Why do YOU love the Harry Potter novels?

[francisc1701]

Hi there.

I like the Harry Potter novels, I've read them all (the official ones) but I honestly can't say what I like about them. :) (When someone asks me questions like "What was that movie like?" I say "No idea. Go see for yourself.")

Any ideas?

[ooobuntooo]

I don't "Love" them. I sorta liked them before the hype of the films etc..

[DeadSuperHero]

I used to love the Harry Potter books because they had fresh doses of both humor and wonder.

However, the ending of the series was a bit too plain. It was nice, sure. But not something to follow through on the hype.

And then, there's the issue with J.K Rowling chasing after people who produce fan stories and fan art because she's *CLEARLY* not making enough money from her books.

Finally, I think the author is just flat-out stuck up. She did this really lame speech at Harvard, and she plugged Harry Potter lore all over her speeches.

"I know there's a little Dumbledore in all of us."

Uhm, what? Why not say something ACTUALLY inspirational?

And on top of that, don't pull publicity stunts with Dumbledore. While I have no problem with homosexuals, there was never any indications that Dumbledore was gay. She made a huge deal out of her own small addition to her own creation.

Therefore, I boycott her nowadays. I'm a Philip Jose Farmer man now!

[francisc1701]

And then, there's the issue with J.K Rowling chasing after people who produce fan stories and fan art because she's *CLEARLY* not making enough money from her books.

Finally, I think the author is just flat-out stuck up. She did this really lame speech at Harvard, and she plugged Harry Potter lore all over her speeches.

Mr. Psychopath, what does it matter what Rowling does after she wrote the books? She doesn't have to be a saint or anything for people to like her novels. At least that's how I feel about this, maybe because I'm not up to date with her more recent actions.

As for the "chasing" thing, I doubt she's doing it out of greed. In my opinion, she thinks she should be the only one allowed to add anything to the "Harry Potter world".


I'm a Philip Jose Farmer man now!
I've never heard of him til now, but Wikipedia's article (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philip_José_Farmer) sounds promising.

[Giant Speck]

I stopped reading the Harry Potter series after the fourth book. I realized that I wasn't reading it because I enjoyed the book, but rather because it was such a popular series at the time.

It was the first time I had ever read a fantasy series because I wanted to. I rarely read anything from that genre.

I'm more of a hard sci-fi, medical thriller, or suspense novel type. :)

[Dixon Bainbridge]

Hi there.

I like the Harry Potter novels, I've read them all (the official ones) but I honestly can't say what I like about them. :) (When someone asks me questions like "What was that movie like?" I say "No idea. Go see for yourself.")

Any ideas?

I thought they were a little dull. But then, I'm not the one sitting on a billion quid for writing something that took off. Dan Brown is probably laughing all the way to the bank for the fortune his toss made as well.

Hats off to them. Won't ever read it though. Life is too short.

[SunnyRabbiera]

I hated Harry Potter from day 1, also Rowling is a demon witch from H***.
Really what kind of cocky arrogant person who chases down fan fiction authors and such, puts lawsuits on stories that were way older then hers(come on Diane Duane wrote so you want to be a wizard long before Potter was even a thought on Rowlings mind and she still tried to sue her!)
I am glad the main series is over, so that REAL childrens authors can enter the fray (like myself)

[jomiolto]

I don't :)

I think the world's brilliant, though, and I love HP fan fiction (a lot of which I think is better than the original series) :)

EDIT: Oh, and I've read all the books except for the last one, which I've just skimmed through quickly. I think they got progressively worse with every book and I didn't bother with the seventh one anymore. :(

[DeadSuperHero]

Like I said, anyone that chases down non-commerical authors who write a bit of fan fiction is bad in my book.
Case in point: look at George Lucas. Part of the reason Star Wars has lived on for so long is that George Lucas has allowed people to make hundreds of fan submissions.

I mean, in a way she is the epitome of what I dislike about I.P.

I will admit, Fred and George's sequences really made that series fun to read.

[beast2k]

Hi there.

I like the Harry Potter novels, I've read them all (the official ones) but I honestly can't say what I like about them. :) (When someone asks me questions like "What was that movie like?" I say "No idea. Go see for yourself.")

Any ideas?
Harry who ??

[SunnyRabbiera]

Like I said, anyone that chases down non-commerical authors who write a bit of fan fiction is bad in my book.
Case in point: look at George Lucas. Part of the reason Star Wars has lived on for so long is that George Lucas has allowed people to make hundreds of fan submissions.

I mean, in a way she is the epitome of what I dislike about I.P.

I will admit, Fred and George's sequences really made that series fun to read.

Yeh these days George Lucas is very open source like in his approach of allowing people to expand on what he started.
Even if you dont like Lucas or star wars, at least him allowing people to expand on his works is great

[TBOL3]

The answer to the question, is that I don't. Harry Potter is horrible (although, it wasn't always horrible). It was okay at first, but then it died.

[Chilli Bob]

First let me say that I'm a 37 year old male, and to look at would not be expected to read childrens fantasy novels. Indead the whole fantasy genre is something I'd normally avoid like the plague. (Except Tolkein, who is in a class by himself)

I'm a huge fan of the Harrry Potter novels. OK, the first two were a bit "young-reader", but the rest of the series was a solid piece of work. (Order of the Phoenix was my favorite.) When the trend of adults reading these books began several years ago, I was among the first to mock those jumping on the band wagon, but a friend nagged me until I read Philosophers Stone, and I was hooked. It's difficult to explain why I like them so much, but I will try.

The Harry Potter series is just soooooo British. I grew up in the 70's on a diet of BBC and ITV childrens programming. After school TV consisted of things such as Catweasel, Worzel Gummage, Dr Who, the Goodies, The Tripods, Grange Hill etc etc. and this shaped my brain forever. Reading Potter novels is basically a nostalgia trip back to those times. The fact that it has a solid storyline, and very realistic charactors (the whole Weasley family are perfectly crafted) is just a bonus.

Sure there are issues if you want believability, but it's a fantasy story, and ny "suspension of disbelief" has been honed razor sharp after decades of wobbly Dr Who sets.

I hear what people are saying about Rowling's treatment of fan art, but in a way I can understand how she feels after creating this world, and how it would be irksome to have others adding to it and changing it in ways she has no control over. Sure, there are many spin-off Star Wars novels, but each of them has been approved by George Lucas before publication. And just because some people are comfortable with others reworking their creation, this puts no onus on Rowling to feel the same way.

And please NEVER mention Dan Brown in the same thread as J.K. Rowling. I read the Da Vinci Code two years ago, and I'm dumber for the experience. Forget the controversy of the theme, it's just bad writing.

[bwhite82]

Have read them all and cherish them. Am a big fan of the movies too, was crushed when I learned that the latest film was pushed to first quarter 2009.

[eternalnewbee]

A friend gave me the first book, and I actually read it because I had nothing else to do. I was hooked. The reason is I felt like I was actually there, just like when harry was in the pensieve. The movies are ok, but just for two hours or so, while the books are fun for days.

[SunnyRabbiera]

I hear what people are saying about Rowling's treatment of fan art, but in a way I can understand how she feels after creating this world, and how it would be irksome to have others adding to it and changing it in ways she has no control over. Sure, there are many spin-off Star Wars novels, but each of them has been approved by George Lucas before publication. And just because some people are comfortable with others reworking their creation, this puts no onus on Rowling to feel the same way.

yes but its the fact that she is targeting the same fandom THAT MADE HER IN THE FIRST PLACE is rather rude, she doesnt deserve to have to have fans if she is going to be a B**CH about it

[cardinals_fan]

The books have an amusing tone and a detailed (if untenable) world.

The movies are all fail.

[Chilli Bob]

The movies are all fail.


Sadly, for the most part I have to agree. The Order of the Phoenix in particular missed the whole point of the book. Three key scenes (Harry's tantrum on arriving at the Weasley's, the meeting with Neville's parents at the hospital, and Harry's tantrum in Dumbledore's office) were left out completely.

[cardinals_fan]

Sadly, for the most part I have to agree. The Order of the Phoenix in particular missed the whole point of the book. Three key scenes (Harry's tantrum on arriving at the Weasley's, the meeting with Neville's parents at the hospital, and Harry's tantrum in Dumbledore's office) were left out completely.
Okay, that book was bad too. I was left hoping that Harry would be killed so that he would stop whining.

[Bölvaður]

I like the warmth and the smell which comes of them while they mix with oxygen. Also I like how handy they are when I need something to hold my doors open.

[Saint Angeles]

i LOVE the novels...

the paper feels really soft on my bottom.

[Corfy]

Normally, I'm not a fan of the fantasy genre, so I avoided the Harry Potter books for years. Unlike some other Christians, I saw no problem with people reading them, I just didn't think I would like them.

Well, the Sunday before the first movie came out, there was a "Making of" special on TV. There wasn't anything else on, so I watched it. It got my curiosity piqued. So the next day over my lunch hour, I stopped by the library and picked up all four novels (which were all there were at that point). I figured if I liked the first novel, I could easily start the next one without a trip to the library, but if I didn't like the first one, I could return them all early.

I started reading the first novel when I got home that night. I could not put it down, and finished it before I went to sleep that night. I was impressed with the imagination, the wide range of characters, the flow of the writing, and the imagery.

By the time the movie came out that Friday, I had gotten through the first three books, and I finished the fourth book over the weekend. It took me a little bit to get my wife to read it (she was concerned over the portrayal of witchcraft in the series), but once she read it, she became a fan as well.

I really like trying to find the hidden clues/jokes in the series, like figuring out the spells (the deadliest spell in the series, Avada Kadavra, is a play off abra cadabra, etc).

Thinking maybe my tastes have changed, I picked up the Lord of the Rings trilogy to read. I got through it, but only because I was determined to do so. I didn't enjoy the series at all (didn't care for the movies, either, particularly the first movie), so I obviously haven't suddenly started liking fantasy series.

I've been reading a lot in this thread about J,K. going after fan fic writers. Maybe I missed something, but the only one I heard she went after was the guy who wanted to publish an encyclopedia of the Harry Potter universe. She had no problem with his non-commercial website, but when he tried to make money off her work, that is when she had a problem. Otherwise, I have read interviews where she says she enjoys reading fanfics. Of course, maybe I have missed something. I haven't followed the news that closely.

[DMcA]

She didn't go after fan fiction writers, this is nonsense. She stopped one guy from publishing an encyclopaedia that, as far as I'm aware, actually had large portions directly lifted from her writing.

[Old_Grey_Wolf]

I enjoyed Harry Potter. Although the magic in them is a fantasy it reminds me of the real life experiences I encounter when I was a student of magic in the late 1960's and early 1970's. The Harry Potter series made me experience laughter and sentimental thoughts as it brought back memories of those times.

Edit: I enjoy the books. The legal system will work through the rest.