I don't think I figured out the Sinjun thing until I read a romance novel where the female protagonist insisted on being called Sinjun, and the author spelled it that way.

Yeah, it took me ages to connect the written St. John name with the pronounciation -- I'd encountered both, but it never occured to me that they were the same word. I think it might have finally clicked when I saw the movie version of Jane Eyre.

Yeah, I first got it when we were reading Jane Eyre for Academic Decathlon, and really, I only got it because the study materials told us how it should be pronounced.

I always wondered whether St. Clare was meant to be pronounced Sinclair, but it's never mentioned in the text.

I know of a St. Claire who is Sinclair. Actually I knew the St. Clair before I had even heard of any St. John, so that's the name I was totally tripped up on.

Listening to the audiobook of Dealthy Hallows is bringing so many details to a new light. Mostly, I suppose, because I read the book so quickly.

The big Dobby scene...You. Must. Not. Hurt. Harry. Potter!! nearly killed me ded all over again. Jim Dale's interpretation is even more heart breaking than the printed version. ::sniff::

Then, later, when Luna is arranging wild flowers in a jam jar next to the headstone. Such a small moment, and yet so lovely.

Jim Dale deserves another Grammy, no question. He makes listening to the books on tape or CD such a wonderful experience. He's a master. I don't know how he does it, to go from Grorp's (sp? that's one problem with listening; I'm not sure how to spell some of the names) voice to Luna's to Ron to Hermione in a breath. He's AMAZING.

He's AMAZING.

Truly so.

I hear so many new things with each listening. And the sheer volume of recognizable voices is mind boggling.

Much as I love Stephen Fry...and I really do...have you heard his reading? It's so much less a dramatization, than a lovely uncle reading the story out loud. Not the same experience at ALL.

I did notice in DH that Jim Dale reused a voice from a previous book. A minor character...but with something like 143 individual representations in total, you'd expect even more difficulty in discerning from one to the other.

In this reading, he pronounced Scrimgour as Scrimjer vs. the ScrimJAW of the last book. Makes me wonder if JK gives him phonetic direction at all.

I don't know how he does it, to go from Grorp's (sp? that's one problem with listening; I'm not sure how to spell some of the names)

Grawp?

Wait! Is there a Harry Potter Tarot yet?

Because my friends and I had an awesome idea for one tonight.

Is there a Harry Potter Tarot yet?

A quick google indicates yes, but I haven't gone through the links.