As readers will recall, author J.K. Rowling has stated several times recently that she is at work on two new projects, one for adults and one for children. The Telegraph has more today on Jo’s efforts with the new book for children, with a brief interview where Jo says she is returning again to write in cafes, just as she did writing the Harry Potter series. Quotage:
“I will continue writing for children because that’s what I enjoy,” reveals Jo, who greatly misses the child wizard. “It’s left me with the biggest emptiness in my life.” She will, however, leave behind the magical world of Hogwarts. “I believe that it’s good for me and good for my readers that I bring myself to work on something different,” she declares.
In a search for inspiration, Jo discloses that she has returned to the Edinburgh cafes where she completed her first novel while unemployed and living on benefits: “I am very good at finding a suitable cafe. I blend into the crowd and, of course, I don’t sit in the middle of the bar staring all around me. In 90 per cent of cases, it’s the cafe’s staff who allow me to work without being bothered.”
On a related note, the worst sort of Muggles or Death Eaters have been out and about recently, as vandals have apparently made off with one of two plaques at the cafe in Edinburgh, Scotland where she wrote much of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s (Philosopher’s) Stone. The Scotsman reports:
Staff at the Buffet King restaurant on Nicolson Street, which used to be Nicolson’s Cafe, said a small brass plaque dedicated to the city author had been taken from the front entrance…One restaurant worker said:”It is only a small plaque and we didn’t even know it had been stolen until someone pointed it out to us.We haven’t contacted the police about it. It’s probably a waste of time for them to even try and find out who stole it.”The city’s culture leader, Deidre Brock, said: “I am hopeful that it is found and put back soon.” The plaque was one of two set up on the street in honour of the writer. The other – which was unveiled by the Edinburgh City of Literature Trust in 2006 – is still in place, fixed to the outside of the building.
How exciting to be embarking on new writing adventures! I look forward to her next characters…in adult’s or children’s fiction. She has a knack for intertwining humor with real life and fantastical trials. I’m sure we’ll see these talents emerge again in her future works.
<I do have to say, I think it’s very odd that someone who was supposedly so affected by her mother’s death would refer to the end of the book series she was writing as “the biggest emptiness in my life”. A big emptiness, I can understand, but the biggest emptiness?
Posted by Marauder on March 03, 2008 @ 03:43 PM <
I concur. A very strange comment to make. I find it interesting that 18% of the vote in TLC poll say they don’t care what she writes next, it’s Harry only for them.
one trick pony would imply she only had a SINGLE successful book. she had 7 sucessful novels, an three charity books that were a resounding sucess raising tens of millions of dollors of charity.
also, to clear up a few misconceptions, harry potter is not the first novel she wrote, it is simple the first one she got published.
and chris, just give it up. jk rowling has worked on harry potter for 17 years. that is a long time. get a brain, to be working that long on something, when you finish it, most people would feel a emptiness, that DOES NOT MEAN SHE HATES HER FAMILY! honestly.
You even insulted Melissa Anelli personally a few weeks ago. Does it really make you feel good inside? What can you possibly get out of spending your time here? You make me sad, because you seem like an intelligent person who could put her passion towards something more worthwhile and meaningful. There has to be a worthwhile cause in your community that you can focus your time on, instead of being angry about Harry Potter. Get angry about homelessness or something. You’re wasting your time getting mad at JK Rowling and Harry Potter fans.
Yes, I insulted her and I still mean it. Thank you for the compliment anyway. Well, the day is much longer than the time I spend here so don´t worry about me wasting my time. It´s nice you are concerned.
I fear it doesn´t matter how one expresses their critics here. I have read really polite criticism and still those people get insulted in return.
Well, you know Jo has reached so many people with her books and that´s why it is not unimportant if ex-readers get angry at her. She has money she has influence she has spread her morals with the books. And I don´t deny that a lot of what she had to say is morally correct, at least she tries to. But still there are this major moral flaws in the books: the use of old stereotypes when it comes to different peoples and races, the flayed baby in the end, the Cruciatus-curse Harry used.
In addition the many mistakes…..
respect: I exspected someone will bring in this word. Let me just say that I regard it as a sign of disrespect towards her readers that she uses the limited effect of the Polyjuice Potion to base the plotlines of two books upon (2,4) and in the last book she just overthrows it. I don´t care that much about smaller mistakes. Some facts she just might have forgotten, but the PjP was very important.
I do have to say, I think it’s very odd that someone who was supposedly so affected by her mother’s death would refer to the end of the book series she was writing as “the biggest emptiness in my life”. A big emptiness, I can understand, but the biggest emptiness? Posted by Marauder on March 03, 2008 @ 03:43 PM <
I fear it doesn´t matter how one expresses their critics here. I have read really polite criticism and still those people get insulted in return.
Posted by secunda on March 04, 2008 @ 09:04 AM
I fear that all criticism is becoming more and more harsh and unjustified. Why not have a discussion on a more appropriate forum? This is a comment section about JKR writing another book. Yet critics feel they must let their VOICES be heard. Please spare us from the victim stance critics so often take.
(But still there are this major moral flaws in the books: the use of old stereotypes when it comes to different peoples and races, the flayed baby in the end, the Cruciatus-curse Harry used. In addition the many mistakes…..)
You saw a flayed baby, I saw the disgusting creature Voldemort was at the beginning of GOF. You see Harry using the Cruciatus curse, I see a boy desperate to avenge his Godfather’s death by biting, scratching and clawing his much more evil murderer. Yet all critics bash Harry and never Bellatrix.
respect: I exspected someone will bring in this word. Let me just say that I regard it as a sign of disrespect towards her readers that she uses the limited effect of the Polyjuice Potion to base the plotlines of two books upon (2,4) and in the last book she just overthrows it. I don´t care that much about smaller mistakes. Some facts she just might have forgotten, but the PjP was very important.
Posted by secunda on March 04, 2008 @ 09:04 AM
Polyjuice was not the base of the plotline in 2, it was introduced in 2 and used to full effect in 4, and later books. It is a plot device, but no more than a scalpel is to a doctor drama or bullets in a western. It is so easy to point out things that in your opinion are contrived cliches apparent in HP, but it is much harder when you try to justify them against other literary devices used in countless books and movies. Or for that matter justify their non-use as a literary device. Why not just start a polite conversation about whether or not polyjuice potion is overused? Don’t just fling cliched non constructive criticism and disguise it as intelligent banter with big words and a more truthful perception.
I believe that JKR’s decission to continue writing books for children is the correct career move for her. It is difficult for the adament fans who frequent this and other Harry Potter fan sites to realize that possibly more of her adult fans were extremly disappointed with Deathly Hallows then is represented on the fan sites. It appears to me that JKR still has a strong hold on her adoring child fan who believe that she is some kind of “Queen” who can do no harm, but I do believe that she has disappointed more of her adult fans then maybe even she realizes. I am starting to believe from what I have seen elsewhere that the disappointed adult fan might actually be a silent majority rather then a minority. These fans have simply taken their disappointment and moved on with their life. I doubt that they would automatically buy an adult book written by JKR, but the worshipping children would want to buy anything she writes.
Just one word. I want those who said all JKR fans see her as some sort of deity to stop generalizing for goodness sake. I am a fan of her but I know she can be mistaken as any other human (the goat joke being a great one, IMHO). I think she is a great writer and a pretty good role model for celebrities. Maybe my standards for a great writer aren’t as high as someone as well read as many of you, but I still think that writing 7 books is no easy feat. Plus, to make people emotionally attached to her characters/work enough to have some of them going from fans to haters proves my point.
BTW, what I said above, that she can make mistakes, it really is only my humble opinion, I cannot judge her from other place than the one I belong to, the one of a mere reader.
For me the receipe for the Polyjuice P. is each year more investigated and therefore expands the timelimits. We see in the HBP that Snape makes a note of his own experience into his schoolbook with each Potion. Harry using the embettered version wins in every class over Hermione who is staying by the official version.
So well, for me the Pjp in DH is just a better version of the standard book, it´s made by Mad Eye, who has a lot of experience. So it´s no real contradiction for me.
I loved Harry using the crutiatus and imperius curses. I was tired that only the “bad boys and girls” were using them.
For me all seven books are great and I have learned and reflected a lot about them.
I enjoy the books so much, that I am not bothered to look for “mistakes” or such stuff. I have all the audiocasettes and love to hear them over and over again.
Anyone who could come up with a world as vast and detailed as Harry Potter’s is no “one-trick” anything. That was a very ignorant comment to make.
Nonetheless, the results of her efforts will be a song in the hearts of millions for many many years to come, and that is considerably more than most people can claim.
Best wishes to her, and may she continue finding happiness in all that she pursues.
You saw a flayed baby, I saw the disgusting creature Voldemort was at the beginning of GOF.
Oh, yes, of course I know what she wanted to say. When I read GoF I was maybe still too young to realize how infuriating this is. Remember, Jo has many young readers, who maybe never in their whole life have seen a baby that was born crippled (sorry, I know this word has a bad ring). It´s not that she really meant a flayed baby but the association is in her mind: a crippled soul is represented by a crippled body.
Don´t you think that now in the back of some reader´s mind this thought is lurging everytime they see a flayed baby: oh looks like Voldemort? Although we are not aware of it the brain does not forget anything!
Without Polyjuice Potion the whole fake-moody-story had not worked.
And without a time-limit I´m sure DD had used it to its full extend for his order members.
Anyway, she too has messed up with the patronus in the last book.
Or can you explain to me why Snape´s patronus represents Lily as the wife of James? Really something that makes the old git happy?
I believe that JKR’s decission to continue writing books for children is the correct career move for her. It is difficult for the adament fans who frequent this and other Harry Potter fan sites to realize that possibly more of her adult fans were extremly disappointed with Deathly Hallows then is represented on the fan sites. It appears to me that JKR still has a strong hold on her adoring child fan who believe that she is some kind of “Queen” who can do no harm, but I do believe that she has disappointed more of her adult fans then maybe even she realizes. I am starting to believe from what I have seen elsewhere that the disappointed adult fan might actually be a silent majority rather then a minority. These fans have simply taken their disappointment and moved on with their life. I doubt that they would automatically buy an adult book written by JKR, but the worshipping children would want to buy anything she writes.
This is my 2cents on this subject.
Posted by Paintball on March 04, 2008 @ 12:38 PM
Hello, Paintball!
Where you not the one with the trap-theory? You were kind of right were you not. In the end there was a trap!
Anyway, I agree .the adults I met here on Leaky have created their own site even before DH, because they were tired of this over worship. They wanted to discuss!
The majority of them I guess liked HP, before DH came out. Then they had nothing but sarcasm for it. And those were the guys with the interesting threads here on Leaky!
Although I have realised that some members of this new site were in favor of DH they have swung in by now. This is dissapointing, too. As I sayed I do not like one opinion-sites. But most of them disliked DH from the go.
"I mistranslated 'ehwaz,'" said Hermione furiously. "It means 'partnership,' not 'defense,' I mixed it up with 'eihwaz.'"[br]"Ah well," said Ron lazily, "that's only one mistake, isn't it, you'll still get --"[br]"Oh shut up," said Hermione angrily, "it c
How exciting to be embarking on new writing adventures! I look forward to her next characters…in adult’s or children’s fiction. She has a knack for intertwining humor with real life and fantastical trials. I’m sure we’ll see these talents emerge again in her future works.