Financial Daily from THE HINDU group of publications
Tuesday, Jul 01, 2003
Financial Daily from THE HINDU group of publications Tuesday, Jul 01, 2003 |
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Opinion
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Books Columns - Impressions Book boom G. S. Balakrishnan
THE unprecedented boom in the sale of Harry Potter books makes one wonder what it is that makes them such hot favourites. Not obviously the story line because there is nothing refreshingly new about it. Sorcerers, three-headed dogs, unicorns, wizards and magic wands have always been the stock-in-trade of juvenile fiction. Cleaning dirty pots with spells, riding broomsticks and chit-chats with animals have also been worn threadbare. The struggles of an orphan against odds have been portrayed more poignantly in Oliver Twist. The books being action-packed, offer little scope for the development of character. Yet, the headmaster at Hogwarts, Aldus Dumbledore and a few others stand out. But it is doubtful whether they can hold a candle to highly individualised characters such as Salinger's Holden Caulfield or to Tweedledum and Tweedledee of Alice in the Wonderland who have become bywords in English literature. Even Mark Twain has an edge over Potter. Huckleberry Finn is the envy of every schoolboy groaning under parental tyranny, real and imaginary. Rowling has also given the lie to the belief that books meant for children should contain object lesions. Like her illustrious forbears, Kingsley, Stevenson and Thomas Hughes, Rowling limits herself to providing entertainment. But unlike their works, hers have generated heated controversies. She is accused by some of revelling in witchcraft and Satanism, a sin she shares with many writers of folk and fairy tales. Indeed, it is difficult to isolate the factor that contributes to the overnight rocketing of books like those of Rowling to Himalayan popularity, leaving many better ones in the limbo of obscurity. While disgruntled writers may put the blame on Dame Luck's partiality, other reasons have been adduced ranging from total identification with the characters and events to the skilful use of Jungian archetypes. Another writer who has attained sustained popularity is Tolkien. The Lord of the Rings, his magnum opus, exploits a search theme reminiscent of Jason's quest for the Golden fleece. The book makes difficult reading because of the invented language and other idiosyncrasies. Yet, it continues to be a bestseller. Are Rowling's and Tolkien's works period pieces or will they, like Coral Island, Kidnapped and Mr Midshipman Easy endure and get elevated as classics? To a large extent, this will depend on the obtaining taste and the whimsicalities of adult and child preferences. But judging by the merits of books that have survived the ravages of time, the chances are very remote.
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