Re: 3 - 5 - 1 - 4 - 2 - 7 - 6

Bill Blakely <wcblakely@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
: On Fri, 16 Nov 2007 00:58:54 -0800 (PST), David Sueme
: <dsueme@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
:
:>On Nov 15, 8:48 pm, SPT <Rhododacty...@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
:>
:>> Mostly I agree with your assessment, but I'll quibble a bit with your
:>> ordering. I think that "Order of the Phoenix" is the best book,
:>> basically because it paints on a much larger canvas than "Prisoner of
:>> Azkaban".
:>>
:>> The overall richness of OotP is so great that we can overlook problems
:>> such as... the Keystone Kops chase through the Dept. of Mysteries at the end.
:>
:>Let me ask you for an assessment of my skill as a writer. Is it clear
:>that I agree with you until the last quote? Do I make myself clear
:>that I consider the Dept. of Mysteries chase to be an utter disaster,
:>and a "turning point" in the series? This is where Rowling lost her
:>grip on the quaffle and she never really got it back.
:>
:>>
:>> I also place Goblet of Fire slightly ahead of Philosopher's Stone for
:>> exactly the same reason. I would rather have a rich novel with a few
:>> flaws than a smaller, perfectly plotted mystery.
:>
:>And I have to admit that I do give or take a few extra house-points
:>based on a particular book's relevance to the development of the
:>series. HP1 got things off to a fine start. There is a cogent
:>argument that HP1 is in fact the best in the sense that if it had
:>failed then none of the rest would have been published.
:>
:>> >And the house-elf as
:>> >metaphor for despised racial types embodied in the "SPEW" concept
:>> >violates the implied promise to her young readers that these books are
:>> >going to be fun, not a series of lectures.
:>>
:>> I must be the only person in fandom who likes SPEW. :-)
:>
:>Yes! ;-)
:>
:>> But SPEW provides a perfect bit of character building for Hermione,
:>> whose usual role in the books is only explaining that you can't
:>> apparate into or out of Hogwarts.
:>
:>I think it is more likely a way of reducing Supergirl back down to
:>mortal size after she saved everything in HP3.
:>
:>SPEW notwithstanding, Hermy is my favorite character.
:>
:>Dave
:
: I can't say I ever really warmed up to her. On the other hand, I
: really liked Ginny. Maybe that preference constitutes some sort of
: personality test. Kind of like Ginger vs. Maryann on Gillian's
: Island, if you remember back that far.

Hmmm...I immediately preferred Hermione to Ginny.

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