Harry/Hermione should have happened, admits Rowling...

I don't agree with her. Ron and Hermione are a great couple. I love that the girl didn't get the hero but went for his sidekick instead.

The two romances I think JK Rowling got wrong from a reader point of view are Harry and Luna, and Snape and Dumbledore... Ginny is too much of a drip.
 
I always like seeing an author's perspective, but in this case I like what she has written. Ron and Hermoine balance each other out with a different set of strengths and weaknesses. They also have chemistry together. Harry has never seemed to see Hermoine as more than "just a friend".

Ron and Hermoine have also had more time to bond with each other than with Harry, especially in book 6 when Harry was often alone working with Dumbledore or Snape. I think even before they became romantic, they had a special relationship with each other that neither had with Harry.
 
I know they're her characters, but I don't think I'd agree. Hermione needs to shine and she would've always been over shadowed by Harry (just by his sheer fame etc rather than an effort on his part)
 
Since we don't know how far back (e.g. from her complex pre-writing plans) she decided that they would not be together, we can't really tell how much different she would have written the various relationships if she'd gone down the other route. I do think Hermione would have become infuriated by Ron over time, probably quite a short time.

In a way, I'm more interested in her thinking/reasoning. Was it that she didn't want the pretty and smart girl to get the hero, or specifically to have her get the side-kick? Either way, why? Avoid the cliche or for a more personal reason: something from her own past, perhaps?
 
YES!!! There was always a spark between Harry and Hermione, a meeting of minds, whereas Ron was a love-sick puppy, who would bring very little to the relationship. Frankly, Ginny was so wet, I never once saw how a relationship between her and Harry could possibly start. Luna, on the other hand...

And isn't it great that an author will admit to doing something for personal reasons, not for story/character development? I wonder if any editor picked her up on it?
 
WOHOOO!!! Seph and I have said this many, many times.

Very much in agreement with Boneman! The romances always felt forced. I mean, "Ginny, the little girl he has to save in book two and doesn't even notice.... BAM! She's so pretty and smart and every guy likes her and Harry wants her, too, for more than just a fling!" It's as if Rowling HAD to force characters together because, oh no, you can't have the series end without them all getting together! How often do *all* kids at school find their life partner???

There was a connection with Harry and Hermione. She cared for him deeply, and if Rowling's head had been in a different place, who knows how that would have developed naturally? Even if the characters would have taken a while to see it, I think they would have got closer in the end. And yes, Ron and Hermione bickered too much, and a relationship is rather one-sided if a smart person doesn't have equal intellectual stimulation, support, and someone they can talk to. Ron always seemed rather... well, as if he had "the emotional [and mental] range of a teaspoon". :p

Oh, and that part with what's-her-name, the "won-won" girl? That always felt soooo forced, as if Rowling had to find a way to make Hermione jealous and so crushed together some random girl who didn't even seem realistic. Urgh. And the Krum part, where a gorgeous, popular star falls for the smart ["mudblood"] girl... that always felt badly done, forced, and, imo, unbelievable. The same as with Cho Chang. Who?! A random girl who doesn't feature other than to be a brief love interest who cries too much and doesn't really get a chance to shine? I get that most teens have hyper-hormonage going on, but seriously, no one could control themselves and refrain from jumping at the first member of the opposite sex to pay them attention until their soulmate notices them?

Hmmm. Now, Luna and Harry... yeah, I suppose there was something there, but I'm not sure Harry could have put up with her specialness in the long term, though it was VERY sweet of him to befriend her when others wouldn't.


But, saying all this, I still love the series TONS! It was just so humorous and fun and hooking.
 
I was wondering if she didn't just say this to cause a stir and keep her in the public eye. Is it really such an issue that Harry ended up with Ginny? I prefer the original because it would have highly predictable that Harry would end up with Hermione.
 
But why do people keep saying that every author/celeb is wanting to be in the public eye? She's made enough from the books and films already. She has nothing to gain. She's already wealthy beyond anything she could ever hope to spend, and she's moved on and written other things. I think she's finally realised there was something off about what she did, and even if Harry wouldn't have ended up with Hermione, I think the relationships, characters, and dynamics would have vastly differed. Who knows - maybe there would have been other starring characters and Ron would have gone with one of them (and we'd have loved it)?!
 
I'm sorry sorry to be a cynic but I tend to agree with Biodroid on that one. There was no point in mentioning it other than it made a bit of news. She doesn't need the money, but she's missing the attention a bit. (Robert Galbraith? Cookoo's calling? I was going to keep it a secret but....? Sure!)
As for Harry and Hermione it was never going to happen. You could tell from the end of book 2.
Harry and Luna would have worked if they'd given each other lots of space. I've known happy couples who worked very well in similar circumstances. (without the wands etc).
Harry and Cho? We all had that at school, which then fizzled out.
Ginny will grow up to be like Molly. No-one will know how powerful she is 'til they 'uck about with her family and then they will.
 
addendum to my last message.
After all, you all seeing it only as HE's concerned. Ginny and the other girls are too!
 
It was only obvious (to some) after book two because that's where Rowlings' head was at while planning the series. If she'd been in a different frame of mind, she'd have changed things.

I always get really down when I see people accusing celebs of wanting attention. Sure, some will, inevitably, and some will play the media or be pushed to, but I'm sure there's a fair load who are just honest, down to earth people who, like all of us, would hate that level of attention but have to accept it as part of their package.

If I somehow became popular (lol!), I would hate it if people then said I secretly loved all the attention and did things just to keep a book's popularity alive. I think Rowling, like anyone, should be allowed to express her feelings towards her creation when asked (as all authors, both published and unpublished, do), and it's inevitable that her feelings will be different all these years later. I commend her for coming out and admitting she got things wrong, in her opinion. That takes guts.

She loves her world and characters, and thinks about them. That's all I see this as*. :)


*Yes, I'm as far from a cynic as anyone can get.
 
If a lesser known author mentioned something along these lines then the media would not flinch, it won't be newsworthy. If Barack Obama tied his shoelaces should he call a press conference? She wrote the story and it was published, no need for her to voice her thoughts about how she should have changed this or that. she can't unwrite it. It's like Justin Bieber who is trying to portray his bad boy image to the world so that he stays relevant. That's it, relevance. I am probably wrong about JK as she proved her relevance without pulling a Bieber if you catch my drift.
 
A perfectly reasonable comment Leisha. And far more charitable than mine.
As I don't know under what circumstances she made the remark, I have jumped to quite possible wrong conclusions.
Please retain your distance from cynicism
 
I'm a believer in Rowlings' depression in her early years, which, she claims, was a product of her media attention. That kind of attention is scary, and I don't think she relishes it and makes use of it as some will do. I think - though, yes, I don't know her personally - she is genuine and does like to talk about her books (what author doesn't?). As you say, if any other author answered in such a way about their characters, no one would bat an eye. Why should we react differently because she's uber popular? She should still be allowed her opinions - and allowed to voice them. I'd hate to get to such a level where I felt I couldn't be honest if someone asked about what I thought of my work, looking back. To think people would hate you for it, for being open and honest...! :eek:

(I hope I haven't taken this off topic!)

On topic: Long live Harry & Hermione!!!

As I don't know under what circumstances she made the remark, I have jumped to quite possible wrong conclusions.
Click to expand...

Same here. For all I know, she may not have been asked about it. BUT... I still believe the question would have led her to voice a long-held opinion that has been gnawing at her.
 
I disliked the epilogue (well, I disliked the last three books, really) and the whole "hey, everyone, let's all marry a person we've known since we were eleven years old" was just weird and contrived. Sure, there may be some people who do that, but practically every single character we'd read about doing it? And all getting married, like that's the only option.

I also hated her killing off Tonks and Lupin just so we could have another war orphan.

Also, throughout the books we get told that all the purebloods are being selfish, marrying each other and not branching out, but then everyone (and there always felt to be about seventy people in total in the wizarding world, which got pretty much halved at the battle of Hogwarts) goes and does it at the end too?

However, no, Harry suffers from protagonist syndrome and is far too bland for Hermione. Hermione is awesome. Yet I really don't mind Ron and Hermione because at least it was a relationship that was built up and developed, unlike the 'surprise, everyone's married!' And I think Ron gets a short shrift. At 11 years old he let himself be taken out by a huge, stone chess piece. He has his badass moments, too, and not because 'ooohhh, it's my dessstiny..."


EDIT: Man, I thought I'd be less ranty about these things by now, but apparently not!
 
I think perhaps the one thing we're forgetting is about HOW Rowling made this announcement. It wasn't just a random comment to attract attention. It was a one-to-one interview with one Emma Watson, who it is reasonably safe to say has a vested interest in the character of Hermione. For those who missed it, Emma is guest-editing "Wonderland" this month and her interview with JKR is effectively by way of a perk.

So, in that context, I don't think it's an inappropriate time or place to make such an observation.
 
Harry and Hermonie not getting together was one of the quirks i actually liked.
 
If JK Rowling really wanted to court lots of publicity we'd have seen a lot more of her in the gossip columns than we do.

And like Leisha I see a woman who loves her characters, world and stories. I loved when she was on "Who Do You Think You Are" and she walked into a library with a "Wow it's Hogwarts Library".

Although as a reader I still think she is wrong about Harry and Hermione.
 
Actually I was thinking about J.K. Rowling the other day -- she lived in this area throughout most of the Harry Potter mania. You'd see her in Starbucks getting a coffee with a friend, or walking down the street and she NEVER, not once, acted as if she was somehow better than other people. She behaved like a totally normal human being. I don't think she's very publicity hungry.

It was a dramatic contrast with the way some people (rather less famous people) behaved at the Brighton convention. Not naming names, but I was astonished.

re Harry and Herminone. I liked Ron/ Hermione. I would also have accepted Neville/ Hermione.

I always liked Ginny.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Thread starter Similar threads Forum Replies Date
N Dexter - Failing Harry's Rules General TV Discussion 1
D Harry Hole book query Book Discussion 2
Unintended Consequences Casting Harry Keough aka The Necroscope General Film Discussion 3
Mike J Nagle Harry Turtledove's Reading-Order Flowcharts Book Discussion 13
Foxbat Ray Harryhausen Titan Of Cinema SFF Lounge 17

Similar threads


Back
Top