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Original poster

Potter books - why so wordy?

41 replies

pointydog · 16/07/2007 20:04

The first few Harry Potter books are normal book size.

Got the story cds of book number 4 - there are millions of them! We got to cd number 7 and still nothing has actually happened.

Don't you think Rowling has become needlessly wordy? They just go on and on and on...

OP posts:
BillWeasleyBeast · 16/07/2007 21:34

because her editor hasn't got the bollocks to stand upp to her and tell her the first 60 pages of book 4 needed to be scrapped

motherinferior · 16/07/2007 21:33

Because Rowling is a fundamentally not terribly good writer trying to write Big Books.

DumbledoresGirl · 16/07/2007 21:33

Errr pointydog, no-one actually knows yet. Well not here on MN anyway.

DumbledoresGirl · 16/07/2007 21:33

The last book is 600 words long? that won't take long to read!

Original poster
pointydog · 16/07/2007 21:32

Does Harry Poytter really die?

OP posts:
DumbledoresGirl · 16/07/2007 21:31

IMO they only became good when they became door stoppers.

I don't think that was to do with the number of words though, but just the plotlines grew up.

Hey, no-one says it is great literature!

persephonesnape · 16/07/2007 21:30

I'm not paying eighteen quid for three words!

i think six drags. there are two points to half blood prince - DD and harry go on a horcrux hunt and snape kills dumbeldore. it takes quite a longtime to get there, although i guess when book seven appears it may all be pertinent. i do think a lot of things are in for a reason - eg theres a spider on dumbeldores hat when he hears the prophecy. i think that may be an animagus of a character we already know.

frankly, i want the last book to be 1000 words long and I'm a bit miffed that it's just over 600.

expatinscotland · 16/07/2007 20:27

I'll sum up the last book for you: Harry Potter DIES.

Original poster
pointydog · 16/07/2007 20:22

that makes sense, huffle. She needs serious editing

OP posts:
Kathyis6incheshigh · 16/07/2007 20:17

That's what I've always thought, Hufflebranpuff.

hufflebranpuff · 16/07/2007 20:15

I get the impression they were severely edited for the first few and then as her popularity grew the publishers were anxious not to piss her off and so didn't edit as strongly. It's a pity IMO as the later books would be greatly improved by being made a bit shorter and snappier.

Original poster
pointydog · 16/07/2007 20:08

dh says he's only going to read 3 'cause the rest are too long.

OP posts:
Original poster
pointydog · 16/07/2007 20:07

ah, someone was telling me about the 'said' thing recently pruners and I didn't know what they were on about.

Yes, over-egged

OP posts:
Kathyis6incheshigh · 16/07/2007 20:07

I read the first three and gave up on the fourth. Certainly it seemed wordy to me.

Pruners · 16/07/2007 20:06

Message withdrawn

lunavix · 16/07/2007 20:05

I felt that a little about book... 5 i think.