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- ResonantToe, on 10/11/2007, -12/+71It is elitist.
It's not that the majority of people are simple in their reading experience. Its the simple fact that everyone likes a bit of Crap. Why do you think shows like Big Brother, WWE and bad daytime soaps are so popular. Not everyone wants to be On and thinking 24/7.
Granted the vast majority think alot less than they should, but hell when it comes to not having the highly sophisticated works of Dickens, Tolstoy and Austen read, well some people just don't like to be challenged like that. Now lets couple that with the fact that people don't like to think alot, but still like to be entertained.
All of a sudden a 'Stifled prose and formulaic plot" driven book is pretty darn appealing.
People read too much into Harry Potter because of its success. The simple fact is, that people enjoy it. There needs really little more to be examined. Not even the academic or developmental merits of kids reading.
Oh and also, I think alot of authors and half-arsed journalists probably have a lil' chip on their shoulder that a U.K woman could do what virtually no one else could in the writing world, and that's write a book that is hugely appealing to a large portion of the population.
Also, As far as the not reading thing goes and playing too much vidya games and on that darn thing with the spideresezez, There was a stage where reading was frowned upon too as a anti-social behaviour and that kids should 'get outside and play'. - Billiam627, on 10/11/2007, -19/+77The great thing about Harry Potter is that it continues to piss off book critics. Those pretentious ***** just cant wrap their minds around the fact that something that isn't post modern deconstructionism can actually be good.
As someone who grew up with Harry Potter (11 when the first book came out) I can say that the appeal of HP is not the way its written but in how likable and well developed the characters are. I've read the classics, and I for one am proud to have my Harry Potter books on the same shelf as Dostoevsky and Fitzgerald. - eightbitgirl, on 10/11/2007, -17/+71I'll admit I'm a Potter fan and have been for what, ten years now? Yes, there are many more novels out that are "better," but really, it's kind of crappy to judge someone for what they're reading. Elitist, much? I still go back and read the Mary Downing Hahn books I loved as a kid when I'm feeling down or whatever. Oh, no, it's cultural infantilism! Give me a break, Not everyone has the same taste in literature, and not everyone has the time to sit down and read every novel ever published. Hell, most people I know work full-time, are in school full time, and hardly have the time to read anything at all. Screw this guy.
- kazamx, on 10/11/2007, -5/+53A very interesting read, well worth taking the time to work through.
I believe the interesting part about Harry Potter won't be seen for another 10-15 years. We will then be able to see if this is series of books to be placed beside Roald Dahl, Beatrix Potter, Tolkien, or if it was all hype that will be easily forgotton.
I enjoy the books and am looking forward to the last, but I also realise that they are not the greatrst books ever written. I just think somehow JK Rowling managed to tap into a hidden seem of peoples imaginations. - CannedMango, on 10/11/2007, -5/+51Oh... I had thought that the death of reading was coming from the fact that your 10-year old daughter has to have a book intended for her age group read to her instead of reading it herself.
- bukkawukka, on 10/11/2007, -21/+59JK Rowling next to Dahl and Tolkien? That will be the day I officially lose faith in humanity.
- nexus420, on 10/11/2007, -3/+33I'll second the authors recommendation on "Jonathon Strange and Mr. Norrell." A fantastic book, that I thought was much richer than any of the Harry Potter books. I love the HP series though; they are a fun, light, escape and I see nothing wrong with that. He is absolutely correct though, in that we need to encourage people and children to upgrade their reading choices too. We need to help encourage the current market of good literature, and not just the classics and pop-fads.
- blahtastic, on 10/11/2007, -2/+31I say more power to it. If you can get the average 11 year old to read a 700+ page book you're doing something terribly right.
---former Average 11 year old - Lumiras, on 10/11/2007, -6/+34So you're allowed to have an opinion, eightbitgirl, but the author of this op-ed isn't?
He makes good points, and he doesn't say that nobody should read the Harry Potter series, he is mostly saying that it's a shame that people aren't reading more, and that their only exposure to modern literature stops at the HP series - centerblack, on 10/11/2007, -8/+31Who are you to judge other people by the books they enjoy reading.
Education kills reading for pleasure. We're all to busy doing required reading for our homework, studies and work to pick up a book we're interested in. If Harry Potter gets people into a habit of reading, especially adults, I don't think it's a bad thing.
***** off. - Anthem26, on 10/11/2007, -2/+24i heard that frodo dies in this one...
- HouseofEl, on 10/11/2007, -1/+20Exactly what did he think was going on? Amazon's top ten is topped with ***** like "The Secret". Also no offense to Cormac McCarthy, but I could give two ***** about what Oprah thinks I should be reading. I no doubt know that "The Road" is a great novel, but I'll choose what is good and what is not. I'm sure Oprah has her assistants telling her what to recommend. And that's the problem. People should be reading and making up their own minds. Not watching an out of touch rich woman posing as a soccer mom that tells you something is great.
- killerofkiller, on 10/11/2007, -1/+20Tolkien was way to wordy for me.. i didn't need 5 pages describing the grass in the shire.. but overall i liked them.
- mcfarag, on 10/11/2007, -23/+41SPOILER ALERT ON THE COMMENT ABOVE
- praisethelard, on 06/06/2008, -0/+17OMG...It all makes sense! Dumbledore is Jesus!
- NeoPlatonist, on 10/11/2007, -0/+16I enjoy both serious literature and books like Harry Potter. You don't have to just read one or the other.
- gmprunner, on 10/11/2007, -1/+17Thanks for having some consideration, though I do question the validity of the "spoiler".
- CWal37, on 10/11/2007, -2/+18"And Harry Potter and all his wizard friends went straight to hell for practicing witchcraft."
"yay!" - swiftekho, on 10/11/2007, -4/+19I admit, I am a Potter fan. My mom, who has a new book every week (or less) likes Harry Potter more than me. It may follow the Fantasy archetype on some platforms but fact is Rowling writes this fantasy story and when you read it, it seems real. You can get sucked into the story and not want to put the book down. This is the same thing that happened with me and The Lord of the Rings Novels.
- blahtastic, on 10/11/2007, -4/+18More adults than kids. Yes, we've grown up quite a bit since the first book in 1997...
- Akaji, on 10/11/2007, -9/+23Summary: Harry Potter is crappy literature.
If you want to read real fantasy literature, get some C.S. Lewis, Tolkien, or Salvatore. - jwaycuilis, on 10/11/2007, -1/+15Aww, come on. Criticizing Harry Potter because it isn't high-brow literature? That's like criticizing Coca-Cola because it's not as sophisticated as fine wine.
- grakker, on 10/11/2007, -1/+15I'm just not sure about this. I received a B.A. in English from what is considered one of the top 3 English schools in the US. I really do enjoy just about every level of literature. Andrew Clements is great. Pullman (Unfortunately soon to be a movie) kicks HP ass. I tried, I really tried to read HP. I made it through about 1/2 the first book. That REALLY doesn't happen very often.
But if someone else likes it, fine. I'm OK with that. - BrassMan, on 10/11/2007, -3/+16I have to agree with the author. There's so much fantasy out there that's better than Harry Potter that nobody will ever read and it's sort of sad.
And I'm not buying the excuse that people "don't have time" to read. I've heard this excuse before from people that I know watch at least an hour of horrible television programming a night. God forbid literature take up your "American Idol" time. - yutt, on 10/11/2007, -0/+12He suggested similar reading material, jackass. He said determine on your own which is superior, without even giving his explicit opinion on the matter. Seriously, ***** off.
- Drahkar, on 10/11/2007, -2/+14You are exactly right ResonantToe. Books like Tolkein, C.S. Lewis, etc, while being fantastic novels are in the realm of deeply thought provoking. Harry Potter is popular for the simple fact that its straight forward, strikes a cord on various levels with its readers and gives them something to enjoy that doesn't require three weeks to chew down the plot, subplots and themes. People sometimes forget that fiction isn't always about history making literature. Sometimes its just about having a little fun. Frankly I think that people like the 'Book Critic' should be rounded up with the 'Movie Critics' and then drown. Not everything has to be a award winning movie or book. Sometimes even something stupid can be fun and entertaining to watch. Get off your high horse.
- reaganluver, on 10/11/2007, -1/+13And you know in "Homeward Bound" it's not those animals real voice.
- crashbang, on 10/11/2007, -2/+13 I want people to read. I want them to read alot. TV and (ironically as I type away) the internets have taken people away from books. Any book people read is a good thing. I wish they would read more of diversity of books, but please keep reading.
- swiftekho, on 10/11/2007, -6/+16And Harry gives up Wizardry... No lie
- tech42er, on 10/11/2007, -1/+11Exactly. I understand people who appreciate fine literature, but you really shouldn't be an elitist about it or you'll just turn people off literature. That's why Ubuntu is so much more popular among the average Linux user than Gentoo or Slackware.
- MaynardJK, on 10/11/2007, -0/+9It was the elvish songs and poems that got old for me. Still great books though.
- Amablue, on 10/11/2007, -1/+10The thing I don't like about that type of argument is that when you get down to it, you can claim just about anything is cliched. Any motive a character has in a book or movie has been done before, any plot twist has been done somewhere before, and every setting and timeframe has been visited.
The trick is to use them well and not make it feel stale or predictable and keep it interesting. Harry Potter not only does this, but does so with a great continuity going. I don't care about the extended lineages of Gimli's family tree, or how much thought was put into the elvish language that has to be included in an appendix, but I do greatly enjoy re-reading Harry Potter and seeing things I missed the first time that foreshadow the future events, sometimes books ahead of time. - TSK05, on 10/11/2007, -2/+11You win the story!
- Phyltre, on 10/11/2007, -0/+9You do realize the grass in the Shire was fertilized with the sacred soil of the Lorien elves, right?
- TGun, on 10/11/2007, -0/+9Yes, the books are better.
- reed311, on 10/11/2007, -5/+14I've never read a Potter book and I don't necessarily have anything against the books... except my girlfriend makes me go to the movies. I'm 25 and I am embarrassed when I watch these things. The movies are rubbish as far as I'm concerned. The books might be better, I don't know, but the movies are painful to watch.
- SushiCW, on 10/11/2007, -0/+8I enjoyed them both.
- OldGhosts, on 10/11/2007, -5/+13I fail to see how the Harry Potter books are the "Death of Reading?" I mean, really?
- VenTatsu, on 10/11/2007, -1/+9So then you still hear people talking about how awesome 'Titanic' was right? You have a 'Pet Rock' right? Fads by definition are a product that goes from unknown, to wildly popular, and then falls almost back to obscurity. I don't think Potter will go that route but it's current popularity does not protect it from that fate.
- seanthebond, on 10/11/2007, -9/+17...What?
- yutt, on 10/11/2007, -0/+8She was probably embarrassed by her father. In a fit of parental angst he took it out on Harry Potter.
- smcavoy, on 10/11/2007, -0/+7yeah I can't wait for "WWE RAW, now in paperback"
- blahtastic, on 10/11/2007, -2/+9So you've got yourself a crush on Ron, huh?
- Aticper, on 10/11/2007, -8/+14What the author of this particularly sad piece of drivel doesn't seem to understand is that there are people who ACTUALLY READ THINGS FOR FUN.
Who knew? - merreborn, on 10/11/2007, -0/+6Enduring popularity is not necessarily related to quality. Children will be reading harry potter in 20 years simply because their parents enjoyed it in their day. That's how I came to read the Earthsea and Shanara series: my parents had read both when they were kids, and recommended them. Sure, they have to be decent to get that kind of referral, but that doesn't necessarily make them timeless classics. It just means they were popular once.
It's also worth noting that popularity comes and goes. Tolkien was HUGE in the 60s -- much like Rowling is now. It hasn't enjoyed that level of popularity since, although Jackson's films did something to revive it in part. - praisethelard, on 06/06/2008, -0/+6I think Drizzt Do'urden kills him.
- AndrewDB, on 01/10/2008, -0/+6You think Tolkein is wordy, try Clancy. Clancy has diarrhea of the pen. He describes an AK-47 down to the ***** firing pin. :/
- Mc_Carter, on 10/11/2007, -1/+7These books came out when I was the appropriate age to read them. I did the first and half of the second one, then stopped and realized that there were much better books out there I guess it depends on your tastes but theses books just didn't hold my attention.
- blahtastic, on 10/11/2007, -1/+6Yes I know that. I've read them. One uses the best example to make his/her point.
- Methodius, on 10/11/2007, -2/+7I would have laughed if the article turned out to be a long list of spoilers for the new book.
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