Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
discussion
Does anyone else besides me hate Harry Potter?
HARRY POTTER IS THE BEST BOOK EVER! I LOVE IT I AM ON POTTERMORE AND SOOO WANTS TO GO TO ORLANDO! Just give it a chance ;) The books were so big that when I was younger, I would tease me friend about it dispite my passion for reading! I just started to read them and they are so detailed and just absolutely amazing! And let me tell you I'm a picky reader and I do criticize books (not out loud) when they sound stupid...Harry Potter isn't one of them, I love it!!!!!!! Just give the first book a chance, very short. I've devoured 4 of them so far!
You are insulting Harry Potter in a Harry Potter Book Discussion, you're very smart girls
Well my sister read the first one and thought it was boring but she didn't *hate* it.
Harry potter is not a really good book
Harry Potter is like the worst book series that ever existed and only a complete retard would read it. I read a few pages of it and i would rather burn in hell than keep reading it. If you like HP, you have some serious brain disorder.
Alexander wrote: "Harry Potter is like the worst book series that ever existed and only a complete retard would read it. I read a few pages of it and i would rather burn in hell than keep reading it. If you like HP,..."G8 b8 m8, I r8 8/8
Me, I couldn't get past the first chapter of the first book.
Bluedaizy wrote: "Wow. That's a mature comment...NOT. I bet you're 10, right??That goes for the creator of this discussion topic. If you don't care for a book, great! But elaborate on why you don't like the bo..."
I agree with this wise lady!
Oh, how mature. Judgemental much? I actually like Harry Potter. I absolutely LOATHE the Twilight series. The main female character just pisses me off. But I'm not going to go on a public forum and insult Twilight fans and call them idiots. Everyone has their favorite books.
I hate hp ...........how could some one love hp .............i absolutely hate it ........you could say that I am a fool but see it for yourselfhttp://www.buzzfeed.com/juliapugachev...
Plz see this site who loves hp and see why we hate hp
I love Harry Potter! I'm on Pottermore and everything! I've been to the Harry Potter Warner Brothers studio three times and read all the books and seen all the films...I started reading Harry Potter when I was 7 and didn't like the sound of it, but I was proved wrong. My whole family is Harry Potter mad! I just think J.K Rowling is an amazing writer, and even those of you that don't like Harry Potter, should at least keep in mind that she put a lot of work into this series of books. Harry Potter has actually changed many peoples lives and helped them to believe in themselves. My friend for example- she was an extremely shy person when I first met her, but since reading these books when I recommended them to her, she is a very different person now. All I'm saying is that It is fine to not like Harry Potter, but you've got to keep in mind that there are many people that really do like it!
Anushua wrote: "I hate hp ...........how could some one love hp .............i absolutely hate it ........you could say that I am a fool but see it for yourself"I still don't understand why that would make you hate Harry Potter. It's just a way of trying to find wrong in something, and I admit, there are many wrongs in HP but that's just mean!
J wrote: "I, myself, was rather unimpressed with the Harry Potter series. Considering the amount of praise the books have received, I was disappointed to find myself loosing patience with it fast. I was only..."That is certainly the fair way of thinking about it... I think you are right, It is a matter of opinion and when I first started reading them I was not to impressed either. But as I read on, I found my love for the books rapidly increasing! You are right...
You're not alone, I hate everything about HP and Rowling.
As a mild Harry Potter fan (enjoyed the books greatly, was disappointed in most of the movies, not active in the subculture/Pottermore/etc.), I think people here tend to be talking over one another and missing the point of the discussion. Barbarossa was spot on in pointing out that posters like Ginny weren't addressing the merits and shortcomings of the series through a critical lens; rather, they were merely stating their feelings and saying it was "bad." I'm not sure what kind of literature classes many of you have taken, but merely saying something is "bad" because it makes you feel things you don't want to feel is not literary criticism. It's perfectly fine for you to dislike the series for whatever reason, and many Christian posters in particular seem to resent the fact that witchcraft is involved and dark themes are explored. If these themes are too much for you to handle, then so be it, and your opinion is just as valid as any other. (Though I would like to point out that the Bible is just as dark as anything in the Harry Potter series, yet you seem to be just fine with your children reading about genocide and torture so long as it involves Biblical figures). However, your *critical* opinion is not valid without proper articulation, which exceedingly few of you have offered. The HP series is SUPPOSED to be dark. Real life is dark. Life is not always uplifting.
Expecting young adults (the primary audience of the later half of the series, where most dark themes are explored) to *only* read things which make them feel good, or that don't challenge their preconceived notions of good, evil, morality, ethics, social expectations, etc. is incredibly foolish. Why? Because ignoring dark themes that make you very uncomfortable or provoke you into questioning the social order is a hindrance to your intellectual and personal growth. This is not to say that the HP series are the only books that explore these themes, but they do it quite well for a series aimed at young adults.
For instance, the HP universe was very heavily inspired by events that transpired during the Holocaust, and explores themes that possessed great importance in Nazi Germany and that continue to be relevant in many societies today: racial purity, discrimination, propaganda, authoritarianism, the ethics of torture, genocide; the list goes on. To say that these books have "no substance" simply because they're "dark" is simply incorrect, as they undeniably address issues that are relevant to history and to society today. Whether you think the books did so *effectively* is a matter where you could engage in intelligent, critical debate; but so far, this discussion has been centered mostly on "I LOVE HP!" and "the books made me uncomfortable, so they have no value as literature."
The HP books are a great series for a wide audience, though of course they aren't everyone's cup of tea in terms of style or genre preference. Do I think they belong in an advanced literature class? No. They don't stand up to the same standards of literature in terms of sophistication, complexity, or conceptual intricacy as what you should be expected to read and critique in a literature course. Note that my reasoning is not "the books made me feel icky, therefore no one should read this trash." Why? Because your feelings DO NOT matter in literary criticism. Your argument does. So if anyone has something to add, whether positive or negative, I suggest you do so, keeping in mind that your feelings, as opposed to your critical insights, are irrelevant to establishing the literary quality of a book. Should anyone respond with a paltry "I hate HP and everything about it," we will all simply assume that you are either a child or merely incredibly inarticulate.
There is nothing wrong with people enjoying Harry Potter and making Rowling a wealthier billionaire, but for those who are tired of monsters, magic and "muggles", and looking for a group of young protagonists who are much more diverse in several ways, and looking for an underlying story that celebrates the ethic of parents working and sacrificing for their own children in preference to faceless collectives, rather than a simple good versus evil or revenge story, take a look at the beginning of a franchise that offers these alternatives, if you have an open mind to try something new.Look up "The Order of Right" on Amazon, if you dare. My two year old and his thousandaire parents thank you for your support!
Dude, you have just upset a lot of people who LOVE HP by calling us idiots. Just because you didn't like them doesn't make it right for you to be rude to those who do. Try to be a bit more respectful in the future will ya? I'm not saying you can't dislike HP, just that you don't have to be rude to those who do.
Kayla wrote: "The stupid book has no point at all! Only complete idiots would read Harry PotterAnd only a complete idiot would insult milliobns of people.
joshua wrote: "Kayla wrote: "The stupid book has no point at all! Only complete idiots would read Harry PotterAnd only a complete idiot would insult milliobns of people."
Totally agree with you there!!!
While "hating" is probably going a bit far, I would suggest that there are two groups of people not blown away by HP. (1) Fans of social realism, who would find the whole "school for witchcraft and wizardry" thing just meaningless and irrelevant. (2) Some of those at the other end of the spectrum, who have read *a lot* of fantasy fiction and find it quite derivative. See Ursula Le Guin's comments at https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry... for an example of this second category.
Sorry if I'm insulting millions of people, but I just don't like Harry Potter. I read the first book and thought it was great. When I read the second book? Terrible. I didn't even finish the book. Although this year, I'm going to read the whole book and make a list of things that were really bad about it, but only since some people want proof on why some people dislike Harry Potter.I don't mind the witchcraft, by the way. That's not why I dislike it. And no, I don't think it was too dark. That's not why I dislike it either. Also, let it be known that everybody has their own opinion and feelings. Please respect mine. There's no reason for people's feelings to be hurt because they shared their opinion.
I read all of the books when i was a kindergartener-teenager & i still enjoy them, as well as the fandom, but i think they could be done better, in terms of writing style and characterization and after a while it disillusioned me with the series. It's just that I spent a lot of middle-high school shipping & reading fanfiction, and I honest to god believe that at least 5% of fanfics are better written and characterized than the actual book. That's probably 50,000+ fanfics that are better written!!! Here are my issues (none of which have to do with them being "dark" LOL! or witchcraft):It's frustrating to see the good guys constantly doing questionable things, but we never are meant to read them as questionable. For example, writing "SNEAK" on Marietta & wiping her mind at the trial, siccing the centaurs on Umbrige & many of Fred & George's actions are wrong to me but the authorial voice validates all of this, just because those characters are on the side of "good". It would be one thing if Harry were shown to be an unreliable narrator, but Rowling expresses her opinions about the world and morality through him.
Also, Harry and his friends are always vindicated in the end, and the bad guys always get "what they deserve". If "bad" characters ever got a real victory, maybe I would feel more sympathy for Harry, but as it is I don't end up liking him at all in canon, and turned to fandom for readings of him that I found more sympathetic. It was hard for me to hate the Slytherins or even the Death Eaters, because at least I wasn't intended to believe they had the moral high ground, and I always knew they would lose miserably in the end.
In terms of the style, there are huge chunks of exposition disguised as conversations that are incredibly tedious to read. A tiny part of me was relieved when Dumbledore died that I would no long be exposed to entire chapters of plot reveals without any action. That said, the books are often funny & they're kids books & i kinda enjoy the style.
I don't think the books have anything valuable to contribute on the theme of Nazism & WW2 that hasn't been said better. All they seem to imply is...prejudice is wrong & evil.
Basically I was drawn in by the quaint and compelling world that she created and all of the characters, but I just think she could have done so much more with them, like given them three dimensions. By the last book, I realized that I just disagree with her on some fundamental things & tried to enjoy them for what they were but it was still kinda ruined for me.
Just because you hate doesn't mean everyone should hate it.
Laura wrote: "I read all of the books when i was a kindergartener-teenager & i still enjoy them, as well as the fandom, but i think they could be done better, in terms of writing style and characterization and a..."The world is not divided into Death Eaters and everyone else.
Good guys do questionable things all the time. That's reality. And they're mostly kids. Their sense of morality is mostly "bad things should happen to bad people."
But even saying that, this book isn't a morality guide. It's not Religious Scripture. It's a children's fantasy series. What is it that speaks to a child's fantasy? Winning, overcoming your enemies and seeing bad people punished.
If anything it closely resembles the folklore of old. With it's eye for eye style of vengeance. Kids have always been drawn to that type of mindset. Why do you think the Grimm's Fairy Tales were so popular?
i dont think books should only feature perfect protagonists or whatever. but i think rowling herself believes "bad things should happen to bad people"
Kayla wrote: "The stupid book has no point at all! Only complete idiots would read Harry Potter!"You can hate a book, that is totally fine as everyone has their own opinions! BUT you shouldn't judge someone just because of something they like/dislike and going back to my first point, please respect that and give points as to why you dislike the book, instead of just targeting potter fans.
Stupid question. Hate leads to anger. Anger leads to suffering.
Why hate a book?
I do, it is a completely nonsensical book & serious. By all means, read my Review & you can add a comment too if You'd like.https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I <3 the Harry Potter series! I read the Harry Potter series in about 2 weeks I loved them so much!
I can not stand that crappy piece of crap. That whore of a writer got lucky because she can think like a preteen. There are so many better stories set in more interesting worlds. i am just glad she finished that piece of trash, so we don't have to deal with it any longer.
Actually, the Harry Potter books are filled with literary goodies that are being taught in school through ridiculously boring books today. I guess only an idiot wouldn't be smart enough to see that! :P
I am not a big fan. I read the first three, and enjoyed them somewhat. But by then I had started to get a little tired of them, and never finished.However, there's one big thing I will say in favor the series: it has survived (without any difficulty) the criticism of Christians who have always accused it of promoting occultism and satanism. Those accusations are of course total BS, and it was great to watch it become so popular and so mainstream, all to the consternation of those who would bear false witness against it.
Joshua wrote: "Kayla wrote: "The stupid book has no point at all! Only complete idiots would read Harry PotterAnd only a complete idiot would insult milliobns of people."
I agree.
I think Potter's were ok. I was/am too old to belong to the age group these books were written. It felt that these were written for people in same age group as main characters, so books got longer, more complicated and more violent/dark when series progressed.I have seen the movies and they were ok/enjoyable. I have listened 3 audiobooks and those were bit childis and dull, liked movies more. Of course I'm not a fan of any fantasy book, because all of them have same story behind and they fail with magic. They follow growth story of a teenager who will overcome several challenges and eventually saves a village, a town or whole world. in Harry Potter that killing spell Adava Kedavra is too simple and lf we let some schizophrenic or Tourette person loose, we have dozens of dead/missing people. So always killing and hurting spells seem easy and healing more difficult. (Yes this is explained in Star Wars and even in Bible that choosing the dark side is much easier)
So I don't like epic journey, good vs. evil type stories (is there any other kind?) and these fall in that category, victory in the end was expected and there was no any threatening moments.
A short story about a dynamic American businessman who is visiting his properties in Scotland when he is told by a mysterious lake monster that he and only he was born with the powers necessary to free the world from the terrors of the Magic Ministry. Guaranteed to be an eye-opener for people who have heard only one side of the story.
https://www.amazon.com/Make-Wizardry-...
Kayla wrote: "The stupid book has no point at all! Only complete idiots would read Harry Potter!"Agreed. I hated it. For so many reasons! First of all, because there really is no sense of danger. You know perfectly well that little Harry will kill baddie Voldemort, and save the day, and that no one important will die. Well, I guess the old idiot Dumbledore died. But he was a hundred and fifty. Second because I HATE how they describe humans. Muggles? We are too afraid of being called crazy to investigate mysteries? Um, no. Wizards aren;'t even that careful. Sorry, but mind charms can't be completely effective all the time, and eventually too many humans would discover something for the memory patrol to get to in time. ESPECIALLY if they allow wizards to mingle with mortals. Voldemort had a pretty good point. They needed to separate from humans for safety. Third; The way they describe Death Eaters as being unable to make a patronus? Why? They are probably happy just like everyone else. They have families, they have ideals, they have favorite colors just like everyone. The idea that political party makes you evil is really sucky. I bet JK Rowling thinks that everyone that voted for Brexit is evil or something. ….and the list goes on…
Nava Cullen wrote: "You're calling a lot of people idiots, and you are the only one who hates Harry Potter."
A lot of people are idiots, and he is far from being the only one that hates Harry Potter.
Kjanela wrote: "Ginny you mentioned that your kids were honor students, I myself am an honor student, I pride myself in getting straight a's I really liked the books they used to be my favorite books, Also my frie..."If you were really an honor student you would write better. Your grammar sucks big time. I'm not going to dissect your whole post but it should read; Ginny, you mentioned that your kids were honor students. I myself am an honor student, and pride myself on getting straight A's.
You have no idea where to end sentences, how to separate phrases, or what should be capitalized. Also, there is no need to say that you really liked your favorite books. Obviously, if they are your favorite books, you liked them. If you are an honor student, then you must attend a school for idiots. That would explain you enjoying those wretched Harry Potter novels.
Mari wrote: "Your grammar sucks big time..."Your understanding of the distinction between punctuation and grammar sucks big time.
Hate him? Naahh... It's just a child's book. Little childs. Once you grow up a bit you realize how shallow and childish they are. Or... You are supposed to realize that! I read 6 of them and just drop out before the end. It became uninteresting and boring. Rowlings started to try 'darken' the story but they just became stupid. Can't hate stupid things, they just can help it....
Mari wrote: "I can not stand that crappy piece of crap. That whore of a writer got lucky because she can think like a preteen. There are so many better stories set in more interesting worlds. i am just glad she..."Alright, so I get you don't like the Harry Potter books and that's fine, everyone likes different things. But did you have to call J.K.Rowliing a "whore of a writer", or say all of these rude things? If you are going to say you don't like a book please give educated reasons why.
First of all, I don't hate Harry Potter. It was ok, but it would never even be my 20th book choice. Here is a list of things I didn't like about it: It was kind of a good vs bad book. I was never a big fan of those types of books. Most of those are so bland and predictable. The characters weren't relatable, and I felt as if the author were trying to throw a pity party for Harry. His home situation was so unrealistic, and I think that if Rowling had made the family express their dislike for wizards or whatever it is that made them despise Harry in a different way that would make the book so much better. Also, I get that when people love a book they read it over and over again, but there are so many more books out there that are way better and are getting ignored because people just like to read Harry Potter over and over again. All I'm saying is that people should branch out and find different books instead of sticking with one book or one series. Who knows? You might find one you like better. I'm not saying this goes everyone, for clarification. But if this sounds like you please take into consideration what I've said.
Also, people should be able to share their opinions without calling others names or getting called names. No one is inclined to like Harry Potter or dislike Harry Potter. If you like HP fine; if you don't that's fine too. Anyways, I was reading some earlier posts and noticed a few things about some books. I also saw someone saying that they hated having to read the definitions in Lemony Snicket's books and that those books were so boring. First of all, if you know the definitions then you can just skim through them, it's really not that hard. Plus, sometimes he includes funny things on those paragraphs. And although the chapters occasionally start off a bit slow, those books are hardly boring. If you get through the first page or so of the beginning of a chapter there is actually a lot of action.
I believe that no book is junk. The author put time into writing it, and even if you didn't like it it's still not a piece of junk. Everyone has different opinions, but that doesn't make someone's work junk either.
Because someone doesn't like a certain book doesn't make them the opposite of a bookworm. If you are a bookworm, I'm sure there are some books out there you weren't a big fan of either, but that doesn't take away the title of bookworm
People are given freedom of speech, so you can't disregard others' opinions. If I want to post my opinion I can, and so can you.
And lastly, since you HP lovers can ask people who didn't like it why they didn't like it, I can ask the same thing. Why is that series so great? I've seen a lot of people just saying HP is so great and nothing else. And if you don't like a certain book that doesn't make you an idiot. Some people on here are acting like their opinion is fact. Guess what? It's not. If you truly feel that everything you think is more important than everyone else's, then you shouldn't be on a group where people can post their opinion.
And finally, I was overall disappointed. I'd heard so many people telling me the book was the greatest thing in the world. So, of course, my expectations were high. When I began reading it, it wasn't bad and I didn't hate, but I was disappointed. It didn't reach my expectations. I finished the first, and started the second but never finished it. After hearing so much about it, I kind of got sick of it and became a little too disappointed with the series. So HP lovers, what do you like so much about the series? Was there something I missed, etc.?
Please tell.
I didn't like the series at all i thought it was lacking in point and the fact that she keeps dragging it out, annoys me to death! the story is dead, stop trying to extend it!!!
Mari wrote: "First of all, because there really is no sense of danger. You know perfectly well that little Harry will kill baddie Voldemort, and save the day, and that no one important will die. Well, I guess the old idiot Dumbledore died. But he was a hundred and fifty. ."Yeah, except for all the important people who die of course. Sirius, Lupin, Tonks, Snape, Bellatrix, Fred. Granted there could have been more deaths and more weight given to them.
As for good vs evil, that's a popular trope for a reason. Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, Sherlock, every Superhero idea ever etc etc ad nauseam. People like good vs evil.
"Second because I HATE how they describe humans. Muggles? We are too afraid of being called crazy to investigate mysteries?"
Yeah, it's not like we shun people who believe in "crazy mysteries." *cough* every conspiracy theory ever, aliens, paranormal activities *cough*
Besides, they were not important to the story. It's a bit of silly fun.
"Third; The way they describe Death Eaters as being unable to make a patronus? Why? "
Because a Patronus is sustained by positive magic. A sadist would have negative thoughts by default (according to "civilized" society.) Death Eaters are the Nazis, essentially. Easy to be called "evil" by a narrative. Much like the big bad "evil" they are sustained by thoughts that would be called repugnant by the "good guys." So they are not able to sustain enough positive thoughts to produce a patronus.
It borrows heavily from the Force from Star Wars. Negative energy produces specific results and positive energy does the same.
Also your hubris is showing quite prominently.
Kayla wrote: "The stupid book has no point at all! Only complete idiots would read Harry Potter!"thank you for calling me an idiot. I love Harry potter. and either you never read it and it's unfair for you to judge it so harshly as well as everyone who read it including me, or you read it and are calling yourself an idiot, therefore, that is not a very...for lack of a better word correct statement. also please do not call me an idiot.
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I don't particularly care for John Green's books, however I know very well why others do and I can easily find things in his books that I enjoy, that change me. Once again hating a book series is a pointless endeavor, of course you're allowed to challenge things that are so 'mainstream', perspective IS important... just do it in a way that is in a mature fashion. Giving no specific detailing of the ways in which you hate this book does absolutely nothing to help your case.