Today's coined word: Literothanatophobia
Feb. 4th, 2007 06:10 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
dianeduaneOr, "The fear of death in literature."
A British book retailer plans to set up a counseling hotline for all heartbroken fans of Harry Potter, in case he dies in the much awaited next book.
As a former psychiatric professional, I can kind of see the point. ...But I do start wondering, sometimes... Are human beings actually less robust, more fragile, than they used to be -- or are we just being encouraged to believe we are?
And I remember clearly the resilience and fortitude of my younger patients as compared to the so-called "adults". The kids were endlessly more pragmatic and better at handling pain than the grownups. Any bets on the percentage of over-eighteens who wind up being counseled, as opposed to the under-eighteens?...
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Date: 2007-02-05 03:06 am (UTC)Did DD miss a publicity stunt by not setting up a counselling line for Wizard's Dilemma? Well, no, probably not.
This reminds me of when I was 7-8 and would read a Robin Hood book continuously, starting again at the beginning as soon as I finished it. Robin dies in the book - of old age. I can imagine JKR killing off Harry through old age, at the end of a chapter or two describing his long and happy life.
-- Peter Murray