tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35743239.post8609756657132189462..comments2024-03-29T03:43:45.977-04:00Comments on Of Battered Aspect: Portrait of an Artist as a Courageous WomanDave Hingsburgerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11918601687946534172noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35743239.post-56968025806021705582011-01-04T19:06:20.808-05:002011-01-04T19:06:20.808-05:00I agree -- the more characters a book or movie has...I agree -- the more characters a book or movie has, and the longer the publication, the more it bugs me if there are no characters with any type of disabilities. The Harry Potter series, for example, is more than 4,000 pages long across the 7 books, but there seem to be no students with disabilities at Hogwarts that I can see. And that really irks me.<br /><br />HP does have werewolves, which JK apparently says is supposed to sort of represent people with disabilities (and I can see the parallels in that Lupin did need certain accommodations in order to safely attend Hogwarts as a student and, later, teach as a professor there). And Neville Longbottom's parents can be said to have psychosocial disabilities, though I didn't really like much how that was handled in the series. I might, possibly, be blanking on some minor character with a minor limp or something, but that's about all I can think of from the entire series, in which probably hundreds of characters have some role, however brief it might be. Seems to me there are a few dozen disabled characters missing here. A passing reference to a deaf student using a British Sign Language interpreter in class or using a spell to magically induce an ongoing live transcript of class discussion to appear in the air would have been a nice touch somewhere. Maybe one day Harry could have happened to find himself sitting in the Gryffindor sitting room near a blind student operating some magical device that reads books out loud to him or her. The castle is very clearly not at all wheelchair accessible -- but surely a student with mobility impairments could receive a magical chair that could float up and down stairs and get around that way. I'm disappointed in JK Rowling that she didn't think to put in little things like these here and there, just so we see them somewhere in the background of Harry's life.Andrea S.http://wecando.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35743239.post-58354533276697682412011-01-04T12:23:40.261-05:002011-01-04T12:23:40.261-05:00damn. Not available on audio. Will put it on my li...damn. Not available on audio. Will put it on my list for the future - it sounds wonderful.Lene Andersenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11223128667829847717noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35743239.post-59719457466857878422011-01-04T10:48:48.180-05:002011-01-04T10:48:48.180-05:00Ifound copies of it on abebooks.Ifound copies of it on abebooks.theknapperhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06179049498112163140noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35743239.post-12030424144780244162011-01-04T10:25:59.351-05:002011-01-04T10:25:59.351-05:00Thanks for the recommendation, Dave. I'm alway...Thanks for the recommendation, Dave. I'm always looking for something good to read, and I find I seem to enjoy the book more when it comes to me through the heartfelt recommendation of someone who truly loved it. In fact, since we seem to share similar tastes in quite a few things, I'd love it if you'd throw in a few more book reviews when you have the time. Looking forward to acquiring and reading this one!Brendahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16171428636839043425noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35743239.post-35479546420600203472011-01-04T09:32:22.692-05:002011-01-04T09:32:22.692-05:00Dear Dave:
Thanks for the book recommendation. I ...Dear Dave:<br /><br />Thanks for the book recommendation. I have been casting about looking for something absorbing to read. <br /><br />I agree with you about the presence of marginalized people in fiction - even if the story is not focused on someone who is marginalized, it does need to recognize their existence, their humanity. I wonder if this is in a sense similar to building a history of marginalized people - establishing their presence (even if in a work of fiction) would be a first step.<br /><br />ColleenColleennoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35743239.post-14214287817380744322011-01-04T06:56:10.899-05:002011-01-04T06:56:10.899-05:00I was taken by this review for two reasons. The he...I was taken by this review for two reasons. The hero of the book shares my first name with me. Second, I've been on a bit of a spiritual journey myself and wondering who I am and how I relate to spirituality. I'm going to take a chance and read the book. Thanks for setting me on a new path this year.Kristinnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35743239.post-50459072986410769812011-01-04T01:54:33.575-05:002011-01-04T01:54:33.575-05:00Sounds like a brilliant book, and books that leave...Sounds like a brilliant book, and books that leave you mourning to part with the character when you close the covers are truly some of the best. My only fear is the length, but it's now on my list. Hmm... I think I need to cash in some vacation time just to read.Natashahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05369797485888360612noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35743239.post-9063520130186228052011-01-04T00:12:24.440-05:002011-01-04T00:12:24.440-05:00Wow. It's so neat that you've found this b...Wow. It's so neat that you've found this book. This was my mother's favorite book, ever. She read it as a girl (in the '40s), and she never tired of telling me about it. I suppose I should read it someday myself. It just always seemed like "hers," but now that I see it described on a blog, it feels more like "ours."Rachel Cohen-Rottenberghttp://www.journeyswithautism.comnoreply@blogger.com