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Having
just read “Artemis Fowl” by
Eoin Colfer, hyped
to be the next best thing to Harry Potter, once can immediately tell by contrast
just how good Rowling's writing is. The most noticeable thing is that
Rowling's writing is far more substantial than Colfer's. Indeed, the depth
of Rowling's work does surprise you when you pull apart its mechanics.
I had previously thought that Rowling had created her own unique universe.
A search for the names of her fictional characters on the internet will provide
reams of links relating to Harry Potter and nothing else. One could say
from this that J K Rowling has created a unique imaginative world, with none of
the daily grind so beloved of us muggles. True enough, the novel does
start off in the rather earthly Privet Drive, but even the cats there aren't
real. There is some particularly unusual owl activity, and the
aforementioned cat does start reading a map, and before you know it, reality has
been twisted to allow a Platform Nine and Three Quarters into King's Cross for
the Hogwarts Express. The novel starts off with a plethora of
shooting stars as Wizards everywhere celebrate the death of Voldemort.
Harry Potter is unaware of this, as he is still only a baby. However, the
scar indelibly scored across his forehead is evidence enough that he has been in
the wars. Delivered to Privet Drive by the gentle giant Hagrid in
a massive motorcycle borrowed from Sirius Black, Harry is handed over to his
uncle and aunt. Unfortunately, Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia are
wizardaphobic, and bring up Harry to believe that his parents died in a car
crash, of which he was the only survivor. The Durselys endure Harry's
presence, but seem to only enjoy his absence, especially when he is locked in
the cupboard under the stairs. But Harry's life changes when he gets a
letter...
You get some idea of the vastness of Rowling's plan by the mention of Sirius
Black (he features prominently in another book in the series). In an
interview I've read, Rowling mentions that she was writing parts of the other
six books whilst working on The Philosopher's Stone. She appeals to the
modern, sophisticated reader, who likes complex plotting. Eoin Colfer brazenly
mentions future Artemis Fowl novels in the debut of his anti-hero. Rowling
is a subtler, allowing her readers to bask in satisfaction as they get that
spark of serendipity, that sudden flash of understanding, as they stumble across
a cunning back reference. There's also a great deal of wit and
verisimilitude in the dialogue, especially when Hermione points out that it's
rather foolish to bring up a fire breathing dragon in a wooden hut. There
is an inherent cyclical pattern to the Harry Potter novels, as they usually span
one year at Hogwarts (the school for Wizards that Harry and chums attend).
This repetition can be a bit tiring in later novels, but Rowling's back
referencing is a delight to discover when reading the books again.
I mentioned earlier that Rowling is particularly inventive with names. She
does, however, mention some real folk. I was most intrigued by the mention
of Paracelsus as a wizard on page 78. I did some research on him, and
found that Paracelsus had dabbled in alchemy. An inherent part of alchemy
is the search for the Philosopher's Stone. It was here that I got the
first inkling of the amount of research that had gone into the writing of the
debut Harry Potter. The one character in the book that Rowling says she
most identifies with is Hermione, the swot with her nose always stuck in a book.
Hermione's name is derived from the Classical god Hermes, and it just so happens
that Hermes is greatly associated with the art of alchemy. Researching
Paracelsus further, I came across the name of "Nicolas Flamel". This
excited me, since Harry and his friends are most anxious to find out who Flamel
is. Nicolas Flamel does not have appeared to excited much attention from
Harry Potter readers, but he should, since Nicolas Flamel was a real historical
being. Flamel was given the Book of Abraham in the Fourteenth Century,
from which he is supposed to have discovered the Philosopher's stone, the secret
of turning any metal into gold, and the Elixir of Life. He was also
married to a woman named Pernelle, and they are rumoured never to have died...
The inclusion of Flamel and the mention of his age (665) means that we can date
The Philosopher's Stone as being set in 1995. Since every novel follows a
year of Harry Potter's life, we can date every book in the series. It
could very well be that Rowling was writing The Philosopher's Stone in 1995.
Or maybe she just didn't want the mysterious Nicolas Flamel to reach the
devilish age of 666. The depth of research is also conveyed by the mention
of the herb Monkshood. This is believed to have been produced by the
saliva of Cerberus, the three headed dog that guarded hell, or as Hagrid calls
him, "Fluffy". When you read The Philosopher's Stone again, you can only
recognise that it is a classic. J K Rowling has certainly rediscovered
alchemy in more ways than one. Let's hope that she's also flourishing on
the Elixir of Life, as I've no doubt she's got many more tales to tell.
authortrek rating: 10/10
Kevin Patrick Mahoney
|
Visit our J K
Rowling page for J K Rowling biography, J K Rowling bibliography, J
K Rowling articles, and J K Rowling interviews, |
