On anti-HP-hype

[conuly]

A lot of people on my friends list today have posted about how they don't want the new HP book when it comes out. Harry Potter is derivative, a rip-off. It's badly written. It's in serious need of a good editing job. It's overhyped!

Well, yeah. I know!

I have always liked literary fluff. I still have very fond memories of the Baby-Sitters Club books, and of the Sweet Valley Twins series. I will happily read cheesy sci-fi novels with plot holes big enough to drive trucks though. (I also watch Lifetime and Disney made-for-tv movies, which really should give an indication of my taste). Yes, I read and enjoy serious works as well, but I've always felt there was a little bit of fun in reading candy. Or mocking it, whatever.

Am I the only one who sees it that way? Don't take Harry Potter so seriously. Read it, laugh, and move on with your life. Or don't read it. But don't diss those of us who happen to like badly-written books and movies.

Comments

[sgt-pooh.livejournal.com]

I am a Children's Literature major. I was and still am a reader. I've studied what makes good literature, but in the end, it's what's being read that makes the difference. Literature comes alive when it's shared. JMHO
I grew up when reading wasn't the "thing". You'd never catch kids reading, ever. Except for me, of course, but I was always the weird, smart kid. LOL JKR may not be the best author in the world(that would be Tolkien, in my book), but she did make it ok for kids to read, so for that I salute her.
I would have never picked the series up, if it hadn't been for the hype surrounding the first book. I read all banned books I know about, it's just a thing I have to do. I loved it. I gave a HB copy to my 8 year-old for her birthday that year. She never got HB, so that was a statement in favor of the book right there.
I teach Jr. High and all of my kids read! It excites me to no end. :) They are reading HP and "Unfortunate Events" and lots of other things. I love HP myself, but the "Unfortunate" series? Ug. Would I tell them it's drivel? Never. It's not my cup of tea, but if they like it...
I cringed through my child reading Babysitter's Club and Goosebumps. I never stopped her from reading it, I just knew there was better stories out there. She's found them now. We read together. I read books first, she reads them, then we discuss. Everything from "Catcher in the Rye", "Lord of the Flies", LOTR, to HP. It's lovely. We love the HP series most of all at the moment. It's fun for us and and THAT is all that matters.



btw, I love Terry Pratchett, too. It's great escapist literature. I have yet to die of embarrassment and I'm 38. No offense.

[missfahrenheit.livejournal.com]

I love HP and Pratchett because they're so wonderfully escapist. Mind you, I also think they are well-written, if only because they're so wonderfully, amazingly absorbing. I've just re-read Feet of Clay and am absolutely amazed at how every single piece fits together. You can probably say the same for HP as a whole, because even though there are plot holes there's more clues and foreshadowing than you can shake a stick at.

I do love ASOUE, and for me I think it's Snicket's/Hander's writing style. The actual plots are paper-thin (barring the mystery of VFD!), but the way they're written is so quirky and wonderfully unusual that I keep going back to them :)