Harry Potter

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Lawkheart

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I think everyone has heard of this book/movie series. As a bookworm, every person who I know that reads, and their mother, has read the Harry Potter series and raves about the books. Now, I've caved for many books series, a few I regret ever reading but still, but for some reason, I refuse to read this book series.

The genre is not the issue, the length of the books is not an issue, what is an issue is the fact it has been hyped to hell and back three times. Frankly, I'm sick of telling people I love to read then them say "Have you read the Harry Potter books?" and when I say no, they some ignorant bullshit like "The you haven't lived!" or "Your not a real book lover then!" -_-'

This seriously irks me and so, since I am surrounded by imbeciles in real life, I'd like to ask you all your opinion on the books, if you've read them.

Are they worth a once over?

Is the hype justified?

What do you like about the books, if you've read them?

If you read them and hated them, what was it that pissed you off?
 
I have not read a single Harry Potter book, past the first page of the first book.

Why?

I dunno!

I think a lot of it has to do with the fact that a) I just haven't sat down and given it any appreciable effort and b) I cannot stand the fandom.

Seriously, Harry Potter nuts are ridiculous! I suppose you could say that for every fandom, but because of the modernity of it, and the fact that it caters towards 13 year old girls/children... Eugsh. I just cannot take it seriously enough to really warrant me putting time into it to read it.

I'll stick to my Star Wars books and the Dresden Files, thankyouverymuch.
 
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Yes, read them once. Don't gripe because people like them and you dislike them on that fact.

If you were a teenager growing up alongside the characters and reading the books, yes. The hype was there, it was real, and real fun.

Easy to read, likable characters, the movies weren't bad either. The magic is kinda hollow and empty, but it fits the setting and genre.

They killed Tonks.
 
I read the books, watched the movies, I felt like they were okay.

Personally, I didn't like the Magic. Waving a stick and speaking some words, just seemed really basic and lazy in my opinion. That is just my take on the magic, however. The story isn't too bad.

 
@Windsong I gripe only because people in the area I live in, treat me like I have the plague after they find out I haven't read the books. Like my life is incomplete without having read them, and that pisses me off.

Growing up, I preferred classic novels, and I read every work of Edgar Allen Poe, twice. I didn't really care for books like that, as a kid, not to mention all of my peers acted superior just cause they read the books.

But I understand that for most people who read the series growing up, really enjoyed them and I respect that opinion. But I wanted more then just "Your life isn't complete until you read them!" as an opinion. Thank you for your opinion on the subject ^_^
 
@Seiji You make an amazing point, the Harry Potter Fandom is a major put off in my opinion, but then again, most fandom's are that way lol
 
I read the books, watched the movies, I felt like they were okay.

Personally, I didn't like the Magic. Waving a stick and speaking some words, just seemed really basic and lazy in my opinion. That is just my take on the magic, however. The story isn't too bad.

That was hysterical XD
 
oney cartoons! They are hilarious, my signature is one. It is Pointy Bits (A Final Fantasy 7 Parody)
 
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The series is entertaining but I wouldn't say the hype is entirely justified. I'd personally suggest going to the library and work your way through the first two or three books. If you find yourself enthralled, support Rowling in buying the series one book at a time. My only complaint in the entire series is the occasional lack of consistency, as some things are explained away as "reasons." Not that said reasons are unacceptable but sometimes it feels like dues-ex-magicka.

Edit: Oh and Oney videos are fucking hilarious.
 
One thing that off-set me on the series first. I read them over my Christmas Break thi-last year, and watched the movies, though I skipped quite a bit in the Movies. I was off set of reading or watching at first because of some of the fans arrogance that pushed me away, much like you Lawkheart. Why I decided to read and watch was because of a few people telling me this. These may not be the exact words, but the general words.

J.K. Rowling is ten times better than J.R.R. Tolkein.

That is what made me read, not because I liked what I heard, but because I had to see why these people said that.
 
The magic is hand waved in there. But what could you expect from a teen novel involving angst filled teens fighting against a what is basically the HP version of a Lich?

Also, @Lawkheart , do what I do in those situations: read summaries, browse a wiki, learn some rare knowledge, THROW IN THEIR FACE.

J.K. Rowling is ten times better than J.R.R. Tolkein.
People said that about Twilight and Fifty Shades of Grey.

Besides, we all know Robert Heinlein is better.
 
I actually haven't read from either author, since I'm not much of a fantasy buff, but I actually have plans to read LOTR this year because I want to get into epic fantasy.

@Windsong I did and even after some research, interviews with the author posted on youtube, blog posts from book critics, I still don't see what the interest behind it is. Except maybe its magical aspects and its for teens.

It was mostly the fandom and the hype that has made me steer clear of the series.

>.> -add's Robert Heinlein to list of authors to research-
 
It has been a long time since I've read the series, so I can't really give an accurate review.

That being said, I do remember quite liking them. They weren't some pinnacle of modern literature or anything, but they were well written, with a variety of interesting characters, an interesting world, and an easy-to-follow-but-indirectly-cumulative plot. I also got the impression the books matured as I read them, which fit nicely with my own maturation at the time. Teenage progression seems an ideal framework within which to read them. As such, I can't really tell how it would be to read them now, as an adult, but I imagine much of the early books will be dull by comparison.

I tend to ignore hype and fandom when reading—in the sense that I don't allow them to sway whether I like something or not. I do have a tendency of reading and watching fandom-heavy materials just to see what it's all about, but I also read "under-the-radar" books. Some of which even became big-shots later, as far as I can tell.

Actually, I think one of the greatest things about Harry Potter to me was that because everyone around me had read it, it was just really easy to discuss and analyze. Now that that has led to extremism within the fandom, however, that charm is likely lost.

So all that being said, I believe Harry Potter is above average. It isn't as thought it is a must-read, but nothing is anyways. There are many "better" books out there, especially if looking from outside the "teenage genre," though it is definitely one of the better ones within it.
 
Worth reading through once, but not as good as the hype would make it seem. Ignore the atrociousness of the fandom and just take the books for what they are. No matter how loud the drooling idiots scream about it, they can't change the actual quality of the thing they're being massive nerds about.

The good things about the books are the plot and the characters. It's a pretty solid tale of good triumphing over evil, and the magical school setting is fairly neat. Whether or not you actually like the characters for who they are, they go through realistic growth and development, and that's always nice to see.

The major bad thing is that, technically speaking, Rowling is kind of a shitty writer. She's really bad for repetition, and she doesn't do much in the way of varying sentence structures, so it can get a little bland at times. The overall tone can be sort of off-putting as well. First three books feel like they're aimed at young kids (which they are, I guess), and then from the fourth onward there's a definite miasma of teen angst hanging over everything. If you can tolerate the negatives, then it's worth reading the series to experience the positive points.
J.K. Rowling is ten times better than J.R.R. Tolkein.
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Worth reading through once, but not as good as the hype would make it seem. Ignore the atrociousness of the fandom and just take the books for what they are. No matter how loud the drooling idiots scream about it, they can't change the actual quality of the thing they're being massive nerds about.

The good things about the books are the plot and the characters. It's a pretty solid tale of good triumphing over evil, and the magical school setting is fairly neat. Whether or not you actually like the characters for who they are, they go through realistic growth and development, and that's always nice to see.

The major bad thing is that, technically speaking, Rowling is kind of a shitty writer. She's really bad for repetition, and she doesn't do much in the way of varying sentence structures, so it can get a little bland at times. The overall tone can be sort of off-putting as well. First three books feel like they're aimed at young kids (which they are, I guess), and then from the fourth onward there's a definite miasma of teen angst hanging over everything. If you can tolerate the negatives, then it's worth reading the series to experience the positive points.

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I'm so glad you felt the same way as me and that statement.

I also agree with everything you have said about her repetition.
 
Comparing who's "better" seems pointless anyways. It's epic fantasy vs modern fantasy, adult literature vs teen literature, black-and-white morality vs black-and-white morality.

Twilight obviously wins in every regard.



If you do end up reading any of the books, you'll make sure to update this thread with your verdict, right? :D
 
If you do end up reading any of the books, you'll make sure to update this thread with your verdict, right? :D
If I do, yeah I'll update you guys :)
 
I tried to read the first book once, but I couldn't stand it after a hundred or so pages. It was soooo boring. I remember nothing from what I read... And I'm the type that remembers EVERYTHING! Even when I don't like the book very much. I don't remember much from the movies either, even though I've re-watched them multiple times. I remember the first few somewhat, but then after the forth, they have just disappeared from my memory right after watching.

I usually am the type to like supernatural and magic in my books and movies, but for some reason I just couldn't get into harry potter. It has nothing to do with the hype for me. Heck, one of my best friends loves the book series and I usually read things she loves because we often like the same thing (with some exception). The only one I really like of the movies is the goblet of fire, and I might check out that book at some point, but except for that one, the series hasn't been very interesting to me.



Read it if you feel that it's interesting enough to get through... 7 books? Or are they 8? Either way, don't read them if you're not interested, it's just a waste of time if you don't actually like what you're reading. Try not to let the hype sway your decision left or right, just try to forget the hype, read (or just think about) what the books are about, and think, 'just based of this information, is this something I would read if it was a completely unknown series? Would I give it a chance at least?' If so, give it a chance, and if it's not your cup of tea, stop reading when you've had enough.
 
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