The Official Harry Potter Book Discussion

[Ka-mai]

Yeah, some people criticize books without reading them and say they're NEVER gonna' read them...not that I'm talking about anyone specific.

My boyfriend? He won't read Harry Potter because he doesn't see any merit in children's literature. He is very stuck up about some things.

So, my sister and I definitely made Weasley gingerbread men. Get it? Gingerbread men... ginger kids... Weasleys....

I'm going to put up pictures as soon as I can. They're pretty neat.

[MonteGss]

I hope your boyfriend has never read The Chronicles of Narnia then. Or The Hobbit, or Tom Sawyer/Huck Finn, or Flowers for Algernon, or so many others I could name that can be considered "children's literature."

I admit that I was pretty much an idiot about the Harry Potter phenomenon for a short time....thankfully I found the error of my ways.

[MonteGss]

I was just wondering about how everyone liked The Tales of Beedle the Bard? I know it's a kid's book, but I really enjoyed the notes by Dumbledore at the end of each story.

John

It was a decent book. Dumbledore's notes were what really made it worth the read, imo. It was a nice half-hour relaxing read. If you own/read the Harry Potters, you should totally get it.

[fernandito]

I admit that I was pretty much an idiot about the Harry Potter phenomenon for a short time....thankfully I found the error of my ways.

Hallelujah!

(sp?)

[MonteGss]

I admit that I was pretty much an idiot about the Harry Potter phenomenon for a short time....thankfully I found the error of my ways.

Hallelujah!

(sp?)

I made fun of my sister about it for the first 3 books. I never criticized anyone for reading, I just gave my sis a hard time. She finally convinced me and I convinced her to read TDT. We both won!

[Ka-mai]

Matt never read Narnia either. I'm going to get my revenge when his/our kids ask him to read them out loud.

I didn't get into Harry Potter until my best friend forced them on me... it was either shortly before or after the fourth book came out. I didn't have any reason for not reading them, but I just didn't have a real reason for it either. I'm naturally skeptical of anything people go nuts over (Twilight, Miley Cyrus, etc.).

[jhanic]

Just curious, Ka-mai, does your boyfriend like Twain's Tom Sawyer? That can also be considered children's literature. But it, like the Harry Potter series, is much more than simple children's literature.

John

[Ka-mai]

No idea. Matt loves Vonnegut, Dick and Gaiman. He also won't read HP because he doesn't like fantasy, even though I swear most of Gaiman's stuff goes under that category, but noooo, apparently Gaiman is "so much more" and the Sandman "is a graphic novel, it's a whole different genre."

I know, I know, I'm rolling my eyes too.

[jhanic]

John

[flaggwalkstheline]

is it just me or did the last harry potter book (deathly hallows) kinda suck?
I really didnt like how severus snapes story played out, the ending of book six was amazing, Rowling crossed the line and I LOVED IT! and the in book seven it's like "no no he was in love with lilly and he killed albus because albus was dying and asked him 2" WTF?! that was like one of the sickest plot twists ever and book 7 totally retconned it!

[Ka-mai]

I loved it. I mean, I kind of figured that Dumbledore and Snape had something planned to keep Draco from becoming a murderer, and I also kind of thought there was no way she'd write 6 books about Snape seeming to be evil and then it turns out he actually is... that just seemed like it would go against all she wrote about things not being what they appear.

As for being in love with Lily... 8,232,496 fanfiction writers already called that one. So it lost points in my mind for being predictable/uncreative.... However, I did like how they knew each other way before Hogwarts and how they were friends (not just him gazing from afar) and how the whole "mudblood" scene played out so much differently when you knew the backstory.

When I read DH, I had the same reaction I did when I read DT7: at first I thought "ugh, it could have been so much better!" and then realizing that it actually fit pretty well. Only with DT i was literally mad for three days. DH was more indifference climbing upwards towards adoration (I've read it at least 4 times since it came out, no exaggeration).

[flaggwalkstheline]

see my complaint with it is that the end of book six it seemed like she HAD been toying with the readers for a decade and six books, thats an incredible plot twist, yet she decided to play it safe and make it so that it wasnt what it appeared to be, i was just dissapointed, maybe im just a sick bastard for having wanting snape to actually be evil

I felt it had a much more traditional ending for a fantasy series than DT7, HP7 was very influenced by the ending of lord of the rings where they go sailing to the grey havens, bittersweet
DT7s finale on the other hand is just a total mindfuck

[jhanic]

I personally thought DH was the best of all seven books. Rowling managed to tie-up almost all the loose ends that had accumulated throughout the series and in a logical manner. Plus the action scenes toward the end of the book were very well done. The only hang-up I had was that the middle of the book,

Spoiler:

in which the ka-tet was looking for the Hallows,

seemed to drag a bit.

John

[fernandito]

PLEASE MARK YOUR SPOILERS!

[jhanic]

Sorry, I didn't consider that a spoiler.

John

[JQ The Gunslinger]

I personally thought DH was the best of all seven books. Rowling managed to tie-up almost all the loose ends that had accumulated throughout the series and in a logical manner. Plus the action scenes toward the end of the book were very well done. The only hang-up I had was that the middle of the book,

Spoiler:

in which the ka-tet was looking for the Hallows,

seemed to drag a bit.

John

I completely agree! During the middle section of the book that is when I really wished they had gone to school.

[flaggwalkstheline]

ha u used the work ka tet, and it works

[Ka-mai]

Did you guys see that piece of flair on Facebook? It says

Spoiler:

"Alternate title for HP7: Harry Potter and the Prolonged Camping Trip."

Yes, it was a little long. But I'd rather have it a little long than a little short, because a little short would have made it seem like it was no big deal.

[flaggwalkstheline]

The funniest harry potter related item Ive ever seen was a t shirt that a friend of mine had when book 6 came out that said "Dumbledore dies on page 536 I just saved you 650 pages of reading, you're welcome"

[Ka-mai]

My Weasley cookies. In order: Arthur, Molly, Bill, Charlie, Percy, Fred, George, Ron, and Ginny. I even drew little icing glasses on Arthur and Percy.

[sarah]

that so freaking rocks!

[Ka-mai]

Thanks. My sister and I were kind of manic about it... I think we could have done with one more icing color, but whatever. Also, and I know this is getting REALLY neurotic about details, but at least two Weasleys have brown eyes, but we didn't have brown icing, so it was blue and green for everyone.

[sarah]

I was thinking the Percy glasses were a nice touch.

[Unfound One]

Those are amazing! Absolutely brilliant.

[Ka-mai]

Thanks guys. I'm glad everyone appreciates them so much, it makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside.