I read a couple pretty good articles this week regarding Harry, one talking about Rowling's emotional reaction to finishing the book and one in which Stephen King discusses his own mixed feelings over the series ending. It's funny to think of such a prolific author as King being just as giddy over these books as we are, but he really is quite a devoted fan; barely an Entertainment Weekly column goes by that doesn't mention either Harry of LOST. I can't always stomach his stories, but the guy has good taste...
Anyway, in the article, Rowling says she "absolutely howled" after finishing one chapter and talks of "sobbing my heart out". She also revealed that the last word in the book isn't "scar" anymore but that it had been until quite recently.
And here are a few thoughts from King:
"When it comes to Harry, part of me — a fairly large part, actually — can hardly bear to say goodbye. I'd guess that J.K. Rowling feels the same, although I'd also guess those feelings are mingled with the relief of knowing that the work is finally done, for better or worse. "
"Although the only thing we can be sure of is that Deathly Hallows won't end in a 10-second blackout (you're going to hear that a lot in the next few weeks), my guess is that large numbers of readers will not be satisfied even if Harry survives (I'm betting he will) and Lord Voldemort is vanquished (I'm betting on this, too, although evil is never vanquished for long). I'm partly drawing on my own experience with The Dark Tower... partly on my belief that very few long works end as felicitously as Tolkien's Rings series, with its beautiful pilgrimage into the Grey Havens; but mostly on the fact that there is that sadness, that inevitable parting from characters who have been loved deeply by many. The Internet blog sites will be full of this was bad and that was wrong, but it's going to boil down to something that many will feel and few will come right out and state: No ending can be right, because it shouldn't be over at all. The magic is not supposed to go away."
"But there's comfort. There are always more good stories, and now and then there are great stories. They come along if you wait for them. And here's something I believe in my heart: No story can be great without closure. There must be closure, because it's the human condition. And since that's how it is, I'll be in line with my money in my hand on July 21.
And, I must admit, sorrow in my heart."
Pretty nice words, I'd say, from someone who probably has a better sense than many of what Rowling must be going through...
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4 comments:
I read the Rowling comments over the weekend too, and found them interesting. Not at all surprising that she shed tears as she neared the end! I would suspect she might do that even if there was no major "tragedy" involved -- and we already know that, whatever it looks like in the end, there will be a high cost for the victory over Voldemort.
I was actually kind of relieved to hear she's changed the final word. Not just because I always found the thought of the final word being "scar" a bit ominous (I do hope she will unpack for us, at a later date, what her rough final looked like) but because it shows how she is still flexible and growing with this story. It would be odd, wouldn't it, after so many years, so much blood, sweat, toil, tears, etc. to have her final pages sort of "fixed in stone." Not surprising that as she wrote them, they changed...maybe not in fundamental shape but specific music.
I may end up writing a bit about all that at my blog (and stealing from my comment here!) when I have more time, as the whole creative process of writing such a lengthy series kind of fascinates me!
Thanks for sharing King's comments. I am totally with him on the need for closure, and yet the feeling of sorrow. We're getting really, really close now to the end!
Any thoughts on when you'll see Phoenix? I'm still so disapppointed we can't come to Erie...
Great article by King, all of it! Thanks for the tip. I went looking for it online. I'm going to leave the link here in case I decide to go back to it. :-)
http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20044270_20044274_20044682,00.html
http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,
,20044270_20044274_20044682,00.html
OK, last post cut the link off. Let's try it again!
You're welcome! I find I really enjoy his columns most of the time, particularly when he's talking about something so near and dear to my heart! :)
And I think you're right it's a good sign that Rowling was willing to change something that had been set for such a long time in service of the story.
Not sure when we'll see Phoenix. Mom was talking about going tonight, but we might hold off. I wish you could come to Erie. :-\ Maybe for Half-Blood Prince!
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