Oh, I was thinking almost the same thing! I read about this yesterday and I was like "huh, I thought she would be a bit angrier that her secret is out, if she really enjoyed the anonimity." I know if I were her *I* would be angry because it must be tiring to have to live up to certain expectations whenever you write something and using another name gives you more freedom, right?
I haven't read The Casual Vacancy, though I'll probably have to because my aunt gave me the book as a gift and I know she'll ask about it at some point. To be honest, it's not that I think the book will be bad, it's just that I'm still disappointed with Deathly Hallows (I haven't even watched the movies) so I'm not keen on reading more stuff from her for now.
Thanks for telling me you understand. It's nice to feel I'm not alone with my frustration about JKR's perceived abuse of public relations. It annoys me to think that one of us got 'the dream' but it still isn't enough. If I had the freedom to write and be published, I would seek to do it in obscurity and I can't understand what seems to be a constant courting of media attention.
From what I've heard about 'The Casual Vacancy', it's kind of smutty and also a bit 'socially engineered' - you know - all the working class people are 'real' and all the upper class people are demons in human form. Frankly I deal with Councillors all day at work so I really don't want to read about contrived fictional ones in my off hours.
I'd watch the movies of Deathly Hallows if I was you. I know you're a Remus/Tonks fan, so you'd have to deal with the inevitable, but I found the movies addressed some of the issues I had with the books, and I do prefer them to the books so it's worth giving them a shot.
Oh, it's not Remus' and Tonks' death that upset me, I'm ok with characters I like dying if the story requires it. That's precisely it: half of the deaths in the last book were not required, she only used them as fodder for her battles, and most of them didn't even get a decent death scene (when the most extensive and heart-wrenching death scene is that of *Dobby* something has to be wrong!). I loved the Order of the Phoenix as a whole and throwing them all aside to focus on the Trio was very disappointing to me.
As for the movies, I might give them a try. Frankly, I did not like the direction they took on the 5th and 6th movies, and since the same director made the last two I haven't been terribly interested in them, but if they really address some of the issues with the books I'll be more open to them.
Ugh, I'm not fond of politically-charged books, but i'll give TCV a shot if only so I can give a report to my aunt (sounds like the book would be right up her alley).
I agree with you about unnecessary deaths - it was almost like she'd decided a certain number would die - a few characters no one had ever heard of and some old favourites to tug at people's heart strings in a way that her writing could never achieve.
Neville was always my favourite character and he has some lovely stuff in the last film so I'd recommend that. Matthew Lewis makes me feel like a virtual cougar...
I've always thought being a decent selling author would be the best kind of well-knownness - you can have your normal life but still have your work appreciated. All this publicity seeking that goes on with JKR is anathema to me. It does seem terribly coincidental that she's been "found out"...
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I haven't read The Casual Vacancy, though I'll probably have to because my aunt gave me the book as a gift and I know she'll ask about it at some point. To be honest, it's not that I think the book will be bad, it's just that I'm still disappointed with Deathly Hallows (I haven't even watched the movies) so I'm not keen on reading more stuff from her for now.
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From what I've heard about 'The Casual Vacancy', it's kind of smutty and also a bit 'socially engineered' - you know - all the working class people are 'real' and all the upper class people are demons in human form. Frankly I deal with Councillors all day at work so I really don't want to read about contrived fictional ones in my off hours.
I'd watch the movies of Deathly Hallows if I was you. I know you're a Remus/Tonks fan, so you'd have to deal with the inevitable, but I found the movies addressed some of the issues I had with the books, and I do prefer them to the books so it's worth giving them a shot.
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As for the movies, I might give them a try. Frankly, I did not like the direction they took on the 5th and 6th movies, and since the same director made the last two I haven't been terribly interested in them, but if they really address some of the issues with the books I'll be more open to them.
Ugh, I'm not fond of politically-charged books, but i'll give TCV a shot if only so I can give a report to my aunt (sounds like the book would be right up her alley).
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Neville was always my favourite character and he has some lovely stuff in the last film so I'd recommend that. Matthew Lewis makes me feel like a virtual cougar...
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