Harry Potter , for all its detractors

How can it be a bad book when it is getting a vast amount of Children reading,and adults for that matter.The current standard of literacy is dreadful at all levels ,probably at the lowest its ever been.Tina might be able to comment on that.It is immaterial what the book is about realy, the main thing is its getting people reading and so expanding their minds and vocabulary,not ony that its getting people talking too, thereby social skills take an upturn.Children will always follow trends, and Harry Potter is becoming such.If you aint read it you are not in the "in" crowd in a lot of places so the kids all want it if only not to be missing out.As their friends chat about the exploits of HP more and more get into it just to feel a part of it,and therefore they are learning whether they want it or not...I personally have read a few and can take or leave them, but I certainly think on the whole they are doing good.But you cannot beat a good "janet & John"

 

Agreed.

Personally I think the HP books are formulaic, poorly written at times and pee'd on from a great height by many, many other 'fantasy' book seriesthat go relatively unnoticed. But if the kids are mad for it, then that can only be good. Ours can't stand 'em - prefer the Anthony Horowitz books.

 

well I prefer Tolkien, and have done since wayyyy before it hit the cinema , but

he can be a bit heavy going and arguably over detailed at times, but I still love it.Also David Eddings and Julian May.

 

If you like that sort of stuff try

Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series, Tad Williams (memory, sorrow & thorn) or Stephen Donaldson (The chronicles of Thomas Covenant)

All Tolkienesque epics, particularly The Wheel of Time, but well worth reading.

 

RE: If you like that sort of stuff try

That Tad Williams trilogy is one the best things I've ever read. I'd stick my neck out and say it's the nearest anyone's got to LOTR.

 

agreed

though the wheel of time has me hooked too but 11 (and counting) 400+ page volumes is a bit daunting.

 

Terry Pratchett

nearest thing to python youcan can these days.
And he's not a Jk Rowling fan.She once said she didn't consider what she writes as fantasy.
He said he would have thought that writing about witches and wizards and spells,flying brooms,giants and what not might have given her a bit of a clue.Class

 

Raymond E Feist. The master.

 

rose tinted glasses

i don't believe that Harry Potter gets people reading who wunt have read a book anyway

 

well you quite obviously did not read what I actually said then nt

 

"i don't believe that Harry Potter gets people reading who wunt have read a book anyway"

Then you're a complete joey.
My nephew wouldn't touch a book - then the pressure from most of his friends reading Barry Potter & the Hatstand of Doom meant he's now queued up at midnight for every one.

You could be right though.
I'm sure not a single child has ever felt pressurised into doing anything by their friends.
FFS sideways, on a stick, au gratin ... in a soup.

Yours in literature,

Stevey T.

 

RE: Terry Pratchett

Also a much better writer who openly ridicules the "your father, the King,...." or the "overheard conversations" school of narrative that JKR uses so often. Having said that I agree that any book that gets people reading is a fine thing and I will read the new HP book. For those of you with kids why not introduce them to Pratchetts "Nome Trilogy" of Truckers, Diggers and Wings? For those without kids why don't you read them anyway.

 

kids of today

need shooting then. whatever happened to happy slapping? now they're all reading????