Harry Potter

[el01ks]

Logos - you go against the grain? But as you haven't read the books, you're just taking other peoples' viewpoints without any firm critical base for yourself. If you read the books and hated them that might be more 'against the grain' as the majority seem to like them! Just taking someone else's ideas on something and letting them form your own lacks originality, and to be honest, sense - how can you know if you like/dislike something if you never try it?
I'm not trying to convert anyone - I like the books, prefer them to the films, don't think either are great literature, and don't really care if people like them or not! But it's not rebellious or anything to let other people form your opinions.

(ps - not supposed to be personal!)

OOOPS! I'm very sorry I hit the wrong button I did not mean to `edit' your post.

[Logos]

el01ks, I didn't mention being a `rebel'.

Actually at this point in my life I'm pretty aware of the fact that most pop culture bores me to tears, I came to that conclusion on my own so this is no exception.

If it's a #1 hit in movie in theatres, number one song or "Best-selling Book" most likely I have no interest in it.

[Levenbreech Vor]

Logos - you go against the grain? But as you haven't read the books, you're just taking other peoples' viewpoints without any firm critical base for yourself. If you read the books and hated them that might be more 'against the grain' as the majority seem to like them! Just taking someone else's ideas on something and letting them form your own lacks originality, and to be honest, sense - how can you know if you like/dislike something if you never try it?

Yet again el01ks I agree with you! (Gosh we must be reading each-others minds) I am not a fan of Harry Potter but I have read all of them for two reasons.


1. Firstly, so no one can frame me as a hypocrite because there is nothing that upsets me more then a hypocrite.

2. Secondly, because there are entertaining. I will be the first to admit that it is fun to read Harry Potter. The reason I am against it is because it is so overrated.

[el01ks]

I didn't say you said that you were a rebel, but that was my interpretation of your use of against the grain!

I don't care if something is popular or not - you don't know if you like it till you try it. I wouldn't decide not to see/read/listen to something just because it was popular.

[simon]

I find the books to be adversely overrated, but they do nonetheless have the semblance of entertainment. They have also decreased in effort and enjoyment as the series has continued. Though there are more books coming, I think the author is tuckered out. And there are other series of fantasy and fiction that are not as poorly written, are more creative, and might have actaul impact on my life. That said when the next one comes out I shall still read it if anyone one I know has a copy. But I can wait a long time on that.

[faith]

It's all about your view on literature.

I think the purpose of literatur is the following:

a) to make/help us understand other people and see things from their point of view (and maybe undertand ourseves too)
b) to be an escape from the real world (problems and stress etc)
c) entertainment

I think the Harry Potter books fullfill all of this.

[MrAcademics8290]

Harry Potter rules!! And you're correct that all does apply. Yuo have great taste.

[Levenbreech Vor]

Harry Potter rules!! And you're correct that all does apply. Yuo have great taste.

These are the type of pro-Harry Potter responses I normally get. Incoherent statements that the author does not back up. I thought that on a forum full of bookworms and intelligent people I wouldn't find this, I was wrong.

[Scheherazade]

These are the type of pro-Harry Potter responses I normally get. Incoherent statements that the author does not back up. I thought that on a forum full of bookworms and intelligent people I wouldn't find this, I was wrong.

Levenbreech Vor,

You have started this thread to see whether there are other people on the Forum who share your view that HP books are overrated. As you might have expected, some people do and some don't. If you are not willing to hear their opinions and respect them, maybe you should not have asked for their views in the first place.

Not so long ago, within this thread, you asked another member, who simply expressed her thoughts, not to be rude. Now, I will ask the same thing; please respect others' views and do not resort to name calling simply because their opinions differ from those of yours.


Going back to the subject... I have read all the HP books except for the last one, which I will read in future as well. They are aimed at a certain age group and, keeping that in mind, they are good. However, we hardly all agree on what a good book is. It is simply something we will have to agree to disagree that we have different tastes.

[PeterL]

These are the type of pro-Harry Potter responses I normally get. Incoherent statements that the author does not back up. I thought that on a forum full of bookworms and intelligent people I wouldn't find this, I was wrong.

I am curious as to what you find wrong with the Harry Potter series. Do you disapprove with the themes, plots, characters, style, or something else? I have been accused of being a bookworm for decades, I am usually classified among intelligent people, and some people think that I am a fair writer. Although J. K. Rowling targetted an audience that I am no longer part of, I liked the Harry Potter books that I have read. I think that Rowling injected universal themes into an interesting setting that allowed her to create characters and situations that she couldn't work with in the England of the Muggles. Fantastic literature has been used since ancient times to emphasize themes that were easier to address outside of the ordinary reality. For books targetted at teens the style and vocabulary were quite sophisticated.

[Levenbreech Vor]

I now realize that my statement was uncalled for and I'm very sorry about it.

However, when discussing HP I like to have in depth conversations where I can be persuaded and I can persuade my "opponent". The statement "Harry Potter rules!!" is not supported and can not be debated beyond a simple I'm right your wrong argument.

Once again sorry,
Levenbreech Vor

[Aurora Ariel]

There is a high degree of subjectivity involved when assessing a book, but I think one can look at it from the point that it's good that people are reading at all.Even if you are not a huge fan of Harry Potter yourself, it is rather refreshing to hear that many little kids have started to read because Harry Potter introduced them into a whole new world of books.I think the comments about young children choosing to read, instead of watching another mind-dulling TV show or playing video-games all the time, is a positive step for literacy and may encourage these developing minds to read much more in the future.They may eventually decide to try and explore a whole wide range of genres which may increase their love of literature, which originated with the exposure via the Harry Potter series.An exciting and new horizon may lurk around the corner of the bookshop as they discover their own passion for stories and now wish to read extensively.Personally, I have only read the first one(ages ago), but will consider reading the others in the future.I have seen the first films though, but haven't found the time the read any of the others as I always seem to have so many on my read next list already.So from this perspective, I can't see any detrimental effect and problem with young people reading Harry Potter; even if the writing itself is not the most exceptional in the whole history of literature, it still provides an enthralling story for many and allows one to use and open the mind in a realm of imagination.

[samercury]

I am all for reading and think it is incredibly sad that TV is taking books place, but it not like someone that reads Harry Potter is next going to read Great Expectations.

I disagree with that. Harry Potter was the first book in English that I read by myself and that I actually liked. The school that I was going to my first year here gave us this list for summer reading and frankly, I didn't like them (later I read them again and they weren't that bad)... Anyways, after I read Harry Potter, I got more interested in reading . I read the second and third volumes and afterwards, when I started school, I had this teacher who had a very large library at the back of her classroom.
First book after HP- Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen...been reading ever since

[Pensive]

I disagree with that. Harry Potter was the first book in English that I read by myself and that I actually liked. The school that I was going to my first year here gave us this list for summer reading and frankly, I didn't like them (later I read them again and they weren't that bad)... Anyways, after I read Harry Potter, I got more interested in reading . I read the second and third volumes and afterwards, when I started school, I had this teacher who had a very large library at the back of her classroom.
First book after HP- Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen...been reading ever since

Same happened to me, Chamber of Secrets was in my summer reading list. It was the first english book I read leaving fairy tales.
I loved the series. It made me love the books.

[Apotropaic]

...shares my view that [Harry Potter] is incredibly overrated.

Harry Potter is the bestselling book in history, better then great literary classics, suspenseful mystery novels, and in-depth sci-fi and fantasy worlds. WHY? J.K. Rowling's characters are poorly developed, the plots are full of annoying angst, the villains are cliché, and the writing style is childish.

....not like someone that reads Harry Potter is next going to read Great Expectations.

I find your obloquys against the HP series to be unfair and somewhat invalid. I see that you are comparing HP with "the great classics" you speak of. Yes, perhaps someone who reads HP would not read "Great Expectations". Why would they? The styles of writing of both books are greatly unalike. Great E. was written in the 1800s. The text has an old English quality which could prove difficult to read for the modren general reader. HP however, is, as you said, written in a childish manner, therefore attracting a larger audience, and therefore outselling those great classics.

Don't get me wrong, Great Expectations is a wonderful classic. I just feel that most of us, sometimes, just wants to quit reading those books that require of us to think greatly and deeply before we may understand the story, and grab an easy-to-read book and be entertained.

Do you feel HP is overrated because it is written in simple plain English language and not the lyrical prose you find in classics? Or is the story really that bad? Choose the former and you'd be unfair and quite discriminatory. Choose the latter and I'd be baffled, since I found HP fun and entertaining.