To not understand the appeal of Harry Potter...?!

[Scaramoose]

This is lighthearted btw...

I am off to Florida with DH and DS (6) in a few weeks and we have watched the first Harry Potter film and also been looking at the Harry Potter stuff at Universal.

The film bored me to absolute tears. The characters seemed two dimensional and wooden, the story dragged and the names for things, eg Muggles, just irritated. I shared this view with my sister who couldn't believe I didn't like it as she thinks it is 'absolutely brilliant' and 'incredibly clever.'

DS will love it, as he did love most of the film (I say 'most' as it's so long) and I wouldn't want him to know what I really think but I really, honesty, don't get it! The pretend platform at Kings Cross and the queue outside the HP shop in York also flummoxed me as it's obviously such a big deal for so many people! Im amazed something that seems so dull has done so incredibly well (and from what I have heard about JK Rowling she is very level headed about it, which is lovely.)

Am I the only one...?!!

HP books are the pits tbh. Baggy, plotless, poor characterisation, atrocious dialogue and narrative...('said Mrs Weasley happily, shaking more sausages out of the pan...)

however, I might be an English Lit grad, but I am not a millionaire like JKR so perhaps I should pipe down.

YANBU. Harry Potter is utter shite. I cringe when I see adults reading the books.

Gosh, Lipstick, you need to get a life.

You cringe when you see an adult reading a certain book? You need to have a word with yourself about why you care so much about what other people enjoy.

The books are wonderful and JK Rowling is a genius for getting a whole generation of children excited about reading again. I like the films, but they are not a patch on the books.

Don't go to the crappy American Harry Potter experience though - go to the real thing at Leavesden.

JKR oversaw the whole development of the Wizarding World so I'm not sure I'd call it a "crappy American experience"... In fact she refused to give Disney the rights because she didn't agree with their plans. She also instructed Universal that they had to keep the scale of Diagon Alley accurate, even though it was capping the capacity of their park, or she would not allow it to be built.

YANBU I don’t get it either, I read the first couple of books but I thought they were pretty rubbish.

I find it odd how so many people obsess over it, go crazy over new HP stuff in Primark or whatever but then I feel that way who obsessed over the Beauty and the Beast stuff too.

You obviously either have the 'Harry Potter gene' or you don't - my (now adult) DD who hardly ever read fiction, and hated most of my recommendations (Antonia Forest, D Wynne Jones, Nesbit) took to the HP books when she was aged about 12 and obviously finds something very special in them. Honestly, I wish I did too.

The books are badly written. The characters are as flat as pancakes. The obsession with “the overwhelming power of a mother’s love” makes me want to vomit.

Having said that, you could say the same about Enid Blyton books (which HP rip off shamelessly). I wouldn’t read them through choice either, but I loved them when I was 8 and that is the target audience.

And Universal Studios will be fantastic. You don’t need to have seen the films to enjoy the rides - I had never seen or even heard of Earthquake, Towering Inferno or half of the other 1970s disaster films the rides were based on when I went as a child (which was in the 1990s, the films were way out of date), but I still loved it.

I was a vicarious reader when I was a child and read literally everything I could get my hands on. I then worked in a book shop for nearly five years in my late teens/early twenties, spent two years of that in charge of the children's section. As a result, I have read all the 'popular' new series, as well as smaller ones and hidden gems.

I can confirm nothing is better than Harry Potter.

I don't get it either. And I've tried reading the books - dull dull dull. It annoys me that I don't like it though as so many people do that I feel like I'm missing something!

I hated the films but enjoyed the books (obviously didn't consider them great literature but got into them). I'm not really into the geeky aspect of dressing up going to visit the film set etc of any film anyway. (mainly because I'm too lazy not because I'm too cool!) so that aspect doesn't appeal either.

The films are crap, the books are brilliant. Read the books and then form an opinion on Harry Potter.

I loved them as a child and I still love them now.

I have read the books, (well the first two before I tossed them aside) and have formed an opinion that they are rubbish. genius rubbish mind you

I was the same age as the Harry Potter characters as they grew up, I feel like I grew up with them. The books are magical, the plots are out of this world. Jk Rowling is a genius, the way she wrote in things from years ago into the final books. there’s a reason why they’re so popular!

Harry being painful and irritating - and not just irritating as teen boys are, being a whiny boil on the face of humanity

I'm so glad someone said this

I am Harry Potter obsessed, absolutely agree with all the suggestions to read the book! Honestly though, I HATE Harry. He's such a massive , self obsessed arse. How many times have your friends saved your life now Harry? Maybe try acting like a friend in return.

Dobby is the real MVP

" the plots are out of this world."

like I said, baggy and plotless.

But maybe that’s why the books are so good? You don’t like everyone in real life, you don’t have to love every character. The very fact that the characters are all so different mean well all like different characters - it appeals to the masses!

Baggy and plotless?
Yes seven books that sold millions of copies, the films that came afterwards, the Harry Potter studios and Harry Potter experiences..
You’re right.

oh and the poor characterisation.
What do we know about Luna Lovegood? nothing.

What do we know about the Weasleys? they have red hair.

and so on, and so on.

A quick google tells me JK made 15 billion from the franchise, and is the worlds richest author. I wish I’d thought of her baggy, plotless books!!!

yes baggy and plotless...

I know they appealed to children who didn't normally read, and that was great. I guess they didn't have much to compare it to.

You’re right, she made 15 billion out of writing shit because there were NO OTHER books to read for children. Like I said I wish I’d thought of it!

I am not arguing with JKR's riches and success though. Fair play to her. However these books do not stand up to any kind of literary scrutiny. I daresay she is well aware of that.
They made great movies and lots of money - I know.

Why do books need to stand up to literary scrutiny? Why can’t people just enjoy them? Which they absolutely, inarguably did.

that is true redrosebelle.

However they are still atrocious. I cant help it , I did Eng Lit at uni..