J.K. Rowling

[incognito]

Argh, it's probably just an irrational peeve of mine, but I really hate it when JKR gets to talking about killing people off in her books. I mean, we get it--you want to show that Voldemort is a badass, that the war is terrible and that good people die. Okay. She makes it sound like she's the first person to kill off significant characters (despite her alluding to other authors wanting to kill off their main characters). And in the fourth book, it wasn't even that terrible (Cedric? He wasn't even developed enough to make readers care about him, he was just the generic good guy). I would say the fifth book, too, but that's just because I didn't like Sirius.

I think she should just keep her mouth shut and let people first find out when they crack open the book. It'd make it that much more surprising. EDITED TO ADD: But then again, maybe she's worried that people will have heart attacks if she doesn't soften the blow. Considering how insane some fans are, I wouldn't doubt it.

[Deleted]

I would laugh my ass off if she killed off Harry in a final battle with Voldemort sort of thing. They both die, but leave the wizard world peaceful because of their death, crap like that.

I would do it if I were her and had those kinds of fans. She's got the money and it would be the ultimate F-U to her crazy fans.

[kostgard]

But then again, maybe she's worried that people will have heart attacks if she doesn't soften the blow. Considering how insane some fans are, I wouldn't doubt it.

That's exactly why I think she does it. These books have some really hardcore fans, and some of them might get rather dramatic if they had no warning that characters - and even characters they like - might not make it. Heck, these are people who formed groups and websites because they felt so "betrayed" that JK had decided to pair Hermione with Ron instead of Harry in this last book when she had been hinting at a Ron/Hermione pairing since day one.

I too would be tempted to just write a crazy ending where everyone dies just to watch people freak out, but I'm sure she's not going that way. It actually makes me wonder if she had frequently mentioned that she's had the last chapter of the series written for years now to stave off those people who will surely react with, "How could you do that to us?? Why do you hate us??" if something happens that they don't like. Then she can say, "Hey - this is what I planned all along. Even before the books were published and the movies and everything. I'm just sticking to the original plan."

[incognito]

Sometimes I have dreams (okay, not really) where she just writes a variation of the "rocks fall. everybody dies" ending. And then I cackle madly while the craziest HP fanatics stage a mass suicide pact. I know, I'm evil.

[Deleted]

But then again, maybe she's worried that people will have heart attacks if she doesn't soften the blow. Considering how insane some fans are, I wouldn't doubt it.

I also think she is very aware that she is writing books for children. That adults read them is great, but they are children's books. I think she wants to sort of warn the parents of her intended audience about stuff that might be too harsh or eyebrow-raising (the sexual growth of the characters, various deaths, etc...) so she sends out various statements about these "difficult" subjects.

FWIW, I don't think she acts like she is the first to ever kill off a character or whatever, but people are so crazy about ANY details of the Harry Potter books that any little tidbit of information is treated like the greatest and most important news... ever!

[lallybroch]

Two characters--that many? Try to restrain yourself a little, Jo.

[Deleted]

Oh please kill of snape and draco. Please, please, please. I'd even take neville and Luna as my next choices. Just don't kill the weasley twins as they are my favorite characters in the book.

[incognito]

FWIW, I don't think she acts like she is the first to ever kill off a character or whatever

Maybe not the first ever, but...oh, I don't know. I still think I'm feeling some vestigial annoyance at how she hyped up Cedric's death. Deaths in children's books are nothing new, so I don't see that as an excuse for yammering on endlessly (YMMV, of course) about how she has to kill off certain characters. If that really is the reason why she's going on and on about it, then I'm still annoyed because she seems to think that children's books don't trod upon where she's gone before. When they do, and much better, IMO.

Now, the fact that there are some crazy, crazy people in the fandom (pretty much unprecedented, right? With the exception of Star Wars and Star Trek folk)...I could see that being a valid reason. I personally thought that Leslie's death in Bridge to Terabithia, or heck, the newborn's death in The Giver to be much more affecting and well written than any of the deaths that Rowling wrote (an unpopular opinion, I'm sure...*grin*), but neither of the books have anywhere near the following as the HP series.

[Deleted]

lallybroch said:

Two characters--that many? Try to restrain yourself a little, Jo.

I thought she was only saying that it was two characters more than what she had planned to kill in her outlines of the plot. Who knows, though, she likes to try to be cryptic.

But I do wish she wouldn't give anything away. Because then you know something's going to happen and you're just waiting for that instead of focusing on the whole plot. I wonder if she means for that to happen?

[susyhomewrecker]

Yeah, I think she meant that, in writing the books, she realized that two additional characters needed to die to make the story work, or something.

I'm thinking one of them is probably Malfoy. Maybe she had originally plotted some sort of redemption for that little shit, but now realizes that he's beyond help?

As for the other, I don't know--Hagrid? McGonagall? GRAWP? (Please please please!)