I think, as regards intent and clarity and simply quality of writing, Lewis is the better writer. He knows what he wants to say and how he wants to say it. I don't necessarily prefer him though. He did really beat the reader over the head with Christian allegory. And what was all that stuff with Susan about at the end? Banned from Narnia because she had started to wear lipstick? I take your point that Lewis meant that all readers should feel they could get to Narnia, but the bit of excluding that goes on with Susan left a nasty taste in my mouth.
As you say, the Hogwarts world is not exactly one attainable for everyone. Only a very small percentage of children are magic. Rowling only offers up Petunia as an example of the muggle who wanted so badly to be magical, and she's not exactly sympathetic. Apart from that, she's portrayed as 'less' than Lily in every way - less pretty, less clever, less friendly.
I'm not sure how useful the idea of Harry going from outsider to 'jock' is, simply because those cliques not a particularly British notion. Rowling's books read much more like (to me) Enid Blyton's boarding school stuff (Malory Towers and St Clare's). I see what you mean, though, in that Harry very quickly becomes perfect and popular. Maybe the average reader is simply expected to identify with lesser mortals like Neville :D
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Date: 2009-05-15 03:06 pm (UTC)I think, as regards intent and clarity and simply quality of writing, Lewis is the better writer. He knows what he wants to say and how he wants to say it. I don't necessarily prefer him though. He did really beat the reader over the head with Christian allegory. And what was all that stuff with Susan about at the end? Banned from Narnia because she had started to wear lipstick? I take your point that Lewis meant that all readers should feel they could get to Narnia, but the bit of excluding that goes on with Susan left a nasty taste in my mouth.
As you say, the Hogwarts world is not exactly one attainable for everyone. Only a very small percentage of children are magic. Rowling only offers up Petunia as an example of the muggle who wanted so badly to be magical, and she's not exactly sympathetic. Apart from that, she's portrayed as 'less' than Lily in every way - less pretty, less clever, less friendly.
I'm not sure how useful the idea of Harry going from outsider to 'jock' is, simply because those cliques not a particularly British notion. Rowling's books read much more like (to me) Enid Blyton's boarding school stuff (Malory Towers and St Clare's). I see what you mean, though, in that Harry very quickly becomes perfect and popular. Maybe the average reader is simply expected to identify with lesser mortals like Neville :D