This was a seven book mystery. Rowling had several important story lines that she was keeping hidden.
Exactly. If, in a 300 page mystery, the mcguffin that explained all a major character's actions were introduced in the last 30 pages, without any foreshadowing at all, I know how I would feel. The Deathly Hallows were completely unnecessary to the plot, as far as I could see, and should have been left out.
Also, what I have been saying, and what you don't seem to understand, is that the conflicting data you speak of are in the text itself, and several conflicts remain unresolved at the end of the story. This is unsatisfying. Among these unresolved conflicts is, of course, the one between Severus and Harry.
Snape wasn't meant to be a great figure in literature, but he was a complex and interesting character. Harry wasn't meant to have a big emotional reconciliation with Snape, because Snape was the one at fault.
Here again, I disagree. Snape had been both a great figure in literature and a complex and interesting character through the first 6 books. In DH, Rowling tried (and failed, IMHO) to write him as a cut-rate Heathcliff. He remained complex and interesting in spite of her efforts to diminish him, but that has nothing to do with her intent. As Sionna Raven has correctly said, once a book has been published, the author's intent *does not matter*. This is a hard fact to grasp for those of us who are, or hope to be, authors, but it is a fact nonetheless. I perceive a real dissonance between what Rowling says she intended, and what she actually did in her text. You do not see that dissonance. Well and good. There is room for differing interpretations and we are not going to persuade each other, obviously.
As for reconciliation (emotional and big or otherwise) not being intended in a book loaded with Christian symbolism, when Christianity is all about forgiveness and reconciliation - again, that is dissonant. It's discordant, and it's unsatisfying. But, as I said before, we're clearly not going to persuade each other. You liked the book, and are satisfied with it. I didn't, and am not. Let's just leave it at that.
no subject
Exactly. If, in a 300 page mystery, the mcguffin that explained all a major character's actions were introduced in the last 30 pages, without any foreshadowing at all, I know how I would feel. The Deathly Hallows were completely unnecessary to the plot, as far as I could see, and should have been left out.
Also, what I have been saying, and what you don't seem to understand, is that the conflicting data you speak of are in the text itself, and several conflicts remain unresolved at the end of the story. This is unsatisfying. Among these unresolved conflicts is, of course, the one between Severus and Harry.
Snape wasn't meant to be a great figure in literature, but he was a complex and interesting character. Harry wasn't meant to have a big emotional reconciliation with Snape, because Snape was the one at fault.
Here again, I disagree. Snape had been both a great figure in literature and a complex and interesting character through the first 6 books. In DH, Rowling tried (and failed, IMHO) to write him as a cut-rate Heathcliff. He remained complex and interesting in spite of her efforts to diminish him, but that has nothing to do with her intent. As Sionna Raven has correctly said, once a book has been published, the author's intent *does not matter*. This is a hard fact to grasp for those of us who are, or hope to be, authors, but it is a fact nonetheless. I perceive a real dissonance between what Rowling says she intended, and what she actually did in her text. You do not see that dissonance. Well and good. There is room for differing interpretations and we are not going to persuade each other, obviously.
As for reconciliation (emotional and big or otherwise) not being intended in a book loaded with Christian symbolism, when Christianity is all about forgiveness and reconciliation - again, that is dissonant. It's discordant, and it's unsatisfying. But, as I said before, we're clearly not going to persuade each other. You liked the book, and are satisfied with it. I didn't, and am not. Let's just leave it at that.