Hey all: As mentioned here before, my forthcoming book, Harry, A History, features a foreword by and interview with J.K. Rowling. A large portion of our lengthy interview did not make it into the book, so I’m posting interview outtakes and info on the book’s site regularly. The latest post is about the Veil at the Ministry, why Jo feels certain characters could hear what they did, and exactly who wanted to go beyond the Veil:
JKR: Everyone wanted to go beyond the veil.
MA: This is very canon-based, but there are some things that as a fan, there are things I just gotta know. A lot of fans see the veil as that separation -
JKR: It’s the divide between life and death. I tried to do a nod to that in the Tale of Three Brothers – she was separate from them as though through a veil. You can’t go back if you pass through that veil, you cannot come back. Or you can’t come back in any form that will make either person happy anyway.
But when they surround that veil [in Order of the Phoenix], I was trying to show that depending on their degree of skepticism or belief about what lay beyond – because Luna, of course, is a very spiritual character. Luna believes firmly in an afterlife. She’s very clear on that. And she feels them speaking or hears them speaking much more clearly than Harry does. This is the idea of faith.
That’s not all; there’s more at this link; you can pre-order the book, due out Nov 4, pre-order the book, here. Thanks for all your support so far; I’ll let you know each time there’s new info to be had there!
Posted by ibelieveinnargles on September 26, 2008, 12:56 PM
report to moderator
Will that book be available in India also, Mellissa? Coz I really want to read it, but I don’t know whether it’ll be here or not.
I can’t wait to read this!!!!
Hi Melissa!
Great job!! I can’t wait to read more! Do you know if the book is going to be available in Argentina in its original version or translated?
Thanks!
Wow that was really interesting – I think I’ll always love hearing more from JKR answering all those niggly little questions we have! I just ordered the book too cant wait to read it!
It is great to have this tidbit. I have also been very curious about the Veil. JKR pretty much did confirm the impression I had that this was a divide betweeen the world of the living and “the afterlife”, but I still curious as to the properties that it has. How long it had been there, who “created” it? The use of this device also made Siruis’s death in the book a bit ambiguous, to me anyway, because it is not clear if he goes through alive but stunned or already dead from the unknown curse Bella hit him with, and for a while there, I was right with Harry, wondering if Sirius would walk back out. Of course that scene in the movie left no doubt because we hear her scream “Avada Kedavra.” To me the Veil is an interesting device becuase it really does say much about he mystery of death and one’s faith in an afterlife.
Funny how people who reprint JKR’s words VERBATIM get sued and those who write their own books get endorsed. Funny how people cannot get over the point that a JUDGE said that the Lexicon was largely copied verbatim. Oy vey. Get over it. Melissa’s book is going forward because it’s an actual book written by her and not a repackaging of JKR’s work. Can we move past this now? It’s tiring and not benefiting to those who actually have read the stories and understand the difference between copying and writing.
Lovely! The veil as a divider between physical and spiritual realms is an ancient image.
I like Jo’s careful use of it, and her principle that the more spiritual ones would be able to hear the voices better. Harry’s many experiences with his parents (the Mirror of Erised, and their shadows from Voldemort’s wand) make Harry a believer.
Eric has no clue about law and the rights of authors if he can write something like he did. What JKR did for herself and all the other authors who couldn’t afford to try and defend their work was wonderful. The difference between Melissa and Steve (if anyone really has to have this pointed out to them) is Monumental!! Melissa created an original piece of work based on JKR’s work and gave credit where credit was due. All Steve did was take JKR’s work and give NO credit (or footnotes or anything) to JKR.
Uhn. You know, my birthday was ten days ago and one of the things I wanted to do on that day was put a reserve order on for “Harry, A History” at the local Waldenbooks-that-is-supposed-to-be-Borders-now. No comment about the Breaking Dawn pin the cashier/manager was wearing, but anyway, when I asked about it, I was heartbroken to discover that no, no preorders were being taken for it there!
And, to add insult to injury, he didn’t even know about the deluxe edition of The Tales of Beadle The Bard until I expressed my wish that I could afford one. Although all was really forgiven when he called up the information on it and was flabbergasted by how beautiful the jewel-encrusted deluxe ed. is.
In other words, I’m already anxious to have this book, and this excerpt is only fanning those flames.
Great news Melissa. I’m sure the book will be verrrrry good. I like the interview with the veil. I had more or less the same idea about it and it was nice reading a bit more of it.
Will it be aviable in Mexico also ?
Oh and Eric, shame on you for not beeing able to distinguish between a book written with creativity, about ones own experience. And a book thats composed of copying all the worlds from an other authors pencil and imagination
This is really awesome!
I’m so excited for you Melissa! Congrats on being a published author soon!
Posted by radish_earrings on September 26, 2008, 11:32 PM
report to moderator
And I really like the quotes about Luna having faith. It just makes me love her so much more. She will always be my favourite, and, honestly, a bit of a role model.
Posted by radish_earrings on September 26, 2008, 11:33 PM
report to moderator
"Ron! Ron! Are you all right?" squealed Hermione.[br]Ron opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out. Instead he gave an almighty belch and several slugs dribbled out of his mouth onto his lap.
thank you so much for this <3