Harry Potter Fans

I jusy finally got around to opening Sunday's Book Review in the Times and I saw that there's a Harry Potter Crossword! I was easy but fun. It's a full page Scholastic Ad, I think on page 8. It's in the July 10th Book Review Section, which came on Saturday to people with Home Delivery, on the newssstand I think it wasSunday.

ETA: This is HILARIOUS!!!! Potter Potter Movie

Re: Harry Potter Fans

Also check out this LA Times Editorial. I think this guy is :Stupid, stupid, stupid'

ETA: The article..DUH

From the Los Angeles Times Editorial Section, Sunday, July 10, 2005

Joel Stein

Next Saturday, when the sixth Harry Potter book comes out, at the very least I want you to stammer excuses when I see 'Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince' on your nightstand. I want you to claim you're reading it to make sure it's OK for your kids, or your future kids, or even, if you have to, for kids in general.

I don't want you to tell me how well J.K. Rowling writes, or that academics are writing papers about it, or that Harry Potter can be read on many levels. 'Clifford the Big Red Dog' can be read on many levels too: One, he's a big red dog; two, if you read it after you're 4, you're a moron.

I read 50 pages of the first 'Harry Potter' book, and it seemed witty, imaginative and fast-paced. It also seemed like it was for children. It's about wizards and magic cats and evil stepparents, and has a reading-level that is only slightly above this column.

Judy Blume wrote well too, but you don't see adults poring over 'Freckle Juice' on the train. No matter how well-crafted 'Harry Potter' may be, I'm betting that with a little work you could find an adult novel from the last three centuries that is nicely written too, and possibly explores characters with a shade more complexity.

I know reading is hard. I try to avoid it whenever possible. But if I'm going to sit down and read a book, I'm going to get something out of it other than the ability to have a conversation with my second wife, who isn't even born yet.

I'm sorry you were born too late for J.K. Rowling, but you had your C.S. Lewis and E.B. White and J.R.R. Tolkien. Isn't it a clue that you should be ashamed of reading these books past puberty when the adults who write them are hiding their first names?

I'm sure the Potter books are fun. I bet a night of Fun Dip, piñatas and Sit N Spin would be great too. I think I may have a film to pitch to Cinemax.

After a generation of boomers choosing to remain in a state of stunted adolescence — wearing jeans, smoking pot and cranking their BMW stereos to blast Eminem songs they clearly don't like — the next generation has opted for a stunted toddlerhood. Adults see 'Finding Nemo' without bothering with the socially accepted ruse of dragging an unwilling 11-year-old nephew along. Grown men play video games and couples go to Disneyworld on their honeymoon, often for reasons other than having sex in Cinderella's castle with the dwarfs watching. You need a wad of Disney Dollars for that one, by the way, 50th anniversary or no 50th anniversary.

When we share our entertainment palette with the Wiggles set — watching comic book movies and teenage singing talent shows — we deny an attempt to understand human emotion.

I took both my grandmothers to see the Warner Bros. movie about the first 'Harry Potter' book because Aaron Brown let me fulfill my ultimate media dream by having them review it live from Mama Ann's condominium.

In addition to Mama Ida claiming that one of the kids was hard to understand because she might have been English and referring to the special effects as 'scenery,' my grandmothers eventually made the one cogent point that other reviewers missed: The story is stupid if you're over 13.

A culture that simplifies its entertainment down to fairy tales is doomed to simplify the world down to good and evil. And a culture in which adults go see the 'Harry Potter' movies still won't be enough to help the useless Time Warner options I got in the '90s, so you might as well buy something from the back of the bookstore instead. You won't have to wait in line for 'Ulysses.'

Re: Harry Potter Fans

I'm sorry mary...as someone who doesn't get HP I have to agree with Joel Stein. Would much rather read something else (never mind watch, DH on the other hand is a total fan and can't get enough)... Please don't hate me!

Re: Harry Potter Fans

Have you read the books?

I think Joel should have gotten past page 50 before he judged. It's one thing to not like the books. Everyone has an opinion. I for one, can't get into LOTR, but some of the things he says in his editorial are just completely unfounded and ridiculous.

Re: Harry Potter Fans

No, I haven't. But it's not for lack of trying, it's just for lack of interest. I personally don't like 'fantasy' type books...witches, spells, don't do it for me. BUT I understand that most people love that stuff. Maybe I'm just weird?

My DH on the other hand is the BIGGEST dork when it comes to HP and LOTR. OMG, I was shocked at his enthusiasm for both!

I can see how Joel's writing would annoy anyone since he is making pretty bold generalized statements. Have you tried to find HP info since some books were leaked in Canada? I think for a fan, it would stink to know the ending before reading the story. What's the point of waiting so long? I hope they don't leak any major plots.

Re: Harry Potter Fans

What an AZZ!!!!

Critisizing anyone on their reading preferences is riddikulus!!! (LOL HP fans get it )

But seriously, you dont see me mocking the girl reading men are from mars or the guy whos got tuesdays with morrie b/c i dont get those books.

Judging anyone on something they like is horrible and intimidating...i want to send him a copy and include a nasty stink bomb

Re: Harry Potter Fans

I completely understand not wanting to read it. I am NOT a Sci Fi fan, and I re,meber when the HP craze started. I was 17 and I was an assitant teacher/intern at a camp and my students were 8-9 years old and they kept asking me 'Do you read Harry potter? and I was like 'umm..I don't read children's books' But then a year or so later my friend was reading it after her little brother begged her to and she said it was actually very good (not a dumb girl..a student at a little school called MIT, Maybe Mr. Stein has heard of it?). Anyway, I loved the books and the rest is history.

But the thing about the article is that he's making a complete judgement on the books wihout reading them, saying they don't delve into human emotion, when that's 100% what they're about. There are issues of slavery, racism, politics, etc etc. it's a FAR cry from Clifford the Big Red Dog, and to called people stupid for reading them is stupid, IMO. Mainly I thought the article was funny. And some people online who have commnneted on it had very good answers for him. LOL It isn't as though people read Harry Potter because they can't handle more challenging stuff, it's because it is compelling, interesting, well written, emotional. etc etc. The same reasons people genrally read any book. not every book has to raise your IQ.

About the leaks. I heard the store was trying to get people who had bought it to return the books and was trying to get an injunction to make them keep their mouths shut. I haven't really looked for it. There are SO many rumours out there, the biggest of which have been completely quashed by JKR. I think it's a lot of fun to read the rumours, only because most of them are fake and the clues JKR does give still live ti wide open. Maybe I'm dense, but I never know what's going to happen in teh next book, but I think it's fun to think about it/discuss it.

I don't remember how I knew, but I knew Sirius was going to die in Book 5, and I was really disappointed.

Re: Harry Potter Fans

I agree about your frustration mary...he did make some pretty broad generalizations that were condescending, to say the least.

But JPC1125 - I love, love, love tuesdays with Morrie! And the follow up 'the five people you meet in heaven' was just amazing...! So yes, I'm one of 'those people'.

Re: Harry Potter Fans

BUMP for all the HP fans, because I can't wait!

Re: Harry Potter Fans

I have had pretty much the smae argument with my brother. He thinks it is for kids because it is fantasy. There is alot of fanatsy out there that is not written for kids though, & a lot of it just isn't good. If it was completely written for kids, then adults would be able to figure the mysteries out right away & it probabaly wouldn't hold much interest.

And also just because something involves kids, doesn't mean it is for kids.

If you just don' elie fanatasy, you just don't like fantasy, but these books are more mainstream because it is a more accessible type of fantasy partly because the characters are very human & relatable.

Re: Harry Potter Fans

That's why I like it. I like fantasy only if there's a very plausible explanation for it, and there's alreadya system in plce for how it's hidden from the real world. As in, the fantasy world it creates has to be able to exist side by side with the real world.

Exactly. That's sch a good point about adults being able to figure it out if it really were a children's book. I mean I have so many children's books I'd never read now, or read again. If HP readers were all stupid and lazy, then I could just pick up my babysitter's club in between harry potter books to keep me occupied( they must be up to book 1200 by now..LOL)..but the HP are so deep. it's not like muppet babies or spongebob where there are a few adult jokes that go over the kids' heads, or there's some over-arching allegory that kids don't get. it's just involving for adults and kids, and actually when I read them I realize how dark and complex thet are and I'm amazed that kids are reading this.