReplyDeleteYou both make very good points about Book 5. I've always had a tough time with that book.... so it's great to hear other perspectives.
I was one of those who barely made it past the 5th book. It felt like a Dementor was sucking the soul out of me.
ReplyDeleteMotherReader- I'm glad you got through Book 5. Not everyone does. It's the only book I never re-read... unless I'm looking for a quote or trying to make a point. But, that being said, I think it was necessary and the later books wouldn't have been as effective if Harry hadn't had at least a little time to be an angsty teenager.
ReplyDeleteActually book five was my favorite till the next ones came out. I read it first when I was twelve and finshed in ten days (christmas break, man I was a crazy) I've read it like ten times since! hmm, maybe I'm a tad weird . . . :)
ReplyDeleteBook 5 actually used to be my favorite. So go figure. (Now it's tied with 6 and 7. I can't decide between the three.)
ReplyDelete