Harry Potter

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It's a GREAT series for children and tweens! I loved the series because the worldbuilding is really rich. o__o Rowling is not the greatest writer in the world and there were some blechy issues with the story as a whole, but she knew how to create a universe and tell that story. Those little details are what made it a good series.

I think they are worth one read for anyone who is a book person. Because of it's crazy over hyped popularity, it's going to end up being considered classic literature and something that gets referenced for a long long time. So you'll want to have read it at least once so you know what people are talking about, and so you can make comparisons with other books and authors.
 
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When I was younger, all seven HP books had already come out so I read all seven of the books in a week. I loved the books back then, but it was purely for pleasure. I reread the series again just to refresh my memory last year. Honestly, it wasn't as good as I had thought it would be. I think it was the nostalgia that got to me.

The thing that really shows that I didn't adore the books is probably the fact that I have never been a part of the fandom. Sure, I get all the references and read the head canons... But I've never actually been in the fandom. Anyway as you grow up, you kind of realize that it was all rather boring. The world building was nice, but the magic was hand waved into, "MAGIC, I CAN DO MAGIC WITH A STICK AND EVERYTHING BECAUSE MAGIC." I would have enjoyed some more explanation and the whole wizards/magic v. muggles/science, but that might just be me.
 
Don’t let the fandom or hype influence your willingness to read the book. I have read overly hyped books that I loved (Percy Jackson,) and overly Hyped books that I HATED (Twilight)

For me Harry Potter falls somewhere in between. (Though for the record I started RPing on a Harry Potter site, and have and do write HP fan-fiction.)

If you want amazing writing, high fantasy, detailed world building, and numerous “whoa it was that the whole time?” moments, read something by Robert Jordan, J.R.R. Tolkien, or C.S. Lewis. I’d also recommend Diana Wynne Jones, or Andre Norton.

If you want an easy to read book with a decent plot where you don’t have to pay too much attention to the small details, Harry Potter’s worth a shot.
And if you get 100 pages in and decide it’s not your cup of tea, then at least you’ll be able to tell people that next time they ask ^^
 
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Don't waste your time if you're just not into it because of the fandom. That's a bit ridiculous to me. Buttttt:

I grew up reading them and I enjoyed them very much growing up. I would read them in a matter of hours. Movies were meh. I am rereading the books now and I must say that the first two books are boring and childish. Of course, I didn't notice it at the time because I was childish (hah). But the maturity grows with each book. If you choose to read them, you will probably find Chamber of Secrets (Book 2) the hardest to get through because it's so boring. Definitely my least favorite of the series. But, if you can get through it, you're in for a good time because the remaining books are much better and more adult-oriented. You'll definitely notice a change in tone as the series goes on and it's no longer a "children's series." If I were you, I would give it a try. If it's not for you, then it's not for you. But don't let your hate of the fandom deter you from just trying it.

EDIT: Yes, I was one of those kids that was at the store at midnight to get the newest book. And we always bought two. One to read and one to put up. Yes, I am weird.
 
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It's been a long time since I've read the books (and seen the movies) but I certainly enjoyed them, I can't say whether I would enjoy them now but they will always hold a special place in my heart.

On a side note, anyone hear a fan of Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality?
 
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I was in third grade when I first encountered the Harry Potter series. The first book had just come out, and my teacher read it to us over the course of many Reading Times. I was already an avid reader, myself, at the time, but I had never encountered a book that I loved half as much as I loved this tale that was woven in my brain space. Every time the next book in the series came out, I ended up reading all of the previous books leading up to it to refresh my memory. I've probably read the first book ten or more times as a result.

As I got older, I realized that the first three books are absolutely geared more toward children than teens, and so I've ended up liking the last few books the best as a result. They're not difficult reads, and aside from all of the traveling in the seventh book, they're actually pretty evenly paced and don't bore me. That being said, the older I got as I reread them, I could kind of tell every now and then where Rowling was starting to either lose inspiration or at least was just trying to make whatever dates her publishers wanted. It wasn't like the whole series is a loss of inspiration toward the end. There are just points here and there where the ideas aren't quite as inspired as the previous ones, but she'd eventually get back on track again.



Are they worth a once-over?
This is subject to personal preference. I feel that they're worth a once-over, but they won't be for everyone. The genre is definitely modern-fantasy, and the writing has a whimsical quality that I tend to associate with old-timey fairy tales (but with more detail), but I remember liking it quite a lot.

Is the hype justified?
Again, this is subject to personal preference. I adore this series, but people can be jerks about what they like, especially when faced with the smallest hint of someone else not liking it. I, personally, feel like this series touched my life and helped influence it a little, so I feel like the hype is justified even if the jerkishness of the fandom is not.

What do you like about the books, if you've read them?
I love the world that Rowling created. I like the character development. I like that the characters are written to be real people with real flaws and real desires. The characters are relatable, making it really easy to see ourselves in them and want to find out how their story goes. I actually really like the magic in it. A lot of people are saying in this thread that it's nothing more than waving a wand and then here comes the magic. However, like any skill, it requires brain power and concentration, or you're not going to get the effect you want. It's not as simple as just bibbity-bobbety-boo and there's your pumpkin carriage. Like a muscle, one needs to stretch the muscle to strengthen it, and you don't have a school to teach magic if everyone can just instantly produce the exact outcome they want.

If you read them and hated them, what was it that pissed you off?
There are a couple of things in this that are just too black and white, but that's to be expected for a young adult series. There may be a couple of good Slytherins, but the House was basically just created to be a place to dump all of the "bad guys." Not much in the way of diversity. There are a few PoC people mentioned in the book, but they're all side characters with mostly unimportant side stories. The main heroes are all white though I really do like the fancast that Hermione isn't white because I think it could actually work out pretty nicely. Too bad they didn't go that direction with the movies, but the casting director for movies have already proven themselves to be pieces of shit by completely changing the race of a character from the first film to the one where said character finally becomes relevant. Skip the movies if you haven't already. The books were better.
 
I never read the books myself, I only saw the movies.

Though I feel the need to echo a point some others have, don't ignore the series because of the fans.
All you're doing is cutting yourself off from something you might like because of personal issues/grudges with other people who like it.

It's like saying "I won't play Portal, because people keep saying the cake is a lie!".
 
So, I started reading HP in fourth grade because my teacher at the time had the first four on her bookshelf. I finished them early 6th grade, having to take the scant opportunities to get the books that I could. I've seen (and now own) all the movies and am working on buying all the books from a used book store. I'm missing one.

I liked them. I mostly just ignore the fandom and all, and just enjoy the movies and the books for what they are. It's a fun series but you have to just take it as it is. As others have said, they aren't quite as good as the hype says, but still worth a read if you have time and are interested enough. A lot of what happens in the movies was cut from the books- the books have a lot of fluff and backstory and stuff, but it is fun and you get into the characters and the stories. They cut out Peeves (I think his name was), a pesky ghost, from the story, and all the run in's they had with Filch, and all sorts of entertaining stuff.

Towards the end things get a bit boring, but it's manageable.

I plan to reread the books as soon as I've got the full series, probably over the summer so I can marathon them. I suggest you take the story in with a bit of a younger mindset; not like, 5 year old, but with a "Reliving childhood" feeling. Yes, there are epic moments, but the series is a lot of coming-of-age and not quite the epic the movies make them seem.


Oh, also, a note:

The beginnings of book 1 and 2 are really boring. Like, they could be cut down to a chapter, the way the movie did it. But it does get better afterwards. The Dursleys are entirely boring until around the third book, and after that, the sixth. Otherwise they serve little purpose in the books other to be Harry's family. Rowling deeply fell into the "overwritten introduction" err of writing, and for some reason, no editor ever had it fixed. I kind of would skim the beginning of the first book, but it's up to you.

If you do decide to read them, though, just know that it does get better and is worth it to push through.
 
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and if you decide NOT to read the books, the movies are surprisingly fun to watch

i remember that WTF moment when i realized one of actors was Kenneth Branagh.
 
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I knew asking on here would give me a logical result ^_^ I think I'll give them a read this year or next, I have a lot of books on my plate to read this year other then the 52 I have picked to read for my challenge >.< but if I find the time, I'll read them.
 
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