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Harry Potter Thread

4K views 91 replies 28 participants last post by  The Prince 
#1 ·
This had to be done.

My favorite book series, and if you consider yourself too "sophisticated" to read it, you are a mug.

Okay, so what makes the Harry Potter books so good? The author, JK Rowling (or should we say JK GOATing?) is a decent writer. The plot is good and the word choice is easy to understand. But the unique thing is, she is not an author. She is a creator of an entire world. A world of magic. And yet it seems so realistic and believable. There are so many characters, each equally complex. We are sent on a journey from the first book to the last gigantic novels, with each second laughing, crying, and arguing along with Harry, Hermione, and Ron. How they mature and change is one of the big appeals of the book.

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On a side note, I have pranked countless 11-year olds with authentic-looking Hogwarts letters. I am such a troll :p

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Here is Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone in comics.



Cute, isn't it? :D Discuss.
 
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#5 ·
Liked the books but I felt they went a bit downhill towards the end, they started to be quite long (though I still read them in a day) and the final chapter of the final book was very cliché. But great series overall still.
 
#9 ·
I agree, they are great actors. But we are talking about the actual series here, not the actors.
 
#7 ·
As a couple pointed, it felt a little sloppy towards the end, I guess understandably so since if I remember correctly, she wasn't planning on writing 7 books. However, in many ways how "pop music" many other types of "better" music aside and takes all the limelight, I felt the Harry Potter series was kind of the same thing. The plot wasn't really original, I mean come on just a kid who finds out he has great and ends up being the hero, big deal honestly. Sure, some interesting twists and plots, but I felt I've read many more enjoayble stories and series in my life.

The movies? They were adequate, again, IMO nothing special, only truly popular because all those kiddies (and adults) were able to see their favorite character portrayed as a real person.

But yeah, as the OP said, the story is quite simplistic in nature and the writing is really not that special, pretty basic vocabularly and such. It just happened to catch fire. Certainly much credit is due to JKR but like most forms of art (music, writing, painting, etc) you obviously need that luck to get the success and again it still doesn't necessarily make it "best." Just like in music, even if much of today's pop music world is spewing out songs that are breaking record views and sales, doesn't mean they will be hummed and played 300 years later like great classical music.
 
#8 · (Edited)
As a couple pointed, it felt a little sloppy towards the end, I guess understandably so since if I remember correctly, she wasn't planning on writing 7 books. However, in many ways how "pop music" many other types of "better" music aside and takes all the limelight, I felt the Harry Potter series was kind of the same thing. The plot wasn't really original, I mean come on just a kid who finds out he has great and ends up being the hero, big deal honestly. Sure, some interesting twists and plots, but I felt I've read many more enjoayble stories and series in my life.

The movies? They were adequate, again, IMO nothing special, only truly popular because all those kiddies (and adults) were able to see their favorite character portrayed as a real person.

But yeah, as the OP said, the story is quite simplistic in nature and the writing is really not that special, pretty basic vocabularly and such. It just happened to catch fire. Certainly much credit is due to JKR but like most forms of art (music, writing, painting, etc) you obviously need that luck to get the success and again it still doesn't necessarily make it "best." Just like in music, even if much of today's pop music world is spewing out songs that are breaking record views and sales, doesn't mean they will be hummed and played 300 years later like great classical music.
Just a kid? More like a kid who makes friends in a magical world while learning from some wise guy and trying to get free from his uncle's abuse while having romantic relationships and journeying all over England trying to fight off the greatest dark wizard of all time.:eek: Honestly, there's like 1000 other complex characters.

I honestly think Harry Potter will be remembered as a classic. It is written with a cleverness and wit that appeals to all ages, not just teens, and anyone can get absorbed into that world. I mean, just name one mentally sane person who doesn't want to go to Hogwarts. If it doesn't become a classic...well, it was better than fluff which are only remarkable because the author lived a long time ago.
 
#16 ·
The only way to save Harry Potter universe was to reveal that HP was a massive pothead as his name implies and all the magic crap he was involved in was induced by a powerful hallucinogen and therefore never really happened. Then the viewers should have been treated to a steamy scene of Hermione pleasuring herself as a compensation for purchasing a movie ticket.

If all of that happened, it would at least partially salvage the fiasco known as HP universe.
 
#39 ·
Keep trying to be funny, but you will never do, 'cause your humour is as bad as your faves :lol:
HP is one of the best things ever in literature, it deserves always respect and a big :worship: to J.K. Rowling.
Almost 500 milions of copies sold in all the world, translated in 73 different languages (even ancient greek and latin), everywhere considered one of the best written works in modern literature.
It is definitely one of the best things ever in everytime literature: for the success, for what it produced in readers' minds, for being still now remembered and worshipped, and for many other reasons I don't want to say.
That's a grave and serious insult to real literature, which obviously wouldn't sell like Harry Potter, Twilight or 50 Shades of Grey because most people either can't understand the writing or don't have the patience for it. Obviously, I've never read Harry Potter or most popular fiction because my time is precious and I devote it to only serious literature. I think the word you were looking for is 'fiction'. I'm not saying the series is bad (I wouldn't know, having never read it); it's just not serious literature, which isn't debatable. I mean, Rowling isn't a Barnes or a McEwan or a Rushdie. It's like comparing the ATP #100 to Federer. They work in the same field, but aren't in the same league quality-wise. You wouldn't study Harry Potter in a Literature class; you would read it for fun, some readers find deeper meaning in it which is great because that's what books are supposed to do, but it's not literature. I just cannot get over how you're claiming that the series is some amazing literary masterpieces. It's seriously offensive. I'm sorry, I love literature more than tennis and even Federer, so this is just... :facepalm:
 
#44 ·
Just hilarious. And I say this as a fan of the books. Why is it that when people like something they also have to overrate it like shit? HP is great entertainment for sure but it has absolutely 0 impact in literature overall. Rowling writes in an engaging manner but the language she uses is not impressive at all.

That said, I enjoy the books. And I actually never felt that the transition from children's story to a more dark tone was that unnatural.

My faves are probably Prisoner of Azkaban and Half-blood Prince.
 
#19 ·
Almost 500 milions of copies sold in all the world, translated in 73 different languages (even ancient greek and latin), everywhere considered one of the best written works in modern literature.
It is definitely one of the best things ever in everytime literature: for the success, for what it produced in readers' minds, for being still now remembered and worshipped, and for many other reasons I don't want to say.

As I previously stated, you try too hard to be funny, resulting quite stupid in reality. You probably did not even read any of these books, so if I were you I would simply shut the fuck up.
 
#27 ·
Almost 500 milions of copies sold in all the world, translated in 73 different languages (even ancient greek and latin), everywhere considered one of the best written works in modern literature..
McDonalds sells a lot of their burgers and Britney Spears sold a lot of albums, obviously maccas is the best food ever and BS is the best singer ever:sport: :yeah: Quality is ALWAYS determined by the amount of brainless sheep liking some book, song etc.
 
#28 ·
Agreed. I enjoyed the books, although I don't think they're literary masterpieces.

Movies are all rubbish after the first two. Horrendous adaptations on so many levels.
 
#21 ·
It's incredible how it is now cool to hate on Harry Potter, 'now that the magic has didappeared'.

In reality, this is the most influential series of novels for a generation of children that will likely ever materialise. Pick holes in it however you want, admit it, though. As a child, if you read these novels, there's absolutely certain you wished you went to Hogwarts and were part of this world. It's incredible, fabulous. I will always be a fan. I hope other true fans remain the same.
 
#24 ·
Yeah, it was a pretty good series.

My favourite characters were probably Voldemort and Professor Grubbly-Plank.
:confused::lol: Wilhemina is awesome.

My favorite characters are Dobby and FredandGeorge.
 
#23 ·
You're likely trying to be funny there, and succeeding, but I think that is an example of the large number of great characters that this story has. Grubby-Plank was an interesting character in a frantic novel. She always intrigues me every time I read 'Order of the Phoenix'.
 
#25 ·
 
#34 ·
Harry Potter would have been good if it had continued as it had started-being a children's fantasy story. After it gained ridiculous amounts of popularity, Rowling tried to cater to all kinds of age groups and was way out of her depth.

The best thing about the books is their initial setting and premise. Beyond that, the quality of writing, execution and the conclusion are really poor.

Despite the glaring flaws, the books still remain entertaining to read but to call them masterpieces of any kind is :facepalm:
 
#35 ·
But that's what I don't get. If one enjoys them, finds them entertaining, it is only possible to call them a success. Ultimately, however superficial it may be, I think it's best to judge novels of these kind on entertainment factor first and foremost. I don't think it will be a timeless classic in the ilk of Dickens, but will still be a must have for children in generations to come.
 
#37 · (Edited)
Have you read the first two books? Columbus worked with what he had. She decided to make things more "dark" later with it's popularity. She still didn't have the courage to have Harry kill anyone. I thought Columbus did a good job with the material he had. They are shorter than the others, so it was easy not to leave anything important out. The later movies were just so fast-paced, with little explanation for what's going on.
 
#38 ·
I agree that they should have made the movies longer to cover more material. Especially the 5th one- it was only like 1 hour and seemed like a waltz the entire way through.
 
#40 ·
I grew up reading them ,so I loved it a lot .My favourate was the third one .It was really exciting .Maintained that innocence as well as being plot heavy .The only book to do that .The later books became darker and the innocence got lost somewhere

My favourate character was Proffessor Flitwick :lol:
 
#48 ·
^^ I know what I like and I stick to it. I don't listen to music that I deem inane, I don't watch sports that I'm not interested in, I don't practise in an area of law that bores me. I am very specific about my taste and I only read serious literature. Harry potter is not literature unless you adopt a wide (really wide) definition of the word, which I don't. When I read a book the first thing that I look for is the writer's writing style. Reading for me isn't just a fun experience; it's a deeply emotional one, an introspective one, one that tells me about life and humanity. It's also an experience that leaves me in awe of the human spirit and creativity and genius when I read writers that crafts beautiful sentences that blow my mind. This k why I don't read translations and why I don't read most popular fiction. This is why I will never read Harry potter.

I
 
#53 ·
^^ I know what I like and I stick to it. I don't listen to music that I deem inane, I don't watch sports that I'm not interested in, I don't practise in an area of law that bores me. I am very specific about my taste and I only read serious literature. Harry potter is not literature unless you adopt a wide (really wide) definition of the word, which I don't. When I read a book the first thing that I look for is the writer's writing style. Reading for me isn't just a fun experience; it's a deeply emotional one, an introspective one, one that tells me about life and humanity. It's also an experience that leaves me in awe of the human spirit and creativity and genius when I read writers that crafts beautiful sentences that blow my mind. This k why I don't read translations and why I don't read most popular fiction. This is why I will never read Harry potter.

I
For me, HP is all that. :shrug:
 
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