harry potter: last book almost out - no spoilers!

While I did like Harry Potter when the first book came out, it has grown old IMO. It is no longer so good. In fact, I'm not sure what made it popular in the first place... The book's aren't even written that well...

Philip Pullman's 'His Dark Material's' trilogy (Northern Lights or Golden Compass, Subtle Knife, Amber Spyglass) is better BY FAR and there is a movie of the first book coming out in December.

ATM I am reading the first book in the Wheel of Time series by someone who I forgot. It's REALLY good, and is quite similar to the Lord of the Rings trilogy. I reccomend it to all!!!

Either way, I will read the latest Harry Potter book coming out just because I have read all the others and I see no point in leaving the series unfinished.

The films, as far and kid-level fantasy goes, are fair enough. Though as a film lover, I've never really enjoyed them. I'll watch them, but I've never once felt a genuine thrill or sense of fascination watching a Harry Potter film, certainly not like, say, something great like LOTR. The books, I trust are better, but I've never read them.

Childish writing is the least of the vices of the Potter books. Back when Hong Kong first caught the Potter craze, and schools were prescribing the books to their students, I browsed the first six chapters of the first book out of curiosity. The book was way below my expectation. It is written in a very mean spirit: Rowling does not so much depict her characters as vilify them, using descriptions that read like slurs: pig, rat, beach-ball with bonnet. There is a heated, almost personal quality about Rowling's mudsling, and I won't be surprised that the characters were based on real-life people that Rowling did not see eye to eye with. The characters' actions are startlingly irrational and unmotivated -- a top manager in a hardware firm throwing a hissy fit over a letter that his nephew receives? Very funny for sure, but if you care to invest your time and money on a book, you deserve something better.

I can venture some reasons why the Potter books caught on: the insistence on blood purity is a very British obsession: pure-blood wizards, powerful and noble, are top dogs; non-magical "muggles" are dumb, unimaginative, irrational, a waste of your time; half-breeds, objects of derision, tend to overcompensate and become arch-villains. This is a classical reflection of the British colonial mind-set, rarely having an outlet in these "politically correct" days.

British prejudices do not travel far, so publisher of the Potter books needs another trick to sell the book overseas: they package Rowling as an embodiment of the "American Dream": single parent, female, out of job, penniless, gaining success and recognition through her vision and her perseverance: everyday she would put her dreams on paper, in the romantic setting of a dinky cafe (while most broke and jobless people stay at home and drink instant coffee) -- so, stay true to your dream, and one day you'll make it. It is hard to concoct a better sales pitch.

I find it hard to believe that kids like the books because they identify with the author's situation. Perhaps the characters'...

Anyway, the books do become less simple as the series go on, so keep that in mind.

I read them because my sisters loved the books and they weren't terrible. That said, there is a lot of better fantasy out there obviously.

I've been considering getting the Potter game for the Wii only because it allows you to use the Wii Remote as a wand... but pretty much every game based on a movie has been bad, so I might just rent it.

I actually don't think so. I think all the Potter books have been pretty simple and straightforward throughout the entire series, which rather predictable and sometimes cliche situations. However, I do think the books are well written and the concept of the series is very appealling. We were actually talking about this at work the other day...what kid doesn't wish that they could go to some wizard school where all they learn is how to do magic? Also, since many of us grew up with the characters as they grew (I myself am just about as old as Harry right now), it's not very hard to be able to identify with the characters of the book. On the other hand, I've never really even thought about the author's situation aside from the fact that she took a risk and made it big. Especially with a series like Harry Potter, I can't really see the author's voice in the writing - I don't feel like I'm connecting with the author as much as the actual characters in the book.

So much hate here!

I'll keep it short: I've read all of the books more than once, and each time was completely awesome. I wouldn't have bothered if they weren't. They're very well-written and the plot is awesome. I think they're all great, and I will be out at midnight to get the latest one.

Same here. I think the writing is fine, and it gets better through the series. I just find the whole world, and especially the characters, to be so fanciful that I can't help put love the series. I recently reread the series in preparation for the seventh book, and while in retrospect the storyline of each book thus far is much of the same, it didn't feel that way while reading. Besides, part of the fun is the painful ambiguity at the end of the sixth.

Ugh it's killing me

my roommate sent me a link to ytmnd and ruined the ending.

Just in case you are worried about being caught reading a Harry Potter book, I found this pretty funny.

Haha some of those are great!

I know all the characters that die in the book!

SNAPE KILLS DUMBLEDORE!!!!

Oops, wrong book.

-Ed