Harry Potter is a terrible series because the author took the first type of fantasy and forced it to be the second type.īasically, Harry Potter was first conceived as a children's book, and as such fits the Narnian mold perfectly. It's supposed to make sense, and if it doesn't then it is bad. This is typically aimed more at adults, and is considered more sophisticated, probably because it can go wrong. You are supposed to ask why Medusa moved to New England, because the author has a very clever backstory that he will introduce slowly and subtly throughout the books. Point is, everything has a place, and is supposed to make sense, and is supposed to fit together. If there are magical creatures, they were put in the mythical country when the ancient warlock Grumgould raised them to battle against the forces of light, they were driven underground by the king's armies, and the townsfolk still fear them. Different continents, different history, different cultures, etc. The author completely reinvents the world. The other approach was largely introduced by Tolkien, and that is of world-building. It's pleasant, and there's nothing wrong with it. You're supposed to feel wonder at all the incredible surroundings, and not really think about why Medusa moved to New England and why no one has called the cops for missing persons.
The narrative space of the story is just a big bag for holding mythical creatures. Nothing is really supposed to make sense, so much as present a fun escape from boring reality. The magical creatures are there because they are magical creatures and this is a magical world. There's trolls and goblins and witches and elves and fairies and satyrs and. There's some hidden land of fantasy magic, it gets discovered, and you go on a fun tour through your imagination. The Narnian approach is simple, and usually followed by children's books.
Not that every work will copy one of these or be like one or the other or any other generalization that pedants will feel the need to scold me for, but that there's two basic, classic approaches to fantasy worlds. And it was important for her that I know something, but she only gave me a tiny piece of information which helped me think it was a more ambiguous route.In modern fantasy fiction, there are essentially two prototypes of approach that of Lord of the Rings and that of Narnia. If you remember when I did the first film she’d only written three or four books, so nobody knew where it was really going except her. He said, “It helped me think that he was more complicated and that the story was not going to be as straight down the line as everybody thought. Rickman in 2011 had also told HitFix that Rowling had given him ‘one tiny, left of field piece of information’ about Snape. In the books (and films), when Professor Dumbledore learns of Snape’s affection for Lily Potter, he asks, “After all this time?” “Always,” said Snape.Īlso read: When Daniel Radcliffe said Harry Potter turned him into an alcoholic, revealed details about sex life Thanks for all of it, Jo.”Īlso Watch | Avengers: Infinity War has more in common with Harry Potter than you’d expectĪt the end of the Harry Potter saga, it is revealed that the antagonistic Professor Snape was, in fact, fighting to protect Harry from the evil Lord Voldemort, all because he was in love with Harry’s mother, Lily. It is an ancient need to be told stories. He continued, “Three children have become adults since a phone call with Jo Rowling, containing one small clue, persuaded me that there was more to Snape than an unchanging costume, and that even though only three of the books were out at that time, she held the entire massive but delicate narrative in the surest of hands.
A lifetime seems to have passed in minutes.” I have also recently returned from New York, and while I was there, I saw Daniel singing and dancing (brilliantly) on Broadway. On the screen were some flashback shots of Daniel, Emma and Rupert from ten years ago. “I have just returned from the dubbing studio where I spoke into a microphone as Severus Snape for absolutely the last time. As part of a special feature commemorating the conclusion of the Harry Potter franchise in 2011, Rickman narrated the story to Empire magazine.