When people talk about the great storytellers of the modern era, J.K. Rowling shouldalwaysbe included on the list.
It takes away from the extreme intelligence, capacity for hard work, and storytelling genius that Rowling possesses.
(Were looking at you, too,The Cursed Child.)
Pictured above is one of Rowlings many notes for the crafting of plot in Harry Potter.
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The examples go on: Dumbledore tangentially mentions his brother Aberforth in one of the early books.
We could sit here listing the detail-payoff patterns in this series all day.
We care if Harry defeats the Dark Lord because we care about these characters.
For me, one of the best examples of characterization in theHarry Potterseries is Ron Weasley.
Ron isnt perfect by any stretch of the imagination.
his fight with Hermione inPrisoner of Azkabanor his fight with Harry inGoblet of Fire.)
Mrs. Dursley is a nosy gossip.
Hermione Granger is a socially-awkward brain.
Remus Lupin is a weary and mysterious, yet trustworthy authority figure.
(Always, said Snape.)
It is a mini-tour of the wizarding world, both for Harry and for the reader.
Rowling slowly broadens the scope of this world fromThe Sorcerors Stoneonward, weaving setting and wizarding culture.
However, its depth is apparent from day one.
She doesnt break that promise.
You cant just hope for the best.
An ending needs to have its roots in the beginning.
It needs to be present in everything that has come before.
These challenging choices prove just how sure of her narrative Rowling was from the very beginning.
Can love conquer evil?
What does it mean to grow up divorced from your past and identity?
Do the ones we love ever really leave us?
The answers get more complicated, their potential relevance more immediately dire, inThe Deathly Hallows.
But Rowling never lets the narrative heavy-lifting show.
In the way that any fiction is real: in the expression of theme and the exploration of humanity.
