J K Rowling (b. 1965)

Congratulations! You are Low-Brow, Peaceful, Traditional and Romantic! These concepts are defined below.

J K Rowling is the creator of one of the present's great cultural icons, Harry Potter, and one of the best selling authors of all times. The Harry Potter books, beginning with Harry Potter and the Philosoper's Stone (1997) and concluding with Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (2007), set off a re-newed interest in reading in general among children, as well as increasing the perceived commercial potential of fantastic literature for children. Rowling achieved this by returning to good old story-telling (owing a lot to Roald Dahl, the grand old master of British children's books) and by being unafraid of mixing grand emotions and serious messages with comedy and adventure in her fiction, a combination that has made her books equally loved by readers of all ages. Though the value of her books is sometimes questioned by critics, it's obvious that she has been able to entertain literally millions of readers of all ages all over the world. This makes her one of the most admired fantasy writers of all times. 

You are also a lot like Robert Jordan.

If you want some action, try J R R Tolkien.

If you'd like a challenge, try your exact opposite, Mary Gentle.

Your score

This is how to interpret your score: Your attitudes have been measured on four different scales, called 1) High-Brow vs Low-Brow, 2) Violent vs Peaceful, 3) Experimental vs Traditional and 4) Cynical vs Romantic. Imagine that when you were born, you were in a state of innocence, a tabula rasa who would have scored zero on each scale. Since then, a number of circumstances (including genetical, cultural and environmental factors) have pushed you towards either end of these scales. If you're at 45 or -45 you would be almost entirely cynical, low-brow or whatever. The closer to zero you are, the less extreme your attitude. However, you should always be more of either (eg more romantic than cynical). Please note that even though High-Brow, Violent, Experimental and Cynical have positive numbers (1 through 45) and their opposites negative numbers (-1 through -45), this doesn't mean that either quality is better. All attitudes have their positive and negative sides, as explained below.

High-Brow vs. Low-Brow

You received -11 points, making you more Low-Brow than High-Brow. Being high-browed in this context refers to being more fascinated with the sort of art that critics and scholars tend to favour, while a typical low-brow would favour the best-selling kind. At their best, low-brows are honest enough to read what they like, regardless of what "experts" and academics say is good for them. At their worst, they are more likely to read what their neighbours like than what they would choose themselves.

Violent vs. Peaceful

You received -3 points, making you more Peaceful than Violent.  This scale is a measurement of a) if you are tolerant to violence in fiction and b) whether you see violence as a means that can be used to achieve a good end. If you aren't, and you don't, then you are peaceful as defined here. At their best, peaceful people are the ones who encourage dialogue and understanding as a means of solving conflicts. At their worst, they are standing passively by as they or third parties are hurt by less scrupulous individuals.

Experimental vs. Traditional

You received -9 points, making you more Traditional than Experimental. Your position on this scale indicates if you're more likely to seek out the new and unexpected or if you are more comfortable with the familiar, especially in regards to culture. Note that traditional as defined here does not equal conservative, in the political sense. At their best, traditional people don't change winning concepts, favouring storytelling over empty poses. At their worst, they are somewhat narrow-minded.

Cynical vs. Romantic

You received -5 points, making you more Romantic than Cynical. Your position on this scale indicates if you are more likely to be wary, suspicious and skeptical to people around you and the world at large, or if you are more likely to believe in grand schemes, happy endings and the basic goodness of humankind. It is by far the most vaguely defined scale, which is why you'll find the sentence "you are also a lot like x" above. If you feel that your position on this scale is wrong, then you are probably more like author x. At their best, romantic people are optimistic, willing to work for a good cause and an inspiration to their peers. At their worst, they are easily fooled and too easily lead.

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