Is it just me who hates Harry Potter?

[laulnewek34]

My opinion

Well, so everybody here says that HP is a good book. Well, I thought so too, I read the fist book and flipped few pages and found nothing interesting. But 3 years later, I found it quite amusing despite its incredibly absurd logics and everything Anyways, I kept reading it and skipped a book and went on. And I became a HP Mania and even bought that expensive hard-covered book (HP 5) But when the 6th came out, I couldn't bare it. The illogical schemes and stupidity in the novel just sickened me bad. I like the story and all the fancy characters, but I really hate all this magic stuff. I mean, I like Shannara, and Eragon novels but this Harry Potter is pure work of shi@#. I know that HP is a SF, still, it's crappy. With illogic craps like wands. Oh h.e.l.l yeah, The stupid wand thing!!! what can a little stick do??? I mean if you're a magician, can't you just make a wand outa the air??? I mean if anything, like making a rat into a goblet as it was shown in the HP 2 movie, is possible, isn't making a wand conceivable??? And that broom stick, that crap looks like really uncomfortable piece of work. If you're a grown man, you don't want to sit on a stick in the mid air; your balls gotta hurt alot. And the flying car, if there's flying car that means the car is actually made out of metals and all those mechanic technologies that originally belong to Muggles. And JKR says Magicians don't use technologies. And the last thing: if there's a flying car, why didn't JKR thought of a good sport like flying car racing instead of that crappy sport called Quidditch??? Oh this isn't it!! You know Chirstopher Paolini??? He wrote a fabulous book called Eragon and Eldest, and he writes all this queer things but he also explains them. One of the elf who trained Eragon, the main character, tells how magic worked. He said that magic didn't work just by vibrating the air around you,(I’m talking about something like “Avada Kadavra” - Really Dumb) it works by provoking and affecting the magic inside you to activate it. but JKR wrote none of that, the only thing that is similar to Christopher Paolini's concept is that when she wrote a brief information about how to use magic without speaking. And which had a lame explanation. And anyone who went far enough to read this last comment, tell me, why'd anyone be afraid to speak a bad guy's name and be terrified by it??? Do you get scared when you speak McBeth's name??? You get terrified when you speak Osama Binladen's name?????? Don't we just casually say the word "Luciper" out loud???? This whole "He-who-must-not-be-named" crap and "you-know-who" is very very very absurd. If JKR’ll ever write another magic-concerning novel she oughta make some sense out of it.
‘

It's just my opinion. So I don't really care if you endorse HP and kiss it everyday from your birthday to deathday.

 

[laulnewek34]

Well well, how taste varies.

I for one really love the Harry Potter books (but still have to re-read the fifth book and take a closer look at what I did not like too much the first time). I think her writing is good, her plots smart and her humor very good. And there seem to be a lot of people feeling the same. As do others feel like you, The Fool. Fair enough.

I am just really interested in your comment about elitism. Could you explain that a little more?

Kahn, how does it happen you hate HP so much? You never read one of the books (or watched the movies) . . . so? And why then care so much about it to express your hate here in the Rowling forum? Yeah, really curious here.

Oh, and monty, would you mind to elaborate why "Harry Potter sucks"?



(Nimea, to the rescue of the honour of HP. Just kidding. Now, go on with writing why you don't like it. )

Hey, we, HP haters, just hate HP for reasons. It sucks in various reasons. it will be we who want to ask you why you like it when there's bull#$%#@$#% with the whole story and this stupid illogical #$@$%@#$%# and all these stories that was based on British culture.

 

[Janos]

Hey, everyone's entitled to their opinion. That's what these boards are for!

However, in the future, can you use the key that's above the 'Shift' key on the right. On Windows systems, it's labeled "Enter" and on Macs, it's labeled "Return". You can do some fancy formatting with that, the most important of which, allows you to put spaces between your thoughts to make them easier to read. Like this:

See? Pretty neat!

 

[laulnewek34]

Yes, however

Hey, everyone's entitled to their opinion. That's what these boards are for!

However, in the future, can you use the key that's above the 'Shift' key on the right. On Windows systems, it's labeled "Enter" and on Macs, it's labeled "Return". You can do some fancy formatting with that, the most important of which, allows you to put spaces between your thoughts to make them easier to read. Like this:

See? Pretty neat!

Sir, I find this quite entertaining. Are you trying to accuse me of absurdity? Do you not see how I ferreted out how to use computers 20,000 years ago? If I did not know how to use that little "Enter" key, then I could not have even commented here.

 

[laulnewek34]

Hey, everyone's entitled to their opinion. That's what these boards are for!

However, in the future, can you use the key that's above the 'Shift' key on the right. On Windows systems, it's labeled "Enter" and on Macs, it's labeled "Return". You can do some fancy formatting with that, the most important of which, allows you to put spaces between your thoughts to make them easier to read. Like this:

See? Pretty neat!

And by the way, it is not requisite to put spaces between sentences for I have seen many long comments that did not have spaces. And it does not always make a long paragraph neat just by putting spaces. It will be neat if the ideas are organized and not complex.

 

[Hobbit]

And by the way, it is not requisite to put spaces between sentences for I have seen many long comments that did not have spaces. And it does not always make a long paragraph neat just by putting spaces.

True; it is not requisite.

But there are members of the Forum whose main language is not English and by paragraphing a little it makes it easier to read in smaller chunks.

We're not looking for perfect English here; OK, I am, 'cos that's what I do but hints like those given above might make things a little smoother.

One last point from the staff: Comments such as:

It's just my opinion. So I don't really care if you endorse HP and kiss it everyday from your birthday to deathday.

do little to further discussion and can lead to two things -

one, people don't want to discuss things with you, and

two: it can lead to strikes which can lead you to being ultimately being banned at this forum.

As the Forum guidelines state, the general rule round here is 'be polite': make your point, but do it with respect to the other members.

As you're new here, laulnewek34, no strike issued on this occasion. I think you can learn. However, we are watching.

Hobbit
Administrator at sffworld

 

[laulnewek34]

True; it is not requisite.

But there are members of the Forum whose main language is not English and by paragraphing a little it makes it easier to read in smaller chunks.

We're not looking for perfect English here; OK, I am, 'cos that's what I do but hints like those given above might make things a little smoother.

One last point from the staff: Comments such as:

do little to further discussion and can lead to two things -

one, people don't want to discuss things with you, and

two: it can lead to strikes which can lead you to being ultimately being banned at this forum.

As the Forum guidelines state, the general rule round here is 'be polite': make your point, but do it with respect to the other members.

As you're new here, laulnewek34, no strike issued on this occasion. I think you can learn. However, we are watching.

Hobbit
Administrator at sffworld

Thank you Hobbit; I value your advice.

 

[Tempo]

I seen this posted on another forum, and I felt it made some valid and interesting points. I was just wondering what response people on this forum might have, when the question is "Why IS hp SO POPULAR?"


Quote
Why are HP so popular? Well, I've thought about it, and I've come up with an answer. Said answer is sort of cynical and resonates strongly with my very personal worldview, which has a great deal of cranky bitterness in it. You have been warned.

Harry Potter is so popular because it is exactly what people today wants. The average person is bored with the world, so HP takes the reader to a magical world - but because the average person also doesn't want anything to actually change, because that would force him to deal with a different enviroment, and that's a hassle, so therefore, the new, magical world is really exactly the same as the usual one. It's flashier and faster-moving, but people act exactly the same, and everything that exists in the scientifical world has a magical equivalent. The change from mundane to magical is completely without significance - the only thing that happens is that the colours get a bit brighter. It's the answer to the prayer of everyone who is too lacklustre to make the best of the world as it is, and too chicken to accept any change.

The morality behind this hollow magic must, of course, be similarily attuned to the dull spirit of our age. So "virtue" is defined as wanting nothing from life other than a boring job, a spouse and a bunch of children, because that's the only things our society approves of anyone wanting. Anyone who wants fame, money or power are by definition evil, and deserve at best condescension from more virtious people, at worst a quick death. Rowling praises the heroism of complete mediocrity.

Why is it so popular? Because Rowling has spent a great deal of effort and ingenuity (I don't deny that she is capable of both) in creating a world and a story that are completely bland, completely inoffensive to our current prejudices. She tells people exactly what they want to hear, she shows them exactly what they want to see, and she never ever includes anything that might make anyone upset.

Finally, a disclaimer - anyone subscribing to this forum clearly appreciates a book that challenges them. I am not in any way, shape or form saying that anyone here enjoys HP for the reasons I have stated. You enjoy them for other reasons, I'm sure. What I'm saying is that this is why the books are "so popular," why such a vast number of people, ones that are otherwise allergic to fantasy or even to literature in general, love the books, why HP has become such a powerful influence.

I would claim _that_ is because Harry Potter is the perfect posterboy for our time. (*grins wryly*) Depressing, isn't it?

 

[GhostShell]

I think the reason HP is so popular is because it takes the idea of magic and other fantasy articles and places them in our world making them more possible.

We see through Harry's eyes and when reading it seems very much to people that they are the special ones, and even if they don't feel that it resonates with a want to be the centre of attention, to be special, to have special abilities and to go off on fun adventures were things turn out well in the end (though granted that has changed to an extent recently).

All people want to feel special, have everyone love you, and proud of you, the want to know that you and your efforts are acknowledged as being significant.

Harry is just a boy at the start but the story builds and in the first one alone we get the points that he:

- is special
- was so greatly loved that his parents sacraficed themselves for him
- defeated a great enemy
- has devoted friends who are more like family

With the counter points of his step parents and draco we hope that he will get back to being happy.

Its also an inbuilt want to feel like you are more than you think and that you have a great meaning to the world.

With harry you quickly tend to identify with the poor unknown baby at the start, then you feel for him and soon you identify with this boy placing all your like-minded emotions on his character. Which is why people like him so much and because people are all different inside, some can enjoy the visually realised films and some most certainly will not (out of the HP fans).

 

[Tempo]

You would agree then, that Harry Potter is so successful because (among other things) the books give people exactly what they want to see/read/hear.

"All people want to feel special, have everyone love you, and proud of you, the want to know that you and your efforts are acknowledged as being significant"

In essence, people like HP because it illustrates many of their own desires for the fantastic, and because through HP, we can also save the day, win the game, defeat the bad guys etc etc.

Is this such a good thing in such a popular book though? Is this not a very "safe" ideal to push onto kids today, an ideal that doesnt really reflect real life, and as such isnt really doing these kids much favours. Would they not be better reading something that challenges them in some way, rather than reading some literary version of the summer popcorn blockbuster?****



****Disclaimer
Please consider that when I ask this, I do not subscribe to the view that "HP is great because it gets kids reading". I disagree with this for 2 reasons,
1) I believe that HP doesnt get kids reading, it gets kids reading HP, a small distinction
and
2) because UK sales figures showed that when sales of HP among kids rose, sales in other areas fell. HP didnt get kids reading, kids were always reading, they just switched to the successfull HP series.
It is point two that I am considering when I wonder about any adverse effect HP may have on kids reading.

 

[GhostShell]

Kids are quicker than most grown ups giev them credit. We expect that films and stories will teach them things that are wrong because they will then think of the real world as happy-go-luck and an always-a-good-outcome place.

But TV already does this (and for a long time too) and HP takes a bit more effort to get into. But much of the shows on tv show a force of evil as does potter, there are also arguments and hatreds and points where you just wish such-and-such would just die or something but kids will pick up that the world isn't quite the same and to get to that sort of a world they have to read or play or watch it.

The only thing that you could really worry about with it is that kids start preferring HP's world to a dangerous degree and don't want to accept or go through their day-to-day lives in reality, becoming addicted to an unreality.

Whether hp is capable of producing this effect though is anybody's guess.

I do however agree that it gives you what you want but that's were escapism and day-dreaming came from - a desire fo things to be not as they are for a short moment so that you can escape from a temperarily infuriating existance.
Its also fun and reading can create a world and characters in an image you want and make them much more important to you than any film or game so i personally think this makes them much better at relating stories than other media. Besides sometime you just need a break so why not have escapism books that are simple and easy, what do you think your favourite games or films do?

Histories too interest people, how achilles dies at troy, how Henry lost his 88th wife, the war of the roses, the fall of the roman empire etc. People read them to the same extent and they actually happened (for the most part anyway) so it can't all be for escapism, maybe its something about hearing of the greatest deeds, most foul betrayals and terrible battles, the rise and fall/peaks of our own existance. It could be an inbuildt wonder to know how we would get on in the same situations and wondering at our own inner workings and why we help and betray. Just a thought.

 

[Bond]

So if we distill the last 4 posts to their essential point the reason HP is popular is because it is fantastic. [pun intended]

Is this such a good thing in such a popular book though? Is this not a very "safe" ideal to push onto kids today, an ideal that doesnt really reflect real life, and as such isnt really doing these kids much favours. Would they not be better reading something that challenges them in some way, rather than reading some literary version of the summer popcorn blockbuster?

Really! The Harry Potter books are challenging in so many ways! First of all they are being challenged in schools and libraries by religious groups and concerned parents for supposedly unsafe evil influence or something. Next they are being challenged by people on forums such as this for supposedly being, uh, safe.

Of course closer to the mark is probably understanding that doing what Harry Potter does is challenging. To live one's own life like Harry's is challenging. To go from being a boy to a wizard, to turn the mundane into magic---that is challenging.

It seems, however, there are people who would have us all believe that a worthier "challenge" is to learn to accept the difficulties of life and live with "realities". Sounds like something a muggle would settle for---not something for the wizards of this world. If that is what one thinks of as "challenging" so be it, but don't be surprised if there are those who think such a perspective more of a copout than anything portrayed in HP.

Taking all this into account it would appear to be me that HP seems to be entirely too challenging for some people.

 

[Tempo]

It seems, however, there are people who would have us all believe that a worthier "challenge" is to learn to accept the difficulties of life and live with "realities". Sounds like something a muggle would settle for---not something for the wizards of this world. If that is what one thinks of as "challenging" so be it, but don't be surprised if there are those who think such a perspective more of a copout than anything portrayed in HP.

Taking all this into account it would appear to be me that HP seems to be entirely too challenging for some people.

 

[GhostShell]

Oh no, run, bond is back. Quickly pass me the hot branding iron!!
Back bond, i say back!!
lol.

 

[kahnovitch]

Taking all this into account it would appear to be me that HP seems to be entirely too challenging for some people.

You have got to be joking.

Climbing Everest is challenging.
Bungee jumping from the Sydney Harbour Bridge.
Staring down a full grown silverback.
Going five rounds with a Muay Thai champion.
Drinking a two pint stein of strong German lager or a litre of vodka.
Eating a plate of live widgety grubs.
Doing a number two in a dark outside toilet at three in the morning.
Waving a Man United scarf about in the home stands at Highbury stadium.

All those things can be considered challenging.

Reading literature who's target market audience starts at about ten years old, is not by any stretch of the imagination.

 

[Bond]

You have got to be joking.

You approach this all so prosaically kahnovitch!

The above was written with wry amusement no doubt but am I completely joking? Nope!

Reading literature who's target market audience starts at about ten years old, is not by any stretch of the imagination.

Reading per se is not hard. Fully appreciating what we read, however, is a little bit more difficult and then applying that appreciation to how we live is more difficult still.

Ask yourself WHY an adult would want to climb Everest or all the other things you mention and then you might begin to see a link between all those things and HP.

You say it is not challenging to read a book a ten year old can enjoy? You seem to be rather dismissive of the advantages of youth. Is it easy then to retain the wide-eyed wonder, easy optimism, and zest for discovery a ten year old possesses day-after-day when you're old jaded and grumpy? Try looking at things from a youthful perspective again and see if you can succeed. As I said, it is too much of a challenge for some!

 

[kahnovitch]

Ask yourself WHY an adult would want to climb Everest or all the other things you mention and then you might begin to see a link between all those things and HP.

"Because it's there" is the response most climbers tend to have.
A lot of things "are there" but they're not for everybody.
As for the other things, mostly they involve facing a fear or danger of some sort

I was ten years old once, and maybe I'd have liked HP if I'd read it then.
But it doesn't do a damn thing for me at the grand old age of 35.

Have I read any HP?
No.

But before I get the old, "You don't know if you don't try" arguement tossed in my direction, I would like to counter charge with....
"Well I've never kissed a man either, and ain't about to start now"

We learn what are not to our tastes instinctively.

I am a bit of a grumpy old man it's true. My expectations aren't that high any more, as my senses have been dulled by a plethora of mediocrity over the years.

All the "WOW!" things that people have raved about have seemed transparently unimpressive to me and generally make it onto my "pet hate" list instead.

In fact my pet hate list is probably identical to a lot of people's, "Things I love the mostest in the whole wide world!" list.

But that's me in general, surly and generally unimpressed by anything, most of the time.

 

[Janos]

Ask yourself WHY an adult would want to climb Everest or all the other things you mention and then you might begin to see a link between all those things and HP.

You have to be high on drugs to think that doing it is a good idea?

 

[GhostShell]

Climbing everest you mean janos?

Personally i'd like to but i don't have the stamina (nor push) to do so.

Try climbing everest WHILE reading HP - that'd require drugs alright! LOL!

 

[Janos]

Climbing everest you mean janos?

I like Harry Potter... But that joke just felt too good to pass up