Harry Potter

ThomasDodd · Post by **ThomasDodd** » Mon Jul 18, 2005 1:51 pm

Doug@GT wrote:
ThomasDodd wrote: It was 6th grade when I found "The Resturant at the End of the Universe." Still not sure why I read it, but I did and that was the start of me enjoying reading. Took a while to get past Sci-Fi, but I owe it all to that one book.
6th grade? Wow. I didn't discover Douglas Adams until High School...

A wonderful chance encounter. I foget how or why I was even in the library or stumbled ocross the book now. But something about it grbbed my attention, I checked it out, and actually read the damned thing. It was truely a first for me.

ThomasDodd · Post by **ThomasDodd** » Mon Jul 18, 2005 2:31 pm

tuba4sissies wrote:it's too.. childish for me. like, the things that happen them.

Again, by your own admission, you haven't read enough of the story to have a clue what happens.

there's no blood in guts, which make fictional stories seem more real. there's no real romance and stuff like that.

Most of the greatest novels and movies of all time have no "blood and guts"
In fact gratuitous use of them degrades the story. Think about your, short limited, experiences. How much "blood and guts" has there been? Why should a book about teens be so different?

Look at all the gore in The Wizard of Oz, Alice in Wonderland, or any classic Disney animated feature. I guess those are too "childish" for you too. How about To Kill a Mockingbird, particurally the movie with Gregory Peck? No romance, or gore there.
Must be a lame movie/book right.

Leland · Post by **Leland** » Mon Jul 18, 2005 6:15 pm

What's this Harry Potter stuff, anyway?

Just kidding -- I know about it...

I can't help wondering, though -- why the obsession?

Are the kids really enthralled with reading in general? Or are they simply all about the hype and want to read what their friends are reading?

There are a whole lot of other books out there to be read -- how come those don't sell out or draw long lines at midnight?

I still can't believe that the whole Harry Potter thing took off like it did. There were tons of other witchy stories out there -- there always have been. Why this one? Marketing, maybe?

I just don't get the distinction.

kegmcnabb · Post by **kegmcnabb** » Mon Jul 18, 2005 7:00 pm

Leland wrote:Are the kids really enthralled with reading in general? Or are they simply all about the hype and want to read what their friends are reading?

I can't believe it is because they are "all about hype" and want to copy their friends. What kid is gonna wade through hundreds of pages just to be cool? There are too many non-reading things that supposedly are "cool" to do that.

I can only assume the Ms. Rowling has (whether you or I understand it or not) tapped into something that resonates with kids. the triumph (hopefully) of Good over evil, mixed with the problems of growing up, feeling misunderstood and like you are alone in a world of "muggles" probably seems like a good story premise for a child.

ThomasDodd · Post by **ThomasDodd** » Tue Jul 19, 2005 10:09 am

Leland wrote:Are the kids really enthralled with reading in general? Or are they simply all about the hype and want to read what their friends are reading?

I can assue you it's not the reason for my son. Few at his school have read it. Thsi is a school filled with / run by the types that denounced Potter a few years back because of the witchcraft in the books.

There are a whole lot of other books out there to be read -- how come those don't sell out or draw long lines at midnight?

I still can't believe that the whole Harry Potter thing took off like it did. There were tons of other witchy stories out there -- there always have been. Why this one? Marketing, maybe?

I doubt it. The first US printing of the first book was no where near the demand. They didn't think it would sell. Complete shock to the publisher. I'd have to look it up, but I think the missed the numbers on the 2nd and 3rd books too. I think the 3rd book was out in the U.K. before the first U.S> printing was released. U.S. publishers didn't even thingk it was worth printing. Scholastic is printing it here, not some "big" publisher. Scholastic is not exactly know for big commercial sucesses.

Leland · Post by **Leland** » Tue Jul 19, 2005 10:43 am

I guess that I don't understand Harry Potter just like how some people don't understand drum corps.

Fair's fair -- I'm not gonna denounce it (even though it sounds like I am!).

TMurphy · Post by **TMurphy** » Tue Jul 19, 2005 12:06 pm

Leland wrote:I still can't believe that the whole Harry Potter thing took off like it did. There were tons of other witchy stories out there -- there always have been. Why this one? Marketing, maybe?

I just don't get the distinction.

Nope...the marketing frenzy is because the first few books started selling like mad. This is a series that made it on its own merits, and made the author the richest woman in Britain.

I think it does well because, unlike other "witchy" stories aimed at kids, this one doesn't dumb anything down. It also embraces the emotions--positive and negative--kids feel at that age. Makes it easy for the kids to identify with the characters, and grow quite attached.

there's no blood in guts, which make fictional stories seem more real. there's no real romance and stuff like that

There have been deaths in every Harry Potter book since Book 4. And, unlike "adult" stories, which seem to gloss death, it and the emotions it creates are dealth with in a very serious manner...I would go so far as to say Harry Potter deals with death more realistically than most other fictional stories. The last few books have also had a fair amount of romance involved, too.

My brother, at 14, grew up with the books, and adores them. I think it's mostly because of Harry Potter, that he became such an avid reader. On his own merit, he has read 1984, THe Hitchhiker's Guide series, and has been asking me about some books I have from high school, like Catcher in the Rye. Sure, he plays video games a lot, watches TV, browses the internet. But when he's no doing those things, quite often, he's reading. Ain't it great??

[/quote]

ThomasDodd · Post by **ThomasDodd** » Tue Jul 19, 2005 3:30 pm

Leland wrote:I guess that I don't understand Harry Potter just like how some people don't understand drum corps.

People don't understand drum corps? Are you sure?

On Potter, have you read the books? Like HHGTTG, if you haven't read them you probably won't get it. If you have, then the ods ae 50/50 you will.

You should be able to find the first book easily (cheap too). Give it a read. Don't give up early though. It starts a bit slow for some. Kind like a move where the first 20 minutes seam to take an hour, then the next 90 minutes fell like 30.

No excuses either. I'm a Marine too, and was able to read it in 5 or 6 hours.

Leland · Post by **Leland** » Tue Jul 19, 2005 4:10 pm

ThomasDodd wrote:No excuses either. I'm a Marine too, and was able to read it in 5 or 6 hours.

So the words are short and the sentences simple, right?

I've really got no interest in the whole genre, though. I've never owned any books even slightly related to sorcery, mystical stuff or witchcraft.

It all just bores me. Fiction, as a whole, bores me as well.

If somebody gave me a copy, it would just sit on the shelf.

ThomasDodd · Post by **ThomasDodd** » Tue Jul 19, 2005 4:46 pm

Leland wrote:I've really got no interest in the whole genre, though. I've never owned any books even slightly related to sorcery, mystical stuff or witchcraft.

Well, the magic, wihile having a prominent role, could easily be removed. It could just as easily be martial arts. Magic is just more fun for the kids, who generally belive in magic, Santa, and the easter bunny.

It all just bores me. Fiction, as a whole, bores me as well.
If somebody gave me a copy, it would just sit on the shelf.

That was me for a long time.

Have you tried Clancy? I'd suggest starting with Without Remorse especially if you seen the first 3 movies, though The Hunt for Red October is quite different in the novel.

Doug@GT · Post by **Doug@GT** » Tue Jul 19, 2005 8:23 pm

ThomasDodd wrote:
Have you tried Clancy? I'd suggest starting with Without Remorse especially if you seen the first 3 movies, though The Hunt for Red October is quite different in the novel.

I could never get into Clancy. My dad and brother both swear up and downt he books are exciting, but I'm always asleep by the end of chapter 1. Should I just skip to chapter 4?

Doug "who considers boring the crap out of the reader at the outset to be very bad writing"

ThomasDodd · Post by **ThomasDodd** » Wed Jul 20, 2005 9:56 am

Doug@GT wrote: I could never get into Clancy. My dad and brother both swear up and downt he books are exciting, but I'm always asleep by the end of chapter 1. Should I just skip to chapter 4?

I never found the intros boring*. Skipping chapters would likely confuse you. Tom likes to have something simple in chapter 1, become big later on. Kind like like. Seamingly insignifigant things become important months later.

Without Remorse was suggested as it's action packed, and about John Clark. It's his background story, and not about Jack Ryan at all. Lots of it reads like a nonfiction book about a sniper or vigilante.

Ok, I still haven't managed to read Patriot Games, as the movie followed too closely. If I'd read it first, it'd be great, but having seen the move I have trouble staying with the story. Neither The Hunt for Red October or Clear and Present Danger had that effect as the movies changed the story line a lot.