The adventure begins!
Until Hallmarked Man, charting the intentionally chiastic structure of Rowling-Galbraith’s novels was what John Granger did. He charted each of Running Graves’ Parts, for instance, then the book as a whole, and then its relation with the first six books of the series (for those posts and diagrams, click here and here). He decided never to do that again.
His first reason for making the pledge was that, if other readers weren’t charting the books simultaneously with his effort and relatively independently, there was no verification or challenge of his findings. His second reason was sharing the experience is a lot of fun (something he learned on a trip to Wales in 2023) and wanted to share the ring-charting skill set with as many Serious Strikers and Rowling Readers as were interested.
Hallmarked Man is the first Rowling-Galbraith novel that will be read and charted as a workshop experience for Paid Subscribers in which one Part or chapter set will be diagramed and discussed by Nick and John at the rate of one per week. John has posted four video heavy posts to introduce the what, how, and ‘so what?’ of traditional ring writing (links and descriptions below). With this post, both men share their charts, methods, and findings and discuss the reading attempts of two other HogPro All-Pros (video above!).
Below the jump are the charts mentioned and a ‘blank’ ring for printing out to chart Part Two’s seventeen chapters. The more the merrier, as the saying goes, and the more likely that the charting will reflect different possible connections and meanings.
What’s certain, John says from experience, is that reading for structure and meaning, looking for the connections and echoing between first and last chapters or ‘Latch,’ the Part’s ‘Turn,’ and the ‘Turtle-Back lines between chapters going out the Turn and those returning to the Latch, opens up the author’s artistry in a unique and even startling way.
Nick and John hope all the Paid Subscriber Team Members will join them in charting Hallmarked Man and that you’ll share your charts and notes by sending them to [ john at HogwartsProfessor dot com ]!
Readers with free subscriptions will have access this week to Nick and John’s conversation with Professor Dimitra Fimi and a post from John about Strike 8 Names. Thank you, everyone, for joining the conversation at Hogwarts Professor!
