Well, don't get me wrong, first of all: I can readily accept that not everyone sees them as lovers and that they very well might not be (though personally I think it's a much deeper story if they were). What I didn't get was how the guy I was debating with would think they *weren't even* close friends. Friends-not-lovers I can accept (in fact, it took fandom for me to decide they worked well as a couple); tenuous friends or friends-only-through-James and not close to each other in their own right, no.
As far as the death itself goes, again, trust me, I'm intimately familiar with Campbell's theory and with numerous examples of his source material (e.g., Gilgamesh, Orpheus, etc.), and I'm very aware of the overtones in the books. (And if I weren't, I've got my Nimbus - 2003 CD-ROM with our three+ papers on the subject to remind me.)
But in a way, the idea that a journey to the underworld is *necessary* for Harry is just as disappointing to me - because I was rather hoping for something new and different, and if the books turn out to be a recitation of Campbell, then they are neither - they have a marvelous compilation of interesting ideas and twists, but at their heart, then, they are a retelling of an already old story.
And while that in and of itself is neither a bad thing nor negates the accomplishment of the series, it leaves me feeling a bit glum, hum-drum, and "oh, well," about the whole thing. Then again, even Pullman had to use some Campbell theory to complete His Dark Materials, and that was a ground-breaking series in young adult lit, so all hope is not lost.
no subject
As far as the death itself goes, again, trust me, I'm intimately familiar with Campbell's theory and with numerous examples of his source material (e.g., Gilgamesh, Orpheus, etc.), and I'm very aware of the overtones in the books. (And if I weren't, I've got my Nimbus - 2003 CD-ROM with our three+ papers on the subject to remind me.)
But in a way, the idea that a journey to the underworld is *necessary* for Harry is just as disappointing to me - because I was rather hoping for something new and different, and if the books turn out to be a recitation of Campbell, then they are neither - they have a marvelous compilation of interesting ideas and twists, but at their heart, then, they are a retelling of an already old story.
And while that in and of itself is neither a bad thing nor negates the accomplishment of the series, it leaves me feeling a bit glum, hum-drum, and "oh, well," about the whole thing. Then again, even Pullman had to use some Campbell theory to complete His Dark Materials, and that was a ground-breaking series in young adult lit, so all hope is not lost.