Good points all, Grassy. I would add that the criteria for greatness in literature, art, and music, used to be a lot more stringently defined just a couple of generations ago.

I think Rowling and Harry Potter will be lucky to find themselves in the same class as A.C. Doyle and Sherlock Holmes. For one thing, while they both had phenomenal success and an avid (if not rabid) fanbase, Doyle's Holmes was not only the proto-type detective, but seems to be immune to time. While I realize that there was certainly lawmen and pulp slueths preceding Holmes, their staying power was limited to the extremely limited lifespan of their genre--the Western. The Pinkerton Detectives, Wyatt Earp, Bat Masterson and The Texas Rangers always got their man... 19th century man. With the coming of the 20th century the genre eventually gave way to Nick Carter, Doc Savage, and Sherlock Holmes. To this day some of Doyle's rules still apply and are accepted as guidelines in the solving of mysteries. The first one coming to mind being something like, "If you exhaust all possibilities, then the impossible becomes likely." The fan base was so strong they freaked out when Doyle killed off Holmes and nearly rioted in the streets in front of his publisher's office. In an unprecedented pop-culture phenomena the protests eventually drove Doyle to bring the people's hero back from the dead. So, the fanbase was probably stronger than what we have ever seen in our lifetimes.

I don't know if there was a popular wizard figure who could be defined as being the "proto-type" before Harry Potter, but I'd think there should be, could be one--a little help, please??? Was there one?

Merlin? Rasputin?

Gandalf perhaps. One ring to rule them all...

Wilkie Collins� �The Moonstone� is the basis for the structure of the mystery �novel�. Poe preceded it with the basis for the mystery �short story�.

Harry Potter�lovely lad, got people reading again I see�will probably end up in the same category as Anne of Green Gables and The Hardy Boys--I guess.


[This message has been edited by Chapter 31 (edited 09-27-2006).]

Grassy,
You might be interested in the series by Laurie R. King which attempts to carry on the Holmes adventures. The series begins with "The Beekeeper's Apprentice", in which he meets a tomboyish, bright girl who helps him solve...well, it's worth checking out. King does a good job and the stories keep you guessing, but she's no Conan Doyle.
I suggest getting the first one from the library (I like the audiobook) and see how you like it.

Yeah, I've heard of that but never tried it. I've also seen many times the book about Watson which came out a few years ago. Never bought that one either, any good?

I'm not familiar with the Watson book. I'll look into it.

I'm about halfway through "Mockingbird, A portrait of Harper Lee". Very interesting! Among other things, I didn't know she grew up next door to Truman Capote. People and places in her childhood are most definitely reflected in her one and only book.
Trivia: Her name is Nelle ("Ellen" spelled backward) Harper Lee (pronounced "Nail Hah puh") and Truman's was Truman Streckfus Persons!

Still making my way through "High Castle" and I'm really enjoying it. I've never read an alternate history novel before and my limited knowledge of history would probably prevent me from enjoying this particular sub-genre, or at least prevent me from getting the maximum impact of the author's efforts. Still, I can appreciate what Philip K. Dick is doing with this novel despite not being familiar with Goebbels, Goering, Himmler, Eichmann, Schellenberg, Borrman and other notable Nazi officers. Other than Hitler, Rommel, and that "Angel Of Death" dude (name?) I don't know any of those other guys and the apparent irony of having these guys jockying for position to be Hitler's successor as The Reichs Supreme Chancellor and other assorted political positions and appointments is going right over my head. But it's cool. This is the first novel I've read by PKD. They say his work is saturated with a sense a paranoia and that's proving true with this one.

Oh, and I'm sure I missed out on a huge payoff when PKD explains how the Allied forces managed to lose the war. You might wanna brush up on WWII before reading this, Robo.

Thanks for the tip, Grass. Will do. I'm about a third of the way through Count of Monte Cristo. Its great in every way and is surprising me with the direction it is going. I will want to see a good film version of this when I'm done.

No crunchy raisins?

C-31,

Now that you mention it, there is something very Hardy Boyish about Harry Potter.

Although right smack in the middle of Count of Monte Cristo, I made the mistake of picking up Slaughterhouse-five. I can't put it down now, its so engrossing. Funny and sad, I can't cry and I can't laugh, help. I picked it up because of banned book week and it was on the list. All of my reading is starting to have an effect on my personal hygene. I guess that was a little too much information, sorry. Alright if you must know, I have beardruff. My daughter says I should use cream on it. Alas, I have stopped wearing black t-shirts.

So it goes.