Short form of the currency thing is, there were lots of coins that weren't pennies, shillings, and pounds (in fact, there was no actual "pound" coin, though there were coins with other names worth one pound), and they didn't map neatly out into bronze/copper, silver, and gold.
What I think is interesting about HP in the context of the fantasy genre is the way it puts a Dark Lord in a more realistic political and social context. It isn't about some numinous figure sweeping down out of a foreign realm or other plane; he was a guy, who went evil, and almost took control. More Hitler than Sauron.
My thing with Tolkien is that, since I didn't imprint on and love the books -- I admire them intellectually, but don't read them for fun -- I have no problem with seeing any update to bring it more in line with current narrative conventions as an improvement. Tempting Faramir with the Ring? Giving Aragorn self-doubts? Tightening up the pacing in Fellowship? I'm on board for all of it. It makes the story more compelling to me, not less.
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regna
(no subject)
Date: 2011-01-24 23:07 (UTC)What I think is interesting about HP in the context of the fantasy genre is the way it puts a Dark Lord in a more realistic political and social context. It isn't about some numinous figure sweeping down out of a foreign realm or other plane; he was a guy, who went evil, and almost took control. More Hitler than Sauron.
My thing with Tolkien is that, since I didn't imprint on and love the books -- I admire them intellectually, but don't read them for fun -- I have no problem with seeing any update to bring it more in line with current narrative conventions as an improvement. Tempting Faramir with the Ring? Giving Aragorn self-doubts? Tightening up the pacing in Fellowship? I'm on board for all of it. It makes the story more compelling to me, not less.