Potterworld

Yes, I am what might be called a Harry Potter fanatic. I'm not absolutely crazy, like some others holding this title, but I have read the books many times, and to this day I still look up JKR interviews and other tidbits. I have also been a member of the Facebook group "Finishing Harry Potter 7 was like Destroying the 7th Horcrux of my Childhood" since finishing the book last summer.

Today I was reading updates on the HP films. I'm not really a big fan of the films (I'm hardly ever a fan of books-made-movies), but I liked the fifth movie, so I'm keeping up-to-date with the future films. I'm interested to see how HBP turns out this Thanksgiving. I also found out today that the seventh book, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" will be split into two films, a Part I and Part II. Though they've been accused of just trying to make more money, the producers claim the split is for entirely creative reasons--it being impossible to squeeze this huge finale into two hours. Like other readers, I wanted to know where in the text the split will take place, but as far as I could discern, Warner Brothers is still mum on this point. So, this reader shrugs and says "Well, we'll wait and see."

However, I was reminded of another unpleasant fact during my readings this afternoon. During her US Tour last fall, JKR announced that "Dumbledore is gay, actually." According to this Newsweek article she explained that Dumbledore loved Gellert Grindlewald, who appears in the seventh book. Now, I had heard this rumor before, but I had fortunately forgotten it. Okay, so this is a touchy subject, because I have several close friends with homosexual tendencies or declarations, but I wish she could have left poor Dumbledore's memory alone. I find this kind of explication from authors somewhat annoying--if you don't include it in your book, just let readers think what they want. All these facts she keeps coming out with--what the characters are 'doing now', who everybody married, what jobs they got, what their children are named, etc etc etc--I find it a sign of fanatic fandom (if such a term was not repetitive enough) but also a poor conclusion. Don't get me wrong--I love JKR, and I love the Harry Potter series, but I felt that the last epilogue left much to be desired. But what can one poor fan do, really, other than complain?

I'm excited that David Yates is directing the last few HP films--I felt he did an excellent job with OotP, and I hope to see similar work for the next--three!