Tuesday, March 6, 2012

Can Rowling Recapture the Magic?

I recently came across this news item in the Huffington Post that stirred intense excitement, mixed with some trepidation, into the cauldron of my heart:

New JK Rowling Book

Obviously, I'm excited to hear that the author of my favorite book series, a writer I respect intensely, and the lead invitee to my fantasy celebrity dinner party, is publishing another book. Moreover, this book, unlike Harry Potter, is meant to be geared towards adults. It's a smart move- after all, Rowling's original fan base has grown up, and after several years of being spoiled by Harry, we're all still seeking novels and series that we will love as much and that will whet our taste for reading as thoroughly. But unfortunately, both for Rowling and for us, our expectations for her next opus will higher than Grawp's eye. Is there any way Rowling can match them?

My biggest question is whether Rowling will be able to change her style enough to make it into a true adult, not young adult, novel. In all seven Harry Potter books, even as the situations got darker and the plot twists more remarkable, she kept to fairly plain language. Her adjectives were straightforward: Cho Chang was "pretty." Hermione's hair was "bushy." Harry's capture of the snitch was "quick." These adjectives stuck to each character like Dobby to his socks, never varying throughout the series. This is an excellent device for a young adult novel, but adults have more sophisticated taste for description. I'm curious to see if Rowling can adapt to this new approach, especially after writing so many thousands of words in the young adult style.

Whether or not she succeeds, there is no doubt that this novel will sell out faster than you can say, "Chocolate frog cards." If you're curious about the content, keep your eye on Rowling's official website. She's notoriously secretive about all of her work, but you can bet that as soon as she has an announcement to make, it will be here.

JK Rowling Official Site

And as soon as it's released, you can bet I'll be saying, "Accio book!"

(I really had to restrain myself from interjecting more HP references into this post. You might say that I Imperious-ed myself into submission.)

2 comments:

  1. What a cleverly-worded post. In addition to demonstrating perceptiveness, you are an extremely talented writer!

    ReplyDelete