I Hate Harry Potter

[Fishy412]

I wouldn't say they are bad books. They aren't demon posses (nor the WWE), but they are kind of weird. I give it that. If you want to read a bad book, read How To Kill A Mockingbird. I could not stand that book. I bent my copy in half cause I got so mad reading it. lol

Really? I thought it was actually good. Not my favorite, but definitely not that bad. I guess i'm pretty open as far as books go. If it tells a halfway-decent story then i'll like it.

 

[kribensis12]

how to kill a mocking bird is a terrible book( no offense).

 

[nukeonekitty]

Agreed

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

Harry Potter has simply just never interested me, so i've never read the books. I do like a good story book, however the vast majority of books in my collection are history-related or on other cultures etc- overal i have very few fiction books in my collection. I think the last two fiction books i read were Empress Orchid (a so-so book in my opinion, but enjoyable enough) and Memoirs of a Geisha (a good read, but not that accurate, which is a shame since so many people take so much of what it says on the flower and willow world as fact).

With HP fans, i say, "whatever floats your boat", u'know? I do think sometimes some people take it a bit too seriously in their day-to-day life, however i don't think there's anything wrong with people being great fans of it if that whats make them feel happy. The whole thing doesn't particularly bother me. I saw one of the movies once on tv (i think it was the first movie), i thought the movie was very mediocre/average- it was probably great those who already knew the books well and were great fans of the series, but personally i found the movie childish with nothing particularly great or original about it.


And To Kill A Mockingbird...I remember reading that. I suppose depending on how you look at it, its an undeniably great book. but on the other hand in my personal opinion that doesn't make it an interesting read. I felt the story progressed at a snail pace and was not very gripping in my experience. I understand all the positive hype surrounding the book over time, but personally i just found it quite a boring read to be honest.

 

[halfbloodprincess]

It bugs me sooooo much when people go to the movies and ask STUPID questions that they would totally know if they read the books!!! It is so annoying!!!!!!!!! The movies suck and the books ROCK. I just cant stand it when people say they hate Harry Potter. I have grown up with it! When I was young my mom read it to me as a bed time story. Then when I was in 1st grade I started reading them on my own. These books are just amazing. I dont know what I will do without them know. I will miss them greatly. I hated the wait for the seventh book. I didnt look at ANY spoilers like my mom did. I was a good little girl(lol). I have started to read the whole series from start to finish (again) but this time without a gap since all the books were not out yet at the time. I have read each book at least three times but this time will be the biggest. I started to read the first chapter and I balled my eyes out!!! I just couldnt take it! Everytime I think it is over or of any of the deaths I sob! Now these books will always mean something to me, so I dont care what anyone else thinks of them. If you hate Harry Potter so be it! Just dont tell me or talk to me about it or I will get extremely cranky!My friend this weekend was in the middle of the fith book and had not finished the whole series yet and said to me, "Ya know I think I will just skip this book and the six and read the seventh!" I totally lashed out at her for this. Man I got SO mad at her! We had a big fight and we didnt talk for the rest of the day. I particulary didnt care since this made her rethink it and now she still is reading them till she gets to the last book. Haha I achieved my plan! I love Harry Potter, there is just no doubt about it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!P.S. OMG I will miss you Lupin, Tonks, Snape, and FRED!

I love Harry Potter. Best books I've ever read! And I am religious, too. My church even had a Harry Potter Bible study! But I respect other's opinions. You can hate the book if you want to.But I totally disagree with you on the greedy thing, Ricky. Daniel Radcliffe and Emma have not spent much of their money at all. Emma is saving hers for college. I read in an article that J.K. Rowling is considering writing future books under a psuedonem so no one will know she wrote them. That way she'll be able to tell if the books really are interesting or if people are just reading them because of her name.

I disagree with the greedy thing too. J.K. Rowling is not greedy. She has had this idea in her head for the past 17 years. She knew the end, and almost everything that was going to happen! She doesnt care what other people think of the books as long as she gets what she planned on writing out there in the series. She doesnt care about money since she already is almost the richest woman in the world! She dosnt need anymore money! She is happy to take a twenty year brake from writing and being famous and everything she has had to go through!

 

[ChaseTheBetta]

I like the movies. But the books are way better! I'm always telling people to read the books, if they have just watched the movies.

I've been a HP fan for the past 7 years. I've read each book (except for the 7th) at least 3 times. It will be weird not waiting for another book to come out. Of course, she is probably going to write a HP encyclopedia.

JKR had no idea she would become this rich and famous. All she wanted was to be published at least once. She said the best thing about the money was not being able to worry about having enough money.

 

[fishytyke]

everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but just take a look at the bigger picture here for a minute, lets start with the basics...

The fact that you are all using this forum means that you are all literate, this would seem to be an obvious statement and we all take our reading/writing skills for granted, but believe me, these are skills that we should cherish, with the faling standards of literacy in the uk,especially amongst boys, how can a series of books which have sold 100's of millions of copies be a bad thing

you say you HATE Harry Potter, wow, feeling hate for a fictional character, a bold statement to say the least, I say that if only 1 child reads each of these books, job done and well done JK Rowling, she has IMO furthered the cause of literacy by a quite unbelievable amount, that warrants a Damehood at least

By the way I am a Primary School Teacher, and Harry Potter is a "god" send, oooohhh, a religious reference, well i'm sure "god" would want children to pick up a book, and on that matter what exactly is wrong with the content of the Harry Potter books from a religious viewpoint.

Lets look at this in more detail....

Here we have a book with a young male hero, who had a traumatic childhood and discovers he can proform magic, our hero has a loyal band of followers, who try to tell others about his good deeds, but their words often falls of deaf ears.

Then we discover that the hero's enemy is the most evil being imaginable.

In the end our hero makes the ultimate sacrifice and dies so that everyone else can live, only to come back to life.....

does this sound familiar......wait is this Harry Potter...Or is it the Bible!!!!!!

Not ashamed to admit that i'm 34, and a Huge Harry Potter fan, i've just finished Book 7, and i've started from the begining all over again.

feel free to disagree with me

Neil

 

[Leahzebelle]

Yeah, that crap about HP changing lives is sooo messed up. i like the books a lot though, but changing my life...? i mean come on.

 

[demonmagus]

the end was made for kids - coming back to life, seriously (this isn't an insult to the Bible I just think Potter would be better dead). Also - Voldermort's death = anticlimax of the century and tbh I would have preffered him living.

 

[Betta5]

I hate harry potter lets start a we hate potter club, is that sad, o well im member 1

 

[pieman]

I tend to read really complex books, comedies and books about business. Now Potter comes under none of the prior, yet because of the hype, I went out and read the first book and I have to say, it didn't have any effect on me, thus prior to completing the first chapter I returned it to the libary, quite angered that I could of made use of the traveling time to the libary and the short time spent reading, by for example watching paint dry.

 

[fishytyke]

Each to their own, but really, how can 270,000,000 people worldwide be wrong??

And as i've stated previously, from and educational viewpoint Harry Potter is WAAAAAAAYYYYY more than just a series of books on so many levels

In a world where literacy and Morality have been on a serious decline, this teaches both.

 

[-germ-]

Erm...
I'm probably the wrong person to put across their viewpoint, i expect a great deal from my reading material.
After posting near the beggining of this topic i thought i'd give the new book a try, not finished yet and certainly while i can appreciate it as a vaguely readable childs book, i had to reply...

Each to their own, but really, how can 270,000,000 people worldwide be wrong??

Quite easily! Mass media, advertising, trend etc.

And as i've stated previously, from and educational viewpoint Harry Potter is WAAAAAAAYYYYY more than just a series of books on so many levels

How? Asides from the fact it has caight the publics interest so gains a certain influence....

In a world where literacy and Morality have been on a serious decline, this teaches both.

Depends on what you are used to reading and/or your expectations, from what i've read so far the emotions involved are shallow. The situations lack complexity. If anyone based their moral outlook on those represented in the book not only would they be naive as hell, they'd probably be psychotic and completely detached from reality.

Got to say that its a good enough book but IMO to read much more into it, from an adult point to view, is an insult to good literature.

 

[fishytyke]

Erm...
I'm probably the wrong person to put across their viewpoint, i expect a great deal from my reading material.
After posting near the beggining of this topic i thought i'd give the new book a try, not finished yet and certainly while i can appreciate it as a vaguely readable childs book, i had to reply...

Each to their own, but really, how can 270,000,000 people worldwide be wrong??

Quite easily! Mass media, advertising, trend etc.

a good point, up to a point, but 270,000,000 is a big number on media hype alone dont you think.

And as i've stated previously, from and educational viewpoint Harry Potter is WAAAAAAAYYYYY more than just a series of books on so many levels

How? Asides from the fact it has caight the publics interest so gains a certain influence....

HOW?, As i've stated before i'm a Primary School Teacher, as when i can walk through a school corridor or playground and hear and see 8 to 11 year olds reading and talking passionatly about a book, a book, not a Playstation game or a reality show, a book!! Some kids really are making a concious efford to improve their literacy skills so they can be part of this "Hype" to be honest i couldent care less at this point what the content of the book is this point alone elevates these books to a greater status then anything ever printed, lets forget about adults for a minute, these were never intended to be adults books, but hey if an adult can pick up a kids book and enjoy it, why not. Life is complicated and not every book you read has to be Astro Physics or Advanced Molecular Bio-Structure or whetever deep or intelectual book have their place, and hey, whetever floats your boat, but these books are literatures equivelent of bringing an adult down to a childs level, i dont think it hurts for a child to see an adult enjoying "their" book.

In a world where literacy and Morality have been on a serious decline, this teaches both.

Depends on what you are used to reading and/or your expectations, from what i've read so far the emotions involved are shallow. The situations lack complexity. If anyone based their moral outlook on those represented in the book not only would they be naive as hell, they'd probably be psychotic and completely detached from reality.

Again ITS A KIDS BOOK!!, kids have shallow emotions, the situations kids find themselves it (hopefully) lack complexity. On a basic level it says work hard, support your friends, speak up about bullies, dont give up. Really if my 8 year old daughter (who can and does read books of this type fluently) wants to "detach herself from reality" and enjoy a story i'm quite confident that she wont become psychotic and well at 8 years old shes allowed to be naive. After all she once read a book about frogs and i'm happy to report that she has shown no tentencies towards wanting to be a frog.

Got to say that its a good enough book but IMO to read much more into it, from an adult point to view, is an insult to good literature.

The long and the short of it is this, I think that an Adult can enjoy a kids book, only if they are secure in their own sense of self, sometimes a story is just a story. I'm sure you are not invloved in education in any way if you were i 'm sure your viewpoint would be different.

 

[-germ-]

The long and the short of it is this, I think that an Adult can enjoy a kids book, only if they are secure in their own sense of self, sometimes a story is just a story. I'm sure you are not invloved in education in any way if you were i 'm sure your viewpoint would be different

Not at all, i have a daughter due and while she will be receiving the best education my means can provide, i sincerely hope that it doesn't take the latest trend to cajole her into reading!
Surely once a parent i will be a teacher of sorts and i would have thought the education i provide (morality, reality, financial responsibility and of course typical education) is more important than that provided in a school? Is that to suggest i'm not secure in myself in some way? I don't quite follow the logic there, the whole psychosis thing was a little over-exaggeration making a subtle point, being;
To assume a child will take any moral lessons from ONE book is a naive and probably risky presumption. In literature, as in all life, the message is in the eye of the beholder, who is to say what message if any will be taken from these books?
Once the trend is over (now the series has ended) will there be a lack of reading amongst certain children until something similarly popular comes along? Do we have to wait for another Harry Potter? Surely whilst accepting there is an issue, your easy acceptance that books such as this is, in a way, ignoring your further responsibility, and ignoring the 'prevention' whilst settling for a 'cure'?
I personally find the fact that you say "hear and see 8 to 11 year olds reading and talking passionatly about a book, a book" an acknowlegment that there is issues with education as it is, particularly in the case of children choosing to educate themselves, further learning etc. But who is to say that Harry Potter is not just another piece of the anodyne, thoughtless culture that discourages children from taking individual responsibility and leaps into the unknown for truly personal education?
I personally believe magical thinking (as in the psychological principle) is extending further and further in youngsters lives, reality has been replaced by mass media, fashionable cliches and i personally don't think this benefits anyone in the long term.
Surely there is something wrong with education and society as a whole if the only thing that encourages children to read is a mass produced book, that entices through (imo, but obviously debatedly) popularity above anything else?
What happened to individuality?
I can see that from a near sighted perspective it is undoubtedly a good thing; "reading is good," i agree that to find something that makes younger people want to learn and think is good. But my opinion is that the success of Harry Potter is associated with the very same reasons that youngsters don't read in the first place ie;
Asinine youth culture that only finds worth in trend and fashion.
Obviously there are countless exceptions, i am talking about youth in general. But while i personally would have no problem with my daughter to be reading a similar book once old enough, if i found a certain relief in this i would have to accept that there is a problem and delve deeper as i am doing, here.
It is a priori judgements such as those you have made about Harry Potter that IMO benefit nothing but a sense of personal satisfaction.

I'd like to continue this debate if possible so please don't think this post is an attack on yourself, it is simply me, typing my thoughts on the matter.
You obviously have a great deal more experience with children, while i, basically; have none, i'm just trying to look into the whole thing a little deeper.