Pete's review
Harry Potter Box Set
by J.K. Rowling
i was curious after reading your review of the golden compass, about a book you would teach. and i have to say, i'm pretty disappointed to see the rave you have here. having only read the first book, but seen the adaptations so far, i cannot enjoy harry potter. he isn't a hero and he's never in danger. ron and hermione are, and as you say, she has dedicated a tremendous amount of effort into articulating the characters and the world they're in. given that, i can't forgive her a messiah. i can't identify with him, and i don't even like him, because he's so obviously not human.
i don't like them. it isn't because i have no childhood left in me, but because those books are utterly devoid of real children. the best possible ideals are therefore pretty much wasted on characters that don't wear them honestly, because they can't. i can appreciate that there may be craftmanship that i am not educated or well-read enough to appreciate, but those details did not emerge out of this review.
Pete's review
Harry Potter Box Set by J.K. Rowling
Pete's review
I'm a fan of the Harry Potter series, and I decided to re-read books 1-6 in anticipation of the final book. Deathly Hallows now behind me, my opinion remains steadfastly strong. Mostly, I appreciate the series because I believe that J. K. Rowling has done more for literacy around the world than any politician or legislature. She has inspired kids (and adults) to read, and little is more valuable in education than that.
But further, Rowling has created a body of work whose architecture withstands the kind of scrutiny that good English professors bring to university classrooms. She spent seven years fleshing out the details of the series before writing the first book, longer than John Milton spent writing Paradise Lost and Arundhati Roy spent writing The God of Small Things (five years each). She detailed personal features and histories for over 200 characters. She sculpted the plot of the entire seven book series before writing the first one. Actions in th...more
But further, Rowling has created a body of work whose architecture withstands the kind of scrutiny that good English professors bring to university classrooms. She spent seven years fleshing out the details of the series before writing the first book, longer than John Milton spent writing Paradise Lost and Arundhati Roy spent writing The God of Small Things (five years each). She detailed personal features and histories for over 200 characters. She sculpted the plot of the entire seven book series before writing the first one. Actions in th...more
i was curious after reading your review of the golden compass, about a book you would teach. and i have to say, i'm pretty disappointed to see the rave you have here. having only read the first book, but seen the adaptations so far, i cannot enjoy harry potter. he isn't a hero and he's never in danger. ron and hermione are, and as you say, she has dedicated a tremendous amount of effort into articulating the characters and the world they're in. given that, i can't forgive her a messiah. i can't identify with him, and i don't even like him, because he's so obviously not human.i don't like them. it isn't because i have no childhood left in me, but because those books are utterly devoid of real children. the best possible ideals are therefore pretty much wasted on characters that don't wear them honestly, because they can't. i can appreciate that there may be craftmanship that i am not educated or well-read enough to appreciate, but those details did not emerge out of this review.