Posted on 07/14/2013 10:08:38 AM PDT by Perdogg
By now almost everyone will have heard the news — J.K. Rowling, the author of the "Harry Potter" series of books and one of the most successful writers ever, published a low-selling but highly praised detective novel under the name Robert Galbraith earlier this year.
The story was broken last night by Richard Brooks, the arts editor of the UK's Sunday Times. It's clearly a huge scoop — but how exactly did Brooks manage to crack the literary world's best-kept secret?
(Excerpt) Read more at businessinsider.com ...
JK Rowling needs to do one of the following:
1. Write another Harry Potter Book (They need an 8th book to tie up the loose ends).
2. Start a new set of books set in the Wizarding world but with different caracters. Maybe a trilogy?
3. Drop the Wizarding world and do another world—Sci-Fi?
4. Start a new book with new “Normal” people set in England during the Blitz.
5. Go for good detective novels making a new offbeat detective of some sort—be creative!
6. Write short stories for magazines or Dr. Who?
7. Do non-fiction—maybe a biography or autobiography?
I’d like to see #1 or #1, she’s got a gift for fiction. Probably #2, and maybe follow the Heinleinesque path of filling in past and future history.
I’ll bet this book is soon to become “formerly low-sellling”!
I teach a Harry Potter literature class and our local community college has asked me to teach it there as well. There is so much literary content that we can’t make it through all of it in one semester. The mythical, classical, Biblical, alchemical, etc. references are very richly done. The classic good vs. evil plot is quite intricately woven into the classical mono myth cycle. Rowling’s use of Chekhof’s gun is insane. Heck, I could teach an entire semester on just the Nazi allegory alone!
I was disappointed that it wasn't Nevile that ended He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. After all, Voldemort marked him with scars far deeper than Harry's. I was also disappointed that he and Luna didn't get married and have a whole bunch of half-a-bubble-off kids...
Excellent!
Ah, marketing. If I wrote a novel, I’d love to link it to some bestselling author’s name.
Maybe the publishers are pasting bestselling authors’ names on other writers’ books? For a fee, of course.
I dreamed of of a book to follow the growth and evolution of Durley -— I saw him as becoming a Bobby in London, then a detective. Luna, could write a story on him, and help him with a case that would involve Harry—fall in love and get married. That would be really interesting if he married a witch! What would his mother and father think of that? Their children would end up at Hogwarts. Just an idle notion.
Interesting. Too bad the Dursleys are in the witless protection program.
“I was disappointed that it wasn’t Nevile that ended He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. After all, Voldemort marked him with scars far deeper than Harry’s.”
We got into this in my last class. We spent about a week on “scars.” It was interesting when the discussion turned to bullying and we discussed the main foils (Harry/Dudley and Harry/Draco) and how Rowling handled this. We noted that when students were left to handle their own problems, they could successfully handle themselves without helicopter teachers/parents protecting their little feelings.
I think Harry had to end it not only because of the prophesy that Voldemort fulfilled himself, but because of the Christ-like figure that Rowling might have been going for. I definitely read Harry as a Christ-like figure, with Ron and Hermione being Saints James and John.
Who's 'Chekhof’, professor? And what's "literature", if Rowling's cliche ridden pages are considered as such?
Ah, but Voldemort marked Nevile as well. Emotional scars, scars far deeper than the cut on Harry's forehead, when he personally tortured both of Nevile's parents into insanity. Nevile also meets that end of July birth requirement.
And Rowling arguably foreshadowed it with Mme Pomphrey's comments on scars.
but because of the Christ-like figure that Rowling might have been going for.
Yeah. See also "The Hidden Key to Harry Potter" By John (no relation to Hermione) Granger.
I definitely read Harry as a Christ-like figure
Me too. It made the ending rather predictable, though.
Harry Potter ping!
I’m not a professor, but thanks for the compliment! As you’re on FR, you have proven that you can use the Internet. I suggest searching for the answer to your question, as you strike me as the type if person who is just looking for a good cat (pardon the pun) fight right now. I have bread to bake while my son is relaxing and my daughter is napping.
There’s a Harry Potter ping list? Add me pretty please!
Yes, there is, and you are now on it.
It doesn’t get used much these days. I think that might have been the first ping this year.
Steven King wrote as Richard Bachman due to contractual obligations. He was so prolific at the time, cranking out novels faster than the publishers could promote, market and release them so he started writing as Bachman as to not interfere with the sales of Steven King books.
Rowling has more money than the Queen of England. I don't think she's too concerned with lagging book sales. And it sounds like she had every intention of coming clean at some point in the future at which point sales would've skyrocketed.
I'm guessing she chose to write under a pseudonym because it sounds like this isn't a book geared towards kids and she didn't want a bunch of young readers snapping it up (or adults avoiding it) because her name was attached to it. And writing as a male isn't really unusual. Lots of writers swap genders when writing under a pseudonym.
The latter.
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