The official HARRY POTTER thread

[Brian]

I read the first book and half of the second book. I think they are insufferable. Faith and Little Robin love them. Little Robin, who is ten, has read the entire series (and the entire Eragorn series, which is even worse). The boy loves to read crap, but I'm happy he loves to read. I need to pick up a copy of The Hobbit, so he can understand what a good example of fantasy lit can look like. It is kind of depressing that an entire generation (or two) of children are growing up with Harry Potter as the foundation of their understanding of literature. We need more Roald Dahls fewer J.K. Rowlings.

I hear you, and also echo Gidget's point.
JK Rowling has been able to reach a lot of people who might not otherwise read much of anything. Ditto for Twilight.

[happyone]

All I can say about Harry Potter and all of the hooplah that goes on around it, is that anything that can get a 8-10 yr old boy to sit down and read an 800 page book in one sitting can't be all bad.

Personally I read the first 4 and part of the 5th. I have enjoyed the movies.

My middle daughter used to have them finished before the sun came up when the day they were released. As she got older the fasination wore off. She only read the last one once. They youngest one is currently rereading them all in preperation for the movie.

[Mrs. Funk]

I seem the only voice of dissent, but I really do enjoy the Harry Potter books. [Granted, I was in fifth grade when the first book came out.] I have followed to the books into adulthood and still enjoy them.

Are they perfect? Perhaps not. I've gotten into a number of hot debates with people who compare Harry Potter to the Twilight phenemonon. They are not in the same realm of literature. The writing can be remarkably clever in subtle ways. I can understand adults who don't love the books, but posit that they are much better than a lot of popular literature.

[beefytee]

I am in a hermit/anti-social phase right now where I just want to be alone and read, so Harry Potter seemed enough to fill the next 10 days or so.

A complete tangent here.

With all the lawyers and educated folk around here, I think someone might know the history of the word.

Has the word antisocial always been interchangeable with unsocial or is this a pretty new development in the language.

I assume most lawyers use the term as someone who breaks laws and goes "against society", but even current dictionaries have a definition relating it to unsocial.

[HuskyFreeNorthwest]

I seem the only voice of dissent, but I really do enjoy the Harry Potter books. [Granted, I was in fifth grade when the first book came out.] I have followed to the books into adulthood and still enjoy them.

Are they perfect? Perhaps not. I've gotten into a number of hot debates with people who compare Harry Potter to the Twilight phenemonon. They are not in the same realm of literature. The writing can be remarkably clever in subtle ways. I can understand adults who don't love the books, but posit that they are much better than a lot of popular literature.

You were in 5th grade in 1998? Holy crap that makes me feel old.

[Mrs. Funk]

You were in 5th grade in 1998? Holy crap that makes me feel old.

I thought the first book came out in Jan. 1997? I was in 5th grade in 1997. Yes, I'm a child bride.

[happyone]

I read the first book and half of the second book. I think they are insufferable. Faith and Little Robin love them. Little Robin, who is ten, has read the entire series (and the entire Eragorn series, which is even worse). The boy loves to read crap, but I'm happy he loves to read. I need to pick up a copy of The Hobbit, so he can understand what a good example of fantasy lit can look like. It is kind of depressing that an entire generation (or two) of children are growing up with Harry Potter as the foundation of their understanding of literature. We need more Roald Dahls fewer J.K. Rowlings.

The problem was even though Tolkien and Dahl were out there, kids esp boys were not reading them. Rowlings got 8-12 yr olds reading. As they enjoy reading they will read other stuff. My daughters who were admittedly readers before HP do read Dahl and Tolkien and other "better" literature. Even my nephews who literally did not read unless it was required for school read for pleasure now.

I guess my point is that HP got them reading.

Also it isn't aimed at adults, it is young adult fiction

[Donuthole]

I thought the first book came out in Jan. 1997? I was in 5th grade in 1997. Yes, I'm a child bride.

Pretty sure it wasn't published in the States until 1998. I only know this because I took a Children's Literature class my freshman year of college (1997-98) and Harry Potter wasn't even on the radar.

[Color Me Badd Fan]

I don't get how adults sit down and read the Harry Potter books. With all of the stuff I haven't read and should read, I can't bring myself to spending the time on kids books. I need to read things like Catch 22 and David Copperfield before I bother reading Harry Potter.

I saw a girl and guy who looked like they were in their early 20s yesterday evening in Costco dressed up as Harry Potter and Emma Watson (Hermi-whatever). I was utterly disappointed that the girl actually looked nothing like Emma Watson. They went to the trouble of embroidering a Grifdor on their sweater vests.

[beefytee]

Pretty sure it wasn't published in the States until 1998. I only know this because I took a Children's Literature class my freshman year of college (1997-98) and Harry Potter wasn't even on the radar.

30 June 1997 (UK)
1 September 1998 (US)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_P...pher%27s_Stone

[TripletDaddy]

I need to read things like Catch 22 and David Copperfield before I bother reading Harry Potter

I would skip those. They are just a recent craze amongst people that read books.

[Mrs. Funk]

Many apologies. I was in SIXTH grade when The Sorcerer's Stone came out. Ergo, I was still a kid, albeit one year older.

[Color Me Badd Fan]

I would skip those. They are just a recent craze amongst people that read books.

Here's a reading suggestion for you:

http://www.lileks.com/institute/interiors/

Crazes can last for almost an entire decade- or maybe I'm just misusing the word. Olive green appliances were big throughout the 70s. My roommate painted a bright red accent wall in his house we were living in back in 2005. Apparently you also caught onto the "craze" at some point before or in between and you took offense to my joke about LDS members possibly thinking an accent wall behind the pulpit would be a good idea.

I have an uncle who was wearing Girbauds when he was in his mid 40s (sometime in the late 80s or very early 90s). In a few years with a pair of fake grease-stained True Religion jeans (or whatever designer is getting suckers to drop $200 or so on a pair of jeans), you can be just like him.

Just answer a question for everyone on the board, did you ever pop your collar at any time during this decade? Be honest. People need to know who they're dealing with here.

[TripletDaddy]

Here's a reading suggestion for you:

http://www.lileks.com/institute/interiors/

Crazes can last for almost an entire decade- or maybe I'm just misusing the word. Olive green appliances were big throughout the 70s. My roommate painted a bright red accent wall in his house we were living in back in 2005. Apparently you also caught onto the "craze" at some point before or in between and you took offense to my joke about LDS members possibly thinking an accent wall behind the pulpit would be a good idea.

I have an uncle who was wearing Girbauds when he was in his mid 40s (sometime in the late 80s or very early 90s). In a few years with a pair of fake grease-stained True Religion jeans (or whatever designer is getting suckers to drop $200 or so on a pair of jeans), you can be just like him.

Just answer a question for everyone on the board, did you ever pop your collar at any time during this decade? Be honest. People need to know who they're dealing with here.

Completely honest answer: no.

I do remember that in 6th grade, I did wear two Izods, though. I will admit to that.

[Color Me Badd Fan]

Completely honest answer: no.

I do remember that in 6th grade, I did wear two Izods, though. I will admit to that.

That's surprising. You seem like the kind of guy who would pop his collar. But I'll take you at your word.

I will admit to owning a pair of Z Cavariccis back in 1990 and trying to grow a mullet between 1989 and 1990. I also pegged my jeans in 1989.