Did you guys read the series? If so, what did you think of it and the final book? (since its caused such a fuss over here, I mean they got a friggin' steam train and loaded it with people heading to platform 3 1/4 or something)
Ho! Ho! Ho! to the bottle I go
To heal my heart and drown my woe.
Rain may fall and wind may blow.
And many miles be still to go.
But under a tree I will lie,
And watch the clouds go sailing by.
-Drinking song
MintMan
Posts: 4061
Member #1
Jul 26, 2007 5:40
Having above an eighth grade reading level, the series was of no interest to me. I read through a bit of one of the large-typeface books someone brought in once. Feh. A rather bland read. That is to be expected, of course, from a children's series. I'm sure it does what it intends to do very well, but adults? Really? Says something sad about the society we live in...
Now, that doesn't mean I hate the series, but the stupidity it instilled in people certainly does!
"What's that?"
"It's a Basilisk."
"No it's not!"
"What do you mean? Yes it is."
"Nuh-uh. In Harry Potter, the Basilisk was a giant snake!"
"... There is so much wrong with that statement I don't even know where to begin."
Dragon_Kirby
Posts: 192
Member #226
Jul 26, 2007 6:00
T'hell with it. It's over now, the populace can return to its literary apathy.
COOKIE!
[Edited by Dragon_Kirby on Jul 26, 2007 6:01]
Battalon127
Posts: 753
Member #25
Jul 26, 2007 11:02
I'll admit, I had the book pre-ordered. I've been with this series since I was, well, the target demographic, and, as such, I'm willing to forgive all it's flaws. And really, I have no problem with adults reading and enjoying the books either. It's no different than movies targeted at kids that have appeal and enjoyment for adults as well (See: Shrek, anything by Pixar). What gets me are the extremists, on both sides. I mean, I had it pre-ordered, because if I didn't read it right away I guarantee it'd get spoiled, but I'm certainly not going to dress up all fruity and wait in line for it. Or buy a pricey book about what might happen in the final book. But at the same time, I can't stand the people who trash you for showing anything less than utter disdain for the series. You know the type. The ones who insist on coming into every Harry Potter discussion group saying "WTF IS WRONG WITH YOU PEOPLE!?! IT'S FOR KIDS!!!! YOU'RE A BUNCH OF RETARDS. ETC ETC." Or, even worse, the ones who hang around bookstores on launch night with bullhorns, shouting out key moments from story. Really, it's not worth getting that passionate about one way or the other. You'd think it were a religion or something.
As for the book itself, without being all spoilery (I'm not sure if anyone here is concerned about it, but the books been out less than a week so it's only common courtesy), it was... alright. It certainly won't end up my favorite of the series. I thought several parts seemed a little too contrived, and the whole "Deathly Hollows" thing could have been left out of the story completely and it wouldn't have suffered a bit, but overall, it provided closure well.
SailorSassyStar
Posts: 419
Member #19
Jul 26, 2007 18:14
I think I actually have to agree with everything that was said for the most part.
It is aimed at a younger audience and has a lower reading level, except when they bloody it up a bit so that the little chil'uns shouldn't be reading it. I loved the first three, but that's probably because I read them, as MM said, before 8th grade.
There are different kinds of children stuff though, or rather what I prefer to call family stuff. Shrek (Dreamworks) and most classic Disney stuff, while aimed at children, is still enjoyable for the whole family. I have to disagree about most of the Pixar stuff falling into this category, because other than Toy Story (which is a Disney classic anyway) it's all kid stuff. I don't know what Pixars you're talking about, Batt, but Finding Nemo, Monsters Inc., Cars and the like cutesy one time watches for anyone over the age of 7.
Anyway, I'll be rejoining the literary apathy group after I read the 7th book. It might make a bit more sense if I remembered the 5th book or had read any of the 6th, but I'd had most of it spoiled anyway so there's really nothing missed. 'Twas really funny how the 6th book was spoiled though. I warned a classmate of mine not to tell me, but I couldn't avoid hearing her loudly telling someone else who does the killing. A year later I heard the same person shouting out the name of the killee. Oops * 2 for her.
Lugiatrainer
Posts: 400
Member #20
Jul 27, 2007 2:20
Well, I'd have to say The Incredibles fits in for all ages, and it was done by Pixar.
** uses BlessedHealing cause it's his birthday *
Lugiatrainer uses BlessedHealing
Battalon127
Posts: 753
Member #25
Jul 27, 2007 9:51
I happen to like Monsters Inc. Sure it's kiddy, but that doesn't mean it's not better than over half of the maturer CGI-intensive movies out there. *cough, starwarsprequels* I'd say more on the subject but Lugiatrainer feels the need to steal all the attention in the topic talking about how it's his birthday and what-not. Geez Lug', its my half-birthday but you don't hear me going around announcing everywhere. Oh crap, I just did, didn't I? Eh, happy birthday then. * gives Lugiatrainer a MysteryBox * I was gonna give you a boat, but I thought about it, and a boat's a boat, but a mystery box could be anything! (if the next person to post doesn't finish this quote, I might cry).
How ironic. He's blind after a lifetime of enjoying being able to see. ~Homer Simpson
Battalon127 fabricates a MysteryBox
Battalon127 gives Lugiatrainer a MysteryBox
Afiag
Posts: 252
Member #242
Jul 27, 2007 10:50
Seeing as the first book was released when I was 7 or so, I read half of the books before I set foot in high school. My interest in them gradually dwindled, but not enough to prevent me from reading the rest of the books. Besides, I wouldn't read just half of a series anyways.
The seventh book was... well, not as great as I expected it to be. It was alright though. Alot of it was terribly slow-paced, and I didn't need to know Albus's life story, but it was okay overall.
I'll likely never read any out of the series again though.
"It might even be a boat. You know how much we always wanted one of those."
Birthday? Well many happy returns then... and other such manners.
* uses Blast on Lugiatrainer * If ignorance is bliss, then you must be orgasmic.
Afiag uses Blast on Lugiatrainer
Battalon127
Posts: 753
Member #25
Jul 27, 2007 15:57
To be honest, I really liked the whole Albus Dumbledore history plot thread. [Note:Here be Spoilers-]
First, the whole "Details of Dumbledore's Scandalous Past" media blitz arising so soon after the death of this great figure struck me as so true-to-life and typical of our society, we have to try to find fault in everyone. Harry's desire for the truth about this man who was so important to him (in many ways, the closest thing he had to a father) was identifiable, and frankly, I found the truth to be very refreshing. It's good to know that this important character in the story was neither squeaky-clean and nigh-on all-powerful cliche, nor the scandalous, living-a-lie low-life Rita Skeeter painted him out to be, but rather a fairly typical person, with tragedy and mistake in his past. And because of what we now know, all of his wisdom (and follies) of the past make more sense; we get a more complete view of his character in general. In fact, I find Dumbledore's past and Snape's past two of the best parts of the book.
Blade
Posts: 366
Member #99
Jul 27, 2007 23:56
Yeah I agree, I ended up reading the 5th and 6th books on the weekend the 7th came out then reading the 7th book during the week. It was good to find out about the character's history (Dumbledore was my favorite simply because of the way she wrote him and his speech) I don't think this book could really be a favorite because it didn't introduce much of a new plot and it was slow in parts. What it was meant for, that is, tying up all the ends was done very well and Rowling should be congratulated on capturing a wide audience (the billion dollars should help somewhat too I'd imagine). My favorite book would be the 3rd or 4th...the 7th killed off too many people in my opinion, but then you get that in war.
Troilism
EDIT: Just out of interest, what are everyone's favorite books/authors?
I know it'll prolly sound redundant now, but, yeah, HP was a wee bit under my radar. I could understand fully following the series if it came out when in the intended age range, or even close to it, but I was far out there when it came out. Besides, that seemed like the stuff that was just made for movies. Good story but a piss-poor vessel. Wrap it up in something other than simple sentences that put me to sleep, and I'd give a s*** Tho', I've still yet to see even half of them or something. Apathy!
I'm a horrible reader, really. Most things zonk me in no time. I actually strive on overly complicated, cumbersome material to keep my gears a'cranking. Toss me some Jordan R. Dickson and good ol' J.R. ... R. Tolkien That junk makes for some good reads.
Back to normal reads, they did it right back in the day. Someone mentioned violence somewhere in here. Fah! Fah, I say over "feh" for typo-uncorrection! Why, the very first page of The Hobbit contains decapitation to which the disembodied head is rolled into a hole to create golf! Murder and death abounds in old literary tales. Fact is, if it ain't visual, no one will complain, 'cuz "children have trouble distinguishing between fantasy and reality, so they can't tell when something isn't real. Oh, unless its just 'words'. They can tell its not real then, for some reason. But a cartoon!? Heaven forbid, their stupid little minds things that's real, despite its horrible unrealistic and, duh, cartoonish appearance."
Was there a point to this? I forget. But, yeah, Hobbit rules. Kicks LotR in the ass. Where else can you find a book that mentions "faggots" in a chapter called "Queer Lodgings" and it isn't referring to homosexuality? "Your father is a bastard, Your mother is a whore.
Your eyes are on your ass, Your brains are on the floor."
- Soccer Tribe, Frank Mackey & the Keltic Cowboys
There is so much wrong with that statement I don't even know where to begin."
* gives Lugiatrainer a MysteryBox * I was gonna give you a boat, but I thought about it, and a boat's a boat, but a mystery box could be anything! (if the next person to post doesn't finish this quote, I might cry).
That junk makes for some good reads.
