[Raymond Luxury Yacht]

Basically, each book is aimed for an audience the same age as Harry. So, book one is for kids about 10. By book seven, you're way beyond children's fantasy, into YA fantasy that has moments more mature than that.

[Cougar]

Well I appreciate that they might get better, I couldn't comment.

There's just something I find unspeakably infuriating about Potter though I think I'm just one of those people who is incapable of liking anything as mainstream as Potter. It's a bit like Oasis or Blink 182, I've nothing in particular against them, I hear their songs and think 'hmmm, not bad' but I just can't listen to them.

I guess I'm just a poseur, too cool for hogwarts.

[Raymond Luxury Yacht]

Cougar;362608 said:

Well I appreciate that they might get better, I couldn't comment.

There's just something I find unspeakably infuriating about Potter though I think I'm just one of those people who is incapable of liking anything as mainstream as Potter. It's a bit like Oasis or Blink 182, I've nothing in particular against them, I hear their songs and think 'hmmm, not bad' but I just can't listen to them.

I guess I'm just a poseur, too cool for hogwarts.

I can understand that. I was exactly the same way until I finally broke down and read them, just to be able to be more detailed in my hatred. And a fanboy was born...

[Dr Trouble]

I hate Harry Potter, but love movies with teenage witches in school uniforms ... :heyhey:

[Raymond Luxury Yacht]

Hi, I'm Chris hanson, would you have a seat right over there?

[Dr Trouble]

*Sits down wordlessly*

[stone monkey]

I actually found I hated the Harry Potter phenomenon even more after I'd read a couple of the books. I don't think they're even good examples of childrens' books - I've read other childrens' books I've enjoyed more. Rowling does have a way with plot - it's not an especially good way - but it is, at least, marginally competent; but her writing and characterisation (i.e the stuff that can really make a book into something extraordinary) are very poor.

To be fair, I can see why they're popular - and it's for much the same reason that inoffensive, bland, generic examples of anything are popular. They're the kind of books that a child's parents might approve of them reading; which is all well and good, but sometimes I think children should really be reading stuff their parents really don't understand every now and again...

[caladanbrood]

The writing in the last three or four is considerably better, I think. In fact, during the whole series, I think the writing improves every book and the storyline gets worse in opposition...

[Illuyankas]

The writing in the last four may have improved (there are bits in Book Seven which piss all over that theory, though) but she does a terrible job of making any of the characters likeable. Harry gets described as brave, and noble, but is written as a whiny retarded jerk. Someone summarised Ron in the last book as "Ron Weasley: date rapist, hypocrite, general idiot, total chickenshit, whiny bitch, manic depressive, double dealer and bloodthirsty savage." Hermione solves all the problems while the other two are just there. A series that makes me root for the bad guys is not a good series, and I wouldn't recommend HP to anyone.

[bwgan]

@Illy ~ You are so right about the characterisation. I have read all the books. I resisted them for a long time, but wanted to get my son interested in books, and so started reading them to him. By the time book 4 (I think) came along, he just wasn't interested anymore and wanted more immediate violence :eek:. My daughter, however, loved them and wanting to have a common ground I carried on reading...and I am also cursed, like many here, with the "Must Finish the Book/Series" disease.*

Anyway, I do think the idea was a good one, some of the concepts are clever(and hell, it's better than anything I could create!) and anything that gets anyone reading must be a good thing...hopefully they will move on to something more (snob alert) edifying, but even if they don't at least it is reading. I know there are a lot of male personages on here, which is by default excellent, but in general getting boys to read is a bloody (excuse the language ) nightmare.

But Illy is spot on and that is my main criticism of what I have read...for such brave and noble characters they are a pair of whingers...grief, if my kids moaned that much they'd get a clip and say thank you for it. OK, my children don't have anyone, magical or otherwise, hunting them down to murder them in a horrible manner, but the point is still valid.** Actually the bravest character imho is ...thingy...Neville(?)...oh you know the one I mean.

I also agree, however, that the later books are far better than the earlier ones, they are darker, so I suppose that's why I prefer them. I am not unhappy that I read them...I don't feel like it was a waste of time and the films are good family fare. I won't, though, be rereading the books and the films are a one time watch for me. Especially as, because he hasn't read them, hubby keeps asking questions all the way through...pita! .

How's that for managing to almost agree with everyone?

*This is an actual medical condition...I have no evidence for that, but it IS a fact.
**Because I said so, parenthood gives me that privilege!

[Raymond Luxury Yacht]

My problem wit them is that with the ascending maturity level, if you have a young kid who gets into them now, and can go all the way hrough the series, the end of the series is too dark for them. Back as the books were being written it was fine because the kids matured along with the story, but now there's some scary, sad, dark stuff going on by the end.

[moridin]

I will admit that I love the books. I would say they are a shining example of great writing or anything like that, but I just enjoy reading them. Also, for the record I am 32 and started reading these just after the first movie came out(5-6 years ago?).

As for the movies. Loved the first and third one and hated the rest. I would go so far as to rank the order of the pheonix right down there with Eragon. Even to someone who went in expecting it to butcher the book(one of my favorites of the series) I felt they tore the book up and burned it into little pieces. Granted as the books get bigger and more is happening it makes it harder to make a good movie from them, but it doesn't seem like they even tried. Just expected the audience to have read the book and enjoy the movie.

On a side note, even though I feel like a dirty old man, Hermione does look rather fetching in the movie. Also really like Tonks and would have liked to see more of her, yummm.

[Raymond Luxury Yacht]

That would qualify as a dirty old man, yes.

[Dr Trouble]

I'm 20, so its not so bad for me! You pervert!!!

[Raymond Luxury Yacht]

Yeah, I think she's 18, so you're only perving out a little bit if you're 20.

[Cougar]

I assume you've all seen that Jpeg where it is demonstrated how much Hermione looks like a long hair Richard Dawkins. It'll kill of those paedo urges.

[Raymond Luxury Yacht]

I've seen it. funny stuff.

[DarkGothicGirl]

I liked the first two movies, but hated three, and four I thought movie five was ok. I just hope that movie six will be good.

[HoosierDaddy]

Well to give quick response to all those people who don't like Harry Potter:

Fair enough. I love Erikson, so I have decent taste, yes? I like Potter more. By far. To each their own, but to judge without having read is judging based on information you do not have, and can't possibly have,and that means you are judging ignorant. See #s 1,2, & 3.

Just read 4 - 7.

[Illuyankas]

I read 4-7. I read the whole series. I've read them, and the Quidditch and monster appendix-style books as well. And I STILL find them poor. Not just as books, but books I'd give to kids to read.

As for the films, I saw the entirety of 1 and 2, parts of 3 and 5 and most of the end of 4. 1 and 2 SUCKED. 3 looked alright, 4 and 5 seemed pretty silly (death by curtain? Really?) but might be good, I can't say outright either way.

Oh, and you like My Chemical Romance and were defending Goodkind earlier, so your taste is slightly suspect, I'm afraid.