Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
News
Original poster

Why JK Rowling is my hero(ine)

32 replies

dollius · 14/04/2010 14:05

She really does write beautifully. I may have to reconsider my refusal to read any Harry Potter books.

here

Some of the comments below are pretty awful.

OP posts:
Sherbert37 · 14/04/2010 14:23

Read the article and thought it very true. Since 1997 I am now a single parent - had no idea then that this would be the case. I am not a teenager and have a good job but still struggle. Not that £150 would be enough to tempt me back to wedlock...

MrsWeasley · 14/04/2010 14:36

She is an amazing woman imo.

wahwah · 14/04/2010 16:07

She always stands up to be counted when single parents are being demonised. I do admire that she continues to remember and not turn her back on her earlier years of strugggle.

policywonk · 14/04/2010 16:13

I think she's bloody brilliant (and dollius - I sneered horribly at adults who read the HP books for years, then my DS1 started reading them and I found myself completely hooked - they're really rather good )

said · 14/04/2010 16:18

Oh god, she's wonderful. She always, always speaks up for single parents. I became a single parent in 1997. Thank god the tories were voted out shortly afterwards.

Interesting about John Redwood leaving his wife and family...

Rockbird · 14/04/2010 16:26

People cannot see beyond the money she has made and the envy leaps out of so many of those comments. Whether you like her books or not, you have to admire what she achieved and she is right in what she says.

On a slight tangent, I had no idea that one twin counts as a second child in terms of child benefit etc. That's absurd!

said · 14/04/2010 16:30

Why absurd?

Original poster
dollius · 14/04/2010 16:40

Wonk - my DS1 is getting to an age he might start liking Harry Potter. That'll be my entry cue, I suspect!

OP posts:
policywonk · 14/04/2010 17:22

Mark my words dollius, you'll mosey through the first couple of books at your DS's pace and then gobble the final five in about two weeks. That's what I did anyway (and I'm so behind the curve that nobody's interested in discussing them with me).

MmeLindt · 14/04/2010 20:24

She is fabulous. I just read that article and sat head nodding like on of the strange plastic dogs that used to live on parcel shelves of cars.

I particularly liked this comment, about Cameron making a statement with his tax incentives for married couples:

"Half a billion pounds, to send a message ? would it not be more cost-effective, more personal, to send all the lower-income married people flowers?"

BettyButterknife · 14/04/2010 21:20

I loved it too. Much renewed respect for her, sort of made me want to cry but I think that's the pg hormones

MmeLindt · 14/04/2010 22:04

Betty
I am not pregnant and it brought a lump to my throat.

Meglet · 14/04/2010 22:07

I just remembered I haven't even read it yet as I've been buggering about on MN and FB all evening .

I did scan the article and it looked good.

Magaly · 14/04/2010 23:16

quite depressing how many bitter ol' tossers make nasty comments. like 'dan man' whose x wife is allegedly living in a free house and has free childcare and has a free barrister.

atlantis · 15/04/2010 12:59

Well as a Labour donor she would come out with all that twattle wouldn't she.

Personally I'm fed up with all parties dragging out so called 'celebrities' to try to sway the vote, there not 'special' they are just people with views like the rest of us the only difference is they have more money and think nothing of buying stupidly priced handbags and houses.

Yawn.

Original poster
dollius · 15/04/2010 16:10

Oh goody, someone who disagrees.

In what way is her own personal experience of poverty "twattle"? Pray, do tell...

OP posts:
Magaly · 15/04/2010 18:14

what bit is twaddle?? Do you think it's twaddle that single mothers are demonised? Do you think they DO have an easy life? do you think that it's rubbish that despite the difficulties more than 50% of single mothers still work? or do you think that all single mothers should be demonised because 13% of single mothers are under 25. (they don't deserve to be demonised either).

Not sure what your point is Atlantis. Is it that prejudice is good and we should just leave single mothers to take the abuse that no other sector of society has to put up with now?

Magaly · 15/04/2010 18:15

And I think she's proved that despite her money she still cares about people who can't afford handbags. You're the one who doesn't care.

BertieBotts · 15/04/2010 18:25

I think she is lovely, she always comes across well when I have seen her on TV etc as well. I would love to meet her.

MadameCastafiore · 15/04/2010 18:35

If only all the single mothers out there would use the benefits system as she did, as a stepping stone, and not a way of life as some do it would do more for their credability than anything else.

People don't have problems with siongle mothers per se, as we all know at least one and see them struggle - people have a problem with women using benefits as a long term solution rather than the safety net it was set up to be.

Magaly · 15/04/2010 18:47

She only had one child though, not saying that she had it easy! She worked hard and she had a talent.

I have two children and it was the childcare issue I couldn't overcome. There aren't any jobs now anyHOW.

Besides, the truth is now I have become inured to a certain level of ignorant prejudice from those who don't know what it's like. I am just bouncing off the criticism. I would like to re-direct any criticism which comes my way (for being in receipt of benefits) towards my X who contributes nothing. I have felt guilty for long enough over things that weren't my fault/were out of my control.

atlantis · 15/04/2010 20:33

"what bit is twaddle?? Do you think it's twaddle that single mothers are demonised? Do you think they DO have an easy life? do you think that it's rubbish that despite the difficulties more than 50% of single mothers still work? or do you think that all single mothers should be demonised because 13% of single mothers are under 25. (they don't deserve to be demonised either)."

All of it. I was a single mum in the 80's and 90's as were most of my friends on our sink hole estate and she's talking out of her arse, i'm also a single mum now (since 03) and it's no better or worse than it was then for people solely on benefits.

She's just saying what her party want her too scripted by meddlesome and campbell no doubt.

sfxmum · 15/04/2010 20:37

This is a few years old but good JKR talking at Harvard

fotheringhay · 16/04/2010 18:14

That's brilliant, thanks sfxmum

OracleOfDelphinium · 16/04/2010 18:17

I thought JKR's piece was thoroughly annoying on every score. But I do generally find her annoying.