Pottermore-

[mary-j-59.livejournal.com]

Okay - I confess; I joined Pottermore, out of sheer curiosity. I want to know if, by any strange chance, I will sort to Slytherin, and also what sort of wand I get. Still, some things struck me at once (I've spent about 20 minutes exploring the first chapter):

When describing Number 4, Privet Drive, Rowling said that she chose the number four because she disliked that number, finding it hard and unforgiving. I believe those were the exact words! Do you suppose that feeling is limited to the number four, or might it extend to other numbers?

On a more serious note, she based the look and floorplan of the house on that of a house she lived in herself - and got wierded out because, without discussing it with her, the filmmakers got the floorplan exactly right.

And - this is fascinating! - she had to argue with the publishers, who wanted to convert all the British measurements into metric ones. She also said that Wizards can do complex calculations magically. Can they, really? Then why did we never see them doing this?

Oh, dear. Maths.

But I'm very glad that she talked the publishers into keeping the old fashioned measurements. Can you imagine a metric Wizarding World? I can't.

Comments

[oneandthetruth.livejournal.com]

You obviously haven't heard about how angry she got at fans who objected to her negative descriptions of Snape in interviews, or complained when she didn't call him heroic. She made it clear she thought them crazy, unable to distinguish good characters from evil ones, etc. She got defensive when Harry was criticized for torturing somebody, too, famously dismissing protests by saying, "Harry's not a saint." OTOH, she positively gushed when Oprah, in that infamous interview, cooed over the "message" of HP, agreeing when Oprah said the best thing about the books is that love triumphs, and the books are all about love. *gag*