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

[oryx_leucoryx]

House plans are weird. The house I currently live in has a very similar plan to the one I grew up in, except the front door of the current one is where the balcony was in the old one. So I don't find it surprising that using a written description would result in something close enough to what Rowling had in mind.

The number issue is typical Rowling - her personal idiosyncratic preferences become a judgmental statement about the world. And doesn't it remind you of all those times Harry feels the world is mocking him by having weather that doesn't match his mood?

As for measurements - she could have the Muggles use metric if that matches British usage in the 1990s (but anything from previous generations should be Imperial), but the wizards wouldn't use metric. Hmm, continental wizards would though.

[mary-j-59.livejournal.com]

The number issue is typical Rowling - her personal idiosyncratic preferences become a judgmental statement about the world. And doesn't it remind you of all those times Harry feels the world is mocking him by having weather that doesn't match his mood?

Good point! It's not as though this (Harry's reaction) is inhuman, or even unusual. In his brilliant novel, Till We Have Faces, Lewis has the princess Orual reflect on the beautiful day as she goes to bury her sister. "Why should my heart not dance?" she thinks, and later adds, "Thus do the gods play with us. They blow us up like bubbles, to prick us for our sport." (quoting from memory - mistakes are mine!) But - Orual is feeling guilty for her joy in the beautiful day, and she is also shown, later, to be at least partly wrong. Harry is never reflective, pushes off his guilt feelings onto others, and is never shown to be wrong.

But, seriously, having such a strong emotional reaction to a common number might help explain the books' aggressive innumeracy, don't you think?

[mary-j-59.livejournal.com]

You are so right! It's no wonder that Wizarding values are so antiquated if the population skews so old. Some of these people would have been born in the eighteenth century!

[oryx_leucoryx]

It's not as though this (Harry's reaction) is inhuman, or even unusual.

Once or twice yes, but in this series Harry wants the weather to match his level of anxiety before Quidditch matches, among other things. It just makes him look extremely self-centered.

[malic-ba.livejournal.com]

I agree that way Harry is considered perfect whatever he does (including GBH and torture) seriously creeps me out about this series.

Ironically, though, he is right in this case. He is, in fact, the centre of the WW universe (just ask JKR) and when the weather doesn't match his mood it is because its creator is setting things up that way deliberately.

:)

[oryx_leucoryx]

Harry as Zaphod Beeblebrox!

[nx74defiant.livejournal.com]

When describing Number 4, Privet Drive, Rowling said that she chose the number four because she disliked that number, finding it hard and unforgiving.

Four is hard and unforgiving? That is weird.

On a more serious note, she based the look and floorplan of the house on that of a house she lived in herself

The Dursley house is her house. Petunia is JK Rowling!

[kahran042]

Well, if it matters, in Japan four is considered an unlucky number due to associations with death. So it's not all that weird.

[mary-j-59.livejournal.com]

Yes! But she's also Ginny - or, worse yet, Fred. One of the things I didn't mention is that she joined the society of weights and measures specifically to annoy her sister. This society is strongly anti-metric, and she said she looked forward to how angry her sister would be. The sister did not disappoint her, it seems, and Rowling was delighted - even more so at her sister's anger at being teased.

Then there's her sister's comment about Dumbledore - Rowling reports that her younger sister said, "He's cold, like you." Interesting!

In any event, it's absolutely clear from the site that Rowling does push one rather simplistic interpretation of her books. The section on Petunia and Vernon was especially annoying to me - I think Oryx, or someone else, has already reported on that, so I won't go into detail here. Still, the good thing about the site is that it does convey some of the energy and joy I found in the early books, before I really began thinking about them. I've enjoyed shopping in Diagon alley, and I can now report that my wand is larch with unicorn hair - which I like! The quiz to get your wand was good fun.

Summing up: Pottermore seems geared to children, primarily older children who are passionate fans - rather the way I was about "Star Trek" through my teens. Rowling hasn't mentioned a single thing that would lead me to find any deeper meaning in the books.

[mary-j-59.livejournal.com]

That's interesting! Of course, some numbers have cosmic significance in all societies. But, so far as I know, the number four has no particular associations in Britain-?

[kahran042]

You're right, of course. I just wanted to point out that little fact.

[mary-j-59.livejournal.com]

Oh, I wouldn't argue with most of this. Clearly, Rowling identifies with Harry. She'd like to think she is him. But - she's actually Petunia, IMHO!

[mary-j-59.livejournal.com]

A bit more about the Pottermore experience - the sorting quiz was interesting, and I ended up in Ravenclaw, as I expected. But -

If you mention Slytherin in a positive way, question anything, or say anything sarcastic (I've done all three), your comment awaits moderation. If you are straightforward, say something positive, or express enthusiasm, you get the message that your comment will appear soon. I've seen that message too.

Controlling, much?!

[snapes-witch.livejournal.com]

No, not her maths teacher, it was that nasty chemistry teacher who was always calling on her!! "I'll get even with him; he's going to be the evillest teacher at Hogwarts and he's just so mean to Harry!! Yes, that's what I'll do!"

[granatapfelrot.livejournal.com]

she joined the society of weights and measures specifically to annoy her sister
Well, that might explain Lily putting her sister down in that weird letter to Sirius.
Being this vengeful can't be healthy. Everyone who ever even thought about maybe annoying Mrs Rowling a little bit has to 'get it' somehow. Scary.
The number 4 thing is simply not something I understand. I find the concept of sorting numbers into nice ones and not nice ones totally weird.

[charlottehywd.livejournal.com]

That doesn't necessarily excuse them for not being able to adapt, though. I mean, if I were born in the 18th century, I actually would probably be pretty fascinated by all of the technological changes that have happened since I was a child. I mean, that era was the Enlightenment, after all. At least in the Muggle world, learning and advancement were pretty highly valued. Of course, wizards are already shown to be kind of backwards, so maybe this doesn't apply to them.

[charlottehywd.livejournal.com]

No, you are totally right to be creeped out by this. Really, the whole WW is built on self-centeredness and narcissism. I mean, who cares if there are starving Muggles in the third world who could use the food and clean water we could effortlessly multiply and send their way. Let's play some Quidditch!

Does JKR seriously not think these things out?

[charlottehywd.livejournal.com]

I think that it is in China as well. I wonder if she was aware of this.

[charlottehywd.livejournal.com]

Why would any adult go through the trouble of joining a society just to annoy their sibling?

[charlottehywd.livejournal.com]

That makes a lot of sense. I didn't know that she shared a birthday with Harry, though. Kind of surprised that the fans haven't picked up on that yet. I mean, it seems to clearly point to Harry's status as an author's darling. (to use Limyaael's term for it) I don't usually say negative things about an author (as opposed to their works), but dear Lord is this woman immature! And what's worse is how so many people seem to embrace her worldview.

Also, I kind of wonder what her parents think about the books.

[charlottehywd.livejournal.com]

Are you serious? What kind of forum doesn't allow dissent? Oh wait, one controlled by rabid fans or people employed by the author.

[mary-j-59.livejournal.com]

Because, it seems, they are the sort of adult who finds this funny. Rowling was enormously amused by her sister's anger. It's no wonder that she describes the twins as "funny" and "popular", not as the jealous, vicious bullies they are.

[aasaylva.livejournal.com]

AFAIK, in Western culture, four is associated with the earth/ the material plane (4 geographic directions, 4 elements (fire, water, earth, air), 4 "humors" = blood, phlegm, yellow and black gall...) as opposed to the three which symbolizes heaven/ the spiritual plane (the phases of the moon, countless triadic deities, the Christian Trinity...). But I've no idea whether that stems from Christianity or some other source.

[aasaylva.livejournal.com]

it's whom you favor. (which is, according to Jo herself, a very Slytherin attitude)
Which goes to show, once again, that Gryffindors, far from being the opposite of Slytherin, are simply Slytherins, that get away with it...

[hwyla.livejournal.com]

To be fair - while Harry's birthday IS the same as Rowling's - it is also a rather important date in the Celtic Calendar (the 'eve' before Lughansa) and one that makes a great deal of sense in a story universe that often uses these dates (especially Hallow's Eve).

I do however agree that she ALSO wanted it to match her own birthdate (even if it might be subconsciously) - otherwise Harry would have been born on Aug 1st. with the prophecy referring to 'born as the 8th month rises' or something of the sort.