See, I agree with this (and that there are a LOT of stereotypes in the books). Fat people in Rowling are never good--they're always bumbling and/or evil. And once characters are defined, they're defined (except for the Dumbledore exception you mentioned).
Whereas, Madeleine L'Engle's characters are REAL--they make mistakes, they do stupid things, are awkward, wonderful, quixotic...complex. Diana Wynne Jones's magical world (at least in the Chrestomanci books) is just as interesting as HP, but again doesn't get the press.
A friend of mine suggests that the mania for HP is based around modern society's need for culturally significant major events...ie that we need connection and community and don't find it in our everyday compartmentalized lives, so must seek it out in Big Moments like the release of a book, or outpourings of grief over a person we've never met.
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timeasmymeasure
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Date: 2005-07-16 08:47 am (UTC)Whereas, Madeleine L'Engle's characters are REAL--they make mistakes, they do stupid things, are awkward, wonderful, quixotic...complex. Diana Wynne Jones's magical world (at least in the Chrestomanci books) is just as interesting as HP, but again doesn't get the press.
A friend of mine suggests that the mania for HP is based around modern society's need for culturally significant major events...ie that we need connection and community and don't find it in our everyday compartmentalized lives, so must seek it out in Big Moments like the release of a book, or outpourings of grief over a person we've never met.