- I adore JK Rowling. I think she's the best. She was a penniless single mom when she began the series and now she's a wealthy woman with a legion of fans. I'm not happy she and her publisher sued that dude who wrote that reference book about her series, but there you go, it just shows you she's not perfect.
- I don't think Ms. Rowling is a great writer but I do think she is a great story teller. And honestly, I'd rather read great story rather than a great writer. Great writers are read by pasty faced literary geeks who live to nit pick great story tellers.
- I started reading the Harry Potter series right before the first movie came out. I bought the first book in a trade paperback edition. I got the second and third ones from the library. The fourth one I bought new and the fifth and sixth ones I bought used. I traded all three back to my local used book store for other books. The seventh one was loaned to me by my young friend and some time disc golf companion, Quinn.
- I read the first few books out of sequence. I read the first one, then the third, then the second one. After that I read the rest of them in order. My favorite one is the fourth one Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.
- I'm not one of those adults who dressed up like one of the characters and went to the book store parties but if I had a kid who was into doing that then I'd have been all over it.
- One of the reasons why I love the Harry Potter books so much is because I relate to Harry so much. I know what it's like to have my parents die and be sent to a house where I was a second and sometimes third class citizen. I know what it's like to have had my possessions, my opinions, my feelings be discounted by an authority figure. I know how good it felt to go to school where I was away from my crazy aunt, her husband, and their savage children. I know how elated I was when I went to college knowing that I was away from those people and how I did most anything I could to keep from going back "home" on holidays. And like Harry I blossomed while away at school because I could finally be closer to who I really was. I did not have to hide who I was any more out of fear of being beaten up, ostracized, or embarrassed by my cousins and their mother. Another reason why I like the Harry Potter books is because they tell a rollicking good story.
- I think that it's great that so many kids got turned on to reading because of the Harry Potter books. Any adult who bitches about the story, the characters, or JK Rowling's writing is an idiot because these books got so many kids hooked on the printed word. So what if all they read is fantasy right now? They'll branch out later and read other books and that's what's important.
- I laugh like crazy when I hear other writers bitch about the Harry Potter series. To me it's just professional jealousy. I've heard Harold Bloom, he's a snobby academic, and Nick Hornby bitch about adults reading the Harry Potter books, but if they sold a tenth of her books then they'd be happy as pigs in shit. Every kid or adult reading a Harry Potter book is one who is not reading some dry dusty fussy book about Shakespeare that was written by Bloom or a book about what a beautiful game soccer is by Hornby. Get your noses out of the air gentlemen and if you two are lucky then some of those kids who love reading might read one of your books one day.
- I love the Harry Potter movies as well. I get a little choked up watching the first one when Hagrid comes to get Harry to take him to Hogwarts for the first time.
- One of these days I'll get all of the Harry Potter movies on DVD.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
I'm just wild about Harry
I just finished the last book in the Harry Potter series and instead of doing a review of it, I'm going to share my thoughts on the whole series because I just know you all are dying to hear them, so here we go:
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18 comments:
It's snowing like a mofo here and I'm up late at night, unable to sleep. Yeah, the kids and teens and adults still like reading Harry Potter. The only people who put it down are the ultra religious types who think the books promote witchcraft. And their kids read the books behind their backs, ha!
I was up too - backache - hate those nights.
I'm with you all the way on Harry. In fact, my 9-year-old has started the series and we're reading them out loud to each other. I read them years ago, but it's fun reliving it with her. My only regret is that she saw the movies first. I'm a snob in that I like my kids to read a book, THEN see the movie. I like them to form the characters in their own imaginations.
Dr. MVM - I hate that your childhood got so bad. You didn't deserve that, no child does.
Great post, great books. I love Harry Potter and it's been a highlight of recent years getting to read them. And I'm with you on the merits of a great story over great writing.
It always makes me laugh when Nick Hornby comes down on Potter. Hornby's hardly writing sophisticated, adult fare, either.
Whenever we would get a new Harry Potter book, I would pace impatiently outside the Resident Offspring's room, waiting for my turn to read it. She would retaliate by hinting at spoilers.
I want to live in Harry's world and go to Hogwart's! Those books (and the movies) are amazing. I still re-read them whenever I'm sad or want to read something fun and good. Harry always makes me smile.
I give a hearty "HERE HERE" to your very apt take on this.
While not everybody matches Harry as closely as you do, anybody who's an introvert in an extrovert's world can find comfort and understanding in these books.
I identify with Hermione myself.
Monkey,
I love those books...my daughter was not into them, she went down the Lemony Snicket road...glad they could bring you some late night enjoyment.
I took the older kids to see a Harry Potter holiday display at Macy's in DT Mpls one year. I look forward to reading the books to - and with Boo Boo.
this was a great post, dr. monkey.
i love the whole series. i saw the first movie and then began reading all of the books. i am just amazed by the thought that JK had all that in her head.
my one roommate dubbed me the queen of the nerds because not only did i take book 6 with me to mexico when i went on vacation. i read it twice while we were there.
Mommy - I went to that Harry Potter display too - only it was Dayton's then.
Monkey - I like what you said about enjoying a good story even though it is not necessarily good writing. However, I must say the two are not mutually exclusive (as I'm sure you will agree). Still, I'm not into the HP books, but I have enjoyed the movies (the 3 that I've seen, anyway) for the entertainment value.
If it means anything to you, I've never read a lick of Harold Bloom or Nick Hornby. Couldn't even name a book either wrote. I love Shakespeare, though.
Snad-I know that god writers and good storytelling aren't mutually exclusive. My point is some of who society tells us are great writers are deadly dull or not good storytellers. And I love Shakespeare too, I hate what academia has done to him though. And if I may, I highly recommend the film 'About a Boy,' it's based on a Nick Hornby novel. I never read the novel but the film is a modern classic.
You realize of course that Satan took over JK's body in order to write this Satanic book in order to convert children to Satanism.
Wotcher, Monkey!
Offspring and I did the 'midnight release' dress-up party for Order of the Phoenix. They even had a Ford Anglia you could sit in and take pictures. It is one of our favorite memories.
Long live Harry!
Personally I think where Rowling excels is that she's created a living, breathing fantasy world with it's own rules and lexicology. That's not an easy thing to do.
I love the magic created by the Potter series. I spent many hours in the car listening to the books on tape.
I'm not surprised at all that you could identify with Harry and me too, I get choked up when Hagrid goes to fetch Harry in the first book/movie.
I adore the Harry Potter books. I read them in order and started the series when the 2nd one was in paperback. I've bought the others in hardback on the day they came out. My husband (not usually a book fan) is as big a fan as I am.
The movies are OK but I prefer the books by a wide margin.
i heartily agree with this post! i love, love, love the harry potter books and movies! i'm one of those crazy ones who stands in line on the first day the movie opens to see it at the first showing on the biggest screen in town. and of course my son is into the whole thing too (hey, where's his picture!).
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