In conventional realistic novels, this context is often fairly straightforward. It is the external world, and all its trappings. The author does not need to specify it in all its richness, since this contextual knowledge is brought by the reader to the act of reading. But for writers who tinker with our sense of reality and exercise the license of fantasy, the context is of paramount importance. The majesty of an endeavor on the scale of Rowling’s project — as with similar imaginative constructions of Narnia, Middle-earth, Dune, etc. — is the suchness of this context, and its capability to astonish and delight us. This is more than the invention of a story; it is nothing less than the construction of a universe.
How difficult is it for a writer to do this? Building a vivid and enchanting fantasy world from scratch, a Hogwarts or a Middle-Earth, is a massive undertaking, much more challenging, I would argue, than writing crisp dialogue or creating an engaging character. Readers understand this, even if Yale academics miss the point. This is why any list of the most popular novels of the last century is dominated by precisely these “thick description” works of imaginative fiction.
But don’t jump to the conclusion that Rowling is weak on character development, pacing or the other more traditional components of the novelist’s craft. She has peopled her magical universe with some of the most striking characters of contemporary fiction. And I’m not just talking about Harry Potter and his two chums, Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley. The secondary characters are also remarkably well constructed. Even in these long tomes, Rowling can hardly find enough time on center stage for all her memorable role players. While reading these books, I always find myself wanting more of Snape and Malfoy, two of the most perfectly realized villains I have encountered. Hagrid is compelling, as is Dumbledore, and a dozen or more of the lower profile cast members. Even a ghost like Peeves has more personality and makes a bigger presence on the page than those characters in other books who have the benefit of a fully functional non-transparent body.
These are not "realistic" characters in the conventional sense. They are compelling figures, nonetheless. Recall that the characters one finds in Dickens and Proust — to cite two revered predecessors — are hardly more realistic. Rowling, like Dickens, creates artfully conceived "types" who are larger than life. They are decidedly not like your neighbors next door, nor would you want them to be. By exaggerating certain qualities and hiding others, Rowling enhances the drama and vibrancy of her narratives.
Article comments
1 - Robert M. Barga
Her books are obvious and cliche, but that doesn't mean that they are not good.
Look at her stories as character studies, and then you notice they are a redemption story for Snake and Malfoy, not a story about Potter
That is when you see the true intellegence behind the books
2 - Katiedid
Movie critics hardly like the ones we appreciate, and book critics are so busy being "smart" that they fail to realize that there is more than one way to do something.
To read a Harry Potter novel is nothing but pure entertainment, pleasure, and escapism. Those are definitely my definitions of a classic novel. One I am unable to put down, and wish to re-read to make sure I did not miss a single word.
3 - C.M. Warren
I am a huge harry potter fan myself, simply because the story she wove was so complex, and yet so simple. When you distill the themes and plots of the series, it is remarkable how what drives the stories is in the end something simple, and human.
What made me fall in love though was the richness of her world, in both scale, and intimacy. It feels large because it really is, but because she takes so much time introducing us literally to hundreds of characters, and situations that are both simple and complex at the same time, you can wrap yourself in her storytelling, and just let the words take you too a vivid world.
She may not be the worlds greatest writer, and she did do things that annoyed me at times, but she also is one of the worlds most proficent story tellers. I will never regret slipping into harry's world many times, and just exploring the sheer humanity of a world that should feel so foriegn.
4 - jamminsue
Thanks for this article; JK Rowling certainly did a great job. I have had great fun with the Harry Potter series. I am a college student, acquiring a Classical education, and finding reference to a number of beasts and people in Harry's world that existed in other planes is neat. Not only did she refer to the ancient Greek/Roman worlds (three-headed dog) and the terrible period that followed, (Nicolas Flamel) but even to such arcane worlds as the Celts. The wood chosen for Harry's wand is the wood of July in Celtic lore.
I believe the third book, Prisoner of Azkaban is the best of the seven.
I agree with the redemption of Snape idea, as one of many levels of allegory that are weaved in this book.
Also - I was given a copy of Beetle Bard and found the collection of short stories to be wonderful.