Harry Potter sucks

[Dennagon2]

I don't know about you guys, but harry potter is more like harry pothead. The plot is just so typical -- a young boy who lives in horrible conditions ends up becoming a great wizard with a destiny. Frankly, I don't see what is so creative about it. It's just common suck-up-to-kids literature.

--Kenneth Eng, Author of Dragons: Lexicon Triumvirate

[Faceless Woman]

Total agreement. I tried it back in my 'trying desperately to be normal' phase, but it failed miserably. Apparantly, reading is not the way to get in with the in-crowd. Who'd've thunk it?

Plus, being pagan, I find it offensive.

[the_faery_queen]

i had an argyument with my friend abotu this today. i dont' like potter, she LOVES it, she thinks its unique and amazing and the most twisty thing ever. but i think, perhaps, it just comes down to what fantasy you read and how often. if you read more fantasy you can see the plot twists coming, you can see how it compares to other books in the genre, and it doesn't seem as amazing.

thats my thoughts on it anyway. cos the people i know who LOVE potter and think it's the best, dont' read any other fantasy at all. i have some friends who do read other fantasy and who still love potter, but not usually for the, it's unique, it's twisty, reasons, but more because they think it's entertaining, or well written.

so yeah. to me, it's not original, because i read a lot of fantasy. i guess to the majority of people who don't read fantasy is that amazing.

or something.

[Stormpirate]

Originally Posted by the_faery_queen

i have some friends who do read other fantasy and who still love potter, but not usually for the, it's unique, it's twisty, reasons, but more because they think it's entertaining, or well written.

I fall into this group. I enjoy the books, I'll reread them, I do think they are well-written and well-plotted. But as I've read more sophisticated fantasy works (*coughGRRMcough*), they're certainly not the best. They don't compare to much of the fantasy out there. I do give props to Rowling for making this work for her, for getting published and having such a worldwide phenomenon. They are constantly in the news.

[Urien]

How many people have forgotten that Harry Potter is a young adult book? Prior to that the first two were children's books.

It should not be compared with the grim adult works of GRRM, Erikson, Donaldson and so on.

The question is how does and did it compare with other YA fiction both fantasy and otherwise when it first began to gather momentum?

[dwndrgn]

Originally Posted by andrew.v.spencer

How many people have forgotten that Harry Potter is a young adult book? Prior to that the first two were children's books.

It should not be compared with the grim adult works of GRRM, Erikson, Donaldson and so on.

The question is how does and did it compare with other YA fiction both fantasy and otherwise when it first began to gather momentum?

I agree on that point for sure - these stories were written for wide-eyed kids. Not jaded adults. Now,while I don't find the books to be great literature, they are good stories. To me, that is the most important point. If a laundry list was written with literary flair, critically acclaimed and all that and a bag of chips, would anyone want to read it? I wouldn't think so. I think the key for Rowling was she created a story and characters that kids could get behind, root for and have fun with. Just because many adults enjoyed them too (hey, I refuse to grow up) doesn't make them adult books.

In any case, we're all allowed to like or dislike whatever we choose.

Out of curiosity, Faceless Woman, do you mind sharing how these stories are offensive to pagans?

[Stormpirate]

I DO plan on attending the midnight release of the seventh book. I haven't done that for any of them, and I think the last one might be the best one to go to!

[Lenny]

I've liked all 6 books so far, but I don't LOVE them. Yes, they're go reads, but there are books out there that are better.

I got the last one from Asda bang on midnight when it came out, and I'm going to do it with the next one, even if it means driving myself there because the parents are in bed.

I don't care if it's the worst book in the world, but by dawn I want to have read it, and completed the series.

[Thadlerian]

Originally Posted by dwndrgn

Now,while I don't find the books to be great literature, they are good stories.

I agree. The storytelling in the books is pretty well executed, at least the first three or four.

Those who've been around here for a while might have noticed me coming up with crazy theories every now and then. HP is included in several of these. One of them is harmony in themes, plot, etc, sort of reaching a balance imitating the harmony of nature, as postulated by Immanuel Kant.

I think HP does this. Whether it is intentional from Rowling's side, I can't say.

[Saltheart]

Originally Posted by Dennagon2

Blahblahblah, hypocritical nonsense, blahblahblah.

--Kenneth Eng, Author of Dragons: Lexicon Triumvirate

If you're really Kenneth, all I can say is you make me shake my head in shame at the hypocrisy of your words. While Rowling has her flaws, her skills at technical writing are honed better than yours. Honestly, have you ever read an extract of your own book? It reads like a teenager trying to sound philosophical, except managing to fail because of the immaturity of the whole work and the inconsistencies dripping amok. To put it simply, you try to infuse fantasy elements and science together and philosophize to make it deep and mature, but you end up shooting your own foot with a bullet because of how your prose and story pans out.

In fact, I can honestly say, as a writer, Paolini seemed more ripe--and that's saying a lot, for I am highly critical of his works. The way you spammed Amazon.com reflects poorly on your maturity. Then to call yourself a god of writing, while it seems to be already so flawed, is the icing on the cake; it seals the deal: you're arrogant and pretentious.

So, while I think that Rowling is but slightly above average, that's not saying much about you, Ken. I'm afraid that sinks you down even lower than before. Stop being so arrogant, please, before you ruin your "career" as an author--it just might help you improve as a writer if you are humble.

And, if you're not Eng, then realize this: this joke it not as funny as you may believe it is.

[Peeves]

Originally Posted by Dennagon2

I don't know about you guys, but harry potter is more like harry pothead. The plot is just so typical -- a young boy who lives in horrible conditions ends up becoming a great wizard with a destiny. Frankly, I don't see what is so creative about it. It's just common suck-up-to-kids literature.

--Kenneth Eng, Author of Dragons: Lexicon Triumvirate

You twelve? cause you sound like it. Its namecalling kindergarten style.
I mean come on, Pothead, what is up with that? Too bad its not your 20th post yet.

[pyan]

Now, now! There's always the chance that Mr Eng is right, and three hundred million others are wrong!

[dsmith]

I will always love these books because they are what got my son to enjoy reading. Before Harry Potter he hated to read- now he reads scifi and fantasy all the time, just like his mom. We are both reading the Dresden Files now, and re-listening to the Harry Potter books on cd. Jim Dale does a great job on the audio books!!! I think they are good writing for children's fantasy, although there are a lot of other good or better ya fantasy (and adult).

[HoopyFrood]

As I think most people know around here, I completely turned against the books at book five. I detested that book. And book six. Or maybe I just moved onto to other books at that point? Well, whatever happened, I agree that Harry Potter now longer grabs my interest like it used it. Sure, I'll read the seventh book when it comes out, but only because, as in Mastermind, I've started so I'll finish.

I'd like to say can we keep the comments to moderate views about other's work. It's fine if you're expressing a valid opinion, constructive criticism as it were, but directly attacking a person isn't accepted on this forum. Please, can we keep things civil on both sides please.

[The Ace]

I liked them. For children's /YA fiction, they are well written and unlike some I have read, do not equate lack of years with lack of brains. OK, JK isn't the greatest writer of the twentieth century, but she's got a hell of a lot of kids to pick up books, and satisfies her target audience time and again. She doesn't deserve this kind of mudslinging by any stretch of the imagination. Nobody held a gun at your head and ordered you to like them, or even read them, but there's a hell of a lot worse out there.