Fantasy is childish!

[hugo]

If fantasty is childish how millions of children and adults read Harry Potter. Many

[iansales]

Er, your point being?

[alicebandassassin]

yep i think harry potter a bad example as most readers are pre teens not all but most!

[Paige Turner]

Originally Posted by alicebandassassin

yep i think harry potter a bad example as most readers are pre teens not all but most!

Of all Harry Potter books purchased, 79% were bought expressly by or for children or teens 16 and under. (Though undoubtedly many of those were subsequently read by adults in the household) A full 21% were purchased for adult consumption, including large printings of specifically "adult cover" editions.

Purchases of boxed sets are more skewed toward a young readership, with 91% of sets purchased intended for readers 16 and under.

[CarlottaVonUberwald]

harry potters just appaling..and therefore does not count

[violetann]

i second that CarlottaVonUberwald... harry potter is appalling, but that’s more personal preference.
If fantasy is childish.. how come most children cannot read most fantasy books out there.. for example the Silmarillion.. I know adults that can't read that, in fact I can’t I attempted to once but it you stop reading for a second you loose what’s happening.
also the vast amount of sex and violence in some other fantasy books excludes it from childishness I think... since some of the 18 rated games/moves out there have less of it in. but like all genders well almost all… have kid version of styles, but I think it’s more important to look at a book for the book not on if it’s for kids or not.


People who just go around saying stuff is childish, just want to enforce there ideas onto others to make them stop liking fantasy and themselves are just unimaginative and unable to cope with differences, since there doing the equitant to going up to someone in the playground and saying there cloths are uncool, just so they will dress like them just incase they person saying it is uncool so at least then they will be in a group which will make it cool.

also just because an adult reads a book of ABC's doesn’t make that book adult, so why should a child reading a adult book make it a Childs book.

[CarlottaVonUberwald]

harry potter annoys me because the story Isn't remotely original and the actual writing is dreadful... to call that childish is an insult to children...

[Paige Turner]

Originally Posted by CarlottaVonUberwald

harry potter annoys me because the story Isn't remotely original and the actual writing is dreadful... to call that childish is an insult to children...

I think Harry Potter is quite original. An orphaned boy, whose parents were killed by a powerful evil sorcerer, raised by relatives and having no idea of his true heritage, then taken from home to learn to use mysterious magical forces, thrust into a friendship with two best mates (who end up having the hots for each other), going to exotic locations in places with strange beings, having adventures with a tall, hairy friend, and culminating with a final confrontation with evil? I don’t know how you can say Luke Skyw—I mean Harry Potter—is not an original story.

[CarlottaVonUberwald]

lol actually iwas going more for the worst witch esque stories crossed with the poor little orphan boy tales....well you know what i mean lol

and jk rowling pishes me off... im a single mum who diedicates my child...but i really had tto dedicate alll my time to this book..make up your mind woman

[alicebandassassin]

i have encouraged my children to read adult books once i have read them and find them suitable as well as childrens books, sometimes they have liked adult novels sometimes childrens. however the harry potter books are just poorly writen and predictable not childish.

[Paige Turner]

Indoor voice: I actually liked the Harry Potter books.

[ScottSF]

Originally Posted by Rahl Windsong

The funny thing is I don't feel like a child when I read Erikson, Martin, or any good fantasy author in fact I find it difficult to see how children would enjoy the two examples I have given though I am quite likely wrong in some cases.

Rahl

I agree. Erikson and Martin have very adult themes. I would get upset when people would mention Harry Potter and Lord of The Rings in the same breath. People would assume that if I read LOTR, then I must be into Harry Potter also. I don't really read children's fiction. I do thing what Rawlings and the Harry Potter crazy has done to get kids reading is great but it's just not the same thing as fantasy written with adults in mind.

[GrownUp]

Originally Posted by Paige Turner

Indoor voice: I actually liked the Harry Potter books.

Me too, I'm a big fan. I don't watch Star Wars films for the script or the direction; they have another ineffable quality. ( I mean the original Star Wars films, not the new ones, which I can't watch at all.)

Harry Potter has that same something.

People oughtn't to bring up Harry Potter when the worthiness of fantasy or children's writing is being discussed. The writing quality just isn't what it is about. People don't bring up The DaVinci Code as an example of the best of well-written contemporary adult fiction. Thank goodness.

Originally Posted by ScottSF

I would get upset when people would mention Harry Potter and Lord of The Rings in the same breath.

Heh heh. I know. How about some Jeffrey Archer novel in the same breath as Cloud Atlas, that'd be a good come-back.

Although, to be honest, I find Harry Potter a lot more readable than LoRings.

[Dala]

People who label fantasy childish have either never read any or have lost any kind of spark of imagination...may be bit of a hard line to take, but I just can't see how you can resist getting swept along by a good fantasy book.

I've found myself bawling my eyes out or chuckling dementedly to various books, and although I may catch myself for a minute and think its a bit silly to get carried away, I'm ultimately chuffed that I can still see the wonder in a subject so removed from everyday stuff.

[purple_kathryn]

Originally Posted by Paige Turner

Indoor voice: I actually liked the Harry Potter books.

*whispers* me too!