Groundbreaking
I think I'm going to do something else that noone else is doing on the interwebs right now: I'm going to write a blog on Harry Potter. Yes, I just blew your mind, get over it.
/self-deprecation.
Many of us set out on a bittersweet journey in a little over a week: reading book 7. I make no reservations in saying that I'm going to be sad. In fact, I think if I wasn't worried about the media hype machine leaking secrets, I'd probably consume Book 7 like Charlie Bucket savoring his birthday Wonka Bar, slowly enjoying every bite. Ah, who am I kidding, I'd gulp it down as fast as I could either way.
I've realised that this is somewhat new territory for me. For the first time, I've been in the middle of a phenomenon, able to enjoy it from the inside. I love Star Wars, have since I was a kid. But the only movie I actually saw in the theatre was Return. I was 2ish when A New Hope came out, so even though I say I've loved the series since I was a kid, its really me joining a party after it was over. Well, the party wasn't exactly over, people my age got to join the excited-to-wait-in-line-and-predict-what-was-going-to-happen fanboy club in 1999 with Phantom Menace, but well, we all know how that turned out. Fernt.
Kind of the same with LOTR, really. Even though it was fun to enjoy the resurgence of the Middle Earth world with Peter Jackson's movies, there was no debate in line on whether that Balrog was going to put a stomping on Gandalf.
I'll let others analyze why they're such an engaging books, so I'll just echo many when I say that the HP world has been my favorite universe I've ventured into. Half the fun is been having to wait for a new book to come out and being able to discuss plots/predictions in that meantime. And being able to discuss a book/story right after you've read it with others who just read it. I'm sad to have that end.
So anyway, I will throw out a couple of predictions.
1. There is absolutely 0 chance of Harry dying. Zip. None. Yeah, yeah, JK has hinted that she wants to kill off Harry to prevent any future writers to carry on the story. I don't think she has anything to worry about, and she knows this. Her audience's interest in the characters will diminish after the main story arc (Voldemort) is dead. What the fans of the series would love to see would be someone to write a prequel to the series (and not fuck it up like Lucas) about Voldemort's first rise. People would eat that up: the formation of the original Order of the Phoenix, James and Lily as characters, Snape's betrayal/redemption, etc. My point being, this being the subject matter most likely to be written, it has nothing to do with Harry living or dying. So the fear she will kill him off because of not wanting other writers to continue the story doesn't fly with me.
2. I've said all along Snape will die to save Harry and finally show his true colors. That's 1 of the "2 will die" that JK hinted at. My friend Meg suggested Neville as the other one who gets killed. I like this idea. He's a deep enough character that his death would be jolting to the reader. He's generally unattached, unlike Ron/Hermoine, Harry/Ginny, Weasley brothers (I think it would be difficult to kill off 1 of a pair of characters.) He gets to finally avenge his parent's torture and live up to the Longbottom name by heroically dying. It all fits.
Finally, kudos the makers of the Order of the Phoenix movie. Best of the series, by far.
PS. And no, Mark. Neville isn't the chosen one, sorry.
/self-deprecation.
Many of us set out on a bittersweet journey in a little over a week: reading book 7. I make no reservations in saying that I'm going to be sad. In fact, I think if I wasn't worried about the media hype machine leaking secrets, I'd probably consume Book 7 like Charlie Bucket savoring his birthday Wonka Bar, slowly enjoying every bite. Ah, who am I kidding, I'd gulp it down as fast as I could either way.
I've realised that this is somewhat new territory for me. For the first time, I've been in the middle of a phenomenon, able to enjoy it from the inside. I love Star Wars, have since I was a kid. But the only movie I actually saw in the theatre was Return. I was 2ish when A New Hope came out, so even though I say I've loved the series since I was a kid, its really me joining a party after it was over. Well, the party wasn't exactly over, people my age got to join the excited-to-wait-in-line-and-predict-what-was-going-to-happen fanboy club in 1999 with Phantom Menace, but well, we all know how that turned out. Fernt.
Kind of the same with LOTR, really. Even though it was fun to enjoy the resurgence of the Middle Earth world with Peter Jackson's movies, there was no debate in line on whether that Balrog was going to put a stomping on Gandalf.
I'll let others analyze why they're such an engaging books, so I'll just echo many when I say that the HP world has been my favorite universe I've ventured into. Half the fun is been having to wait for a new book to come out and being able to discuss plots/predictions in that meantime. And being able to discuss a book/story right after you've read it with others who just read it. I'm sad to have that end.
So anyway, I will throw out a couple of predictions.
1. There is absolutely 0 chance of Harry dying. Zip. None. Yeah, yeah, JK has hinted that she wants to kill off Harry to prevent any future writers to carry on the story. I don't think she has anything to worry about, and she knows this. Her audience's interest in the characters will diminish after the main story arc (Voldemort) is dead. What the fans of the series would love to see would be someone to write a prequel to the series (and not fuck it up like Lucas) about Voldemort's first rise. People would eat that up: the formation of the original Order of the Phoenix, James and Lily as characters, Snape's betrayal/redemption, etc. My point being, this being the subject matter most likely to be written, it has nothing to do with Harry living or dying. So the fear she will kill him off because of not wanting other writers to continue the story doesn't fly with me.
2. I've said all along Snape will die to save Harry and finally show his true colors. That's 1 of the "2 will die" that JK hinted at. My friend Meg suggested Neville as the other one who gets killed. I like this idea. He's a deep enough character that his death would be jolting to the reader. He's generally unattached, unlike Ron/Hermoine, Harry/Ginny, Weasley brothers (I think it would be difficult to kill off 1 of a pair of characters.) He gets to finally avenge his parent's torture and live up to the Longbottom name by heroically dying. It all fits.
Finally, kudos the makers of the Order of the Phoenix movie. Best of the series, by far.
PS. And no, Mark. Neville isn't the chosen one, sorry.
posted by Roark_8 at 11:16 AM
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