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Posted by meridianday on 16-07-2005 at 10:56:

Obligatory Harry Potter topic

The world has gone Harry Potter mad.

Last night, many book shops here were open until midnight, so people could go and get their Harry Potter fixes as soon as legally possible.

The papers have gone schizophrenic about it, with the same publications hosting "I hate Harry Potter, why is he still in that same old 50s style quaint school instead of going out and using his magic to mug old people and get himelf ASBOs" alongside their "Our readers are going to blog their thoughts and feelings as they start reading their copies of the book at exactly midnight" columns.

The media are rejoicing in banality and worship at the same time. Hype it down and hype it up. Sell the papers to people who hate it and people who love it too. Entertain the uninterested with tales of schoolchildren banned from school Harry Potter dress-up days due to the local vicar spreading tales of "tempting the children towards the powers of dark forces".

But it's only a book. Very well marketed and exploited. but still only a book. I wonder what proportion of the english speaking world will have read it by this time next year? What proportion of the whole world, since it's translated into so many languages?

I wonder if I will have read it? I've bought the book for my husband, and the postman, whose arms appear to have been stretched by the number of copies of it he's been delivering on his patch this morning, has delivered it. If only he was so timely with our other post. But that's a digression.

How much do you care about Harry Potter? Did you stay up all night speed-reading your copy? Will you be reading it? Will you be burning it? Are you doing your best to ignore it?

__________________

Mallanox : "My mother was Irish and my father was an alien. I was an only child and I dress funny." Devilstar

Posted by Buffy on 16-07-2005 at 13:33:

Being a librarian, I am of the "Hey, ANYTHING to get kids to love reading" bandwagon.

I started reading it because it was hypocritical not to do so. I gave it 1 chapter. I'm still hooked. It is one of the better books out there for adults and kids. Rowling knows how to spin an addictively entertaining yarn.

Plus, any excuse for a good party, be it midnight or two am! Whoot!

All said though, I kind of wade through the fanaddicted junkie gradeschoolers and teenagers with a bemused smile and tolerance, since, hey, if it were Elfquest (My own personal downfall) , I'd be dressed up and drooling along with them. LOL

The media, I'm hopefully learning to ignore, since they can be the literary equivilant of hyenas or buzzards, squawking, screaming, and collecting around any large kill for a piece of the action. (Jaded, me? Naaaaw!)

Oh, and uh...I'll be picking up my copy after work today and spending the rest of the day speed reading it....all for the sake of my job you understand. LOL LOL!

__________________

"Spider sense....tingling."

Posted by ThornGenX on 16-07-2005 at 13:44:

I fell for the hype and bought a copy of the book last night, for myself. While at a nearby 24 hour grocery store, I saw the book being passed out. Before I saw the books, I really did not plan to buy one right away. I have watched all the Harry Potter movies and read all the books, but don't really collect Harry Potter items (except for 2 stuffed Hedwigs).

Now along with my lunch ingredients, I have the new Harry Potter book. Since the call volume at the call center I work in seemed at an all time low, I had some time to start reading the book. The storyline grabbed me and I will be reading part of the book before bed this morning.

My back wards schedule involves a regular night shift, from 9 pm to 5:30 am pacific time (my home time zone). I call it 9 to 5 upside down. I may add "with a twist" on the end of that phrase. Instead of having Saturday and Sunday nights off, I have Sunday and Monday nights off as my weekend.

__________________
ThornGenX
Man looks in the abyss, there's nothing staring back at him. At that moment, man finds his character. And that is what keeps him out of the abyss.

A quote from the movie "Wall Street" 1987

Posted by stardust on 16-07-2005 at 14:41:

An upside down 9-5, that's kinda cool.
I will be getting the book and I am on a wait list. When I get it, I get it.
I like to enjoy a book and not race through it. Right now I just finished Interview with a Vampire. Which incidentally, am I the only one who wanted to slap Louis constantly throughout the book?
So Harry will get his turn, in the order I plan to read him. I like the story alot, but that series is not as serious an addiction for me as say, oh I don't know, Anita Blake?

__________________
Stardust

A villain must be a thing of power, handled with delicacy and grace. He must be wicked enough to excite our aversion, strong enough to arouse our fear, human enough to awaken some transient gleam of sympathy. - Agnes Repplier

Posted by Buffy on 16-07-2005 at 17:25:

Topic Hijack

Brief Topic Hijack to answer Stardust:

Interview with the Vampire:

I loved Louis when I was 19. His broody angstiness was so sexy. In retrospect, part of it was the alure was the fact that he was older than my country and in his prime. Something worldly and tortured. Surely with that much experience, there was a good reason for his pissing and moaning? Now, almost 15 years later, I just keep thinking, isn't there such a thing as growth through experience? Even for the unchanging 'becoming-more-truely-what-they-already-are' vampires? Oh God, immortality wasted on THAT titty baby? Angst and self absorption are fine as the defining factor for the teenage through early twenties age bracket. Those years are all about passion and self exploration, but gimme a break Louis! You're 200 YEARS OLD!

Yeah, he's still kinda hot and still definately complex, but I'm with you Stardust. He needs a good smack.

__________________

"Spider sense....tingling."

Posted by Tajiri on 17-07-2005 at 02:29:

When the last Harry Potter book came out I stood in line at Borders at midnight to get my copy of the book. That line was soooooooo long. Now that I think about it I don't know why I did because I'm JUST reading the book now and am only about a quarter of the way through it. As for this one that just came out I did get it but I didn't wait in line at midnight this time. (After working for 15 hours the last thing I wanted to do was stand in line for a book that I'll probably end up reading months later the way I am.) I went to Borders this afternoon, waited in line for about 2 minutes and bought the book.

As far as the whole Harry Potter thing goes though, I love it. I think I saw the first movie and loved in then instantly bought all the books up to that point. I think the world that J.K. Rowling has created is amazing. It's one of the few things that I've read or seen that I wished I could be part of that world. Besides that how can anyone criticize anything that is getting kids to read? People bitch and moan about how kids spend too much time in front of a TV or computer or how they play too many video games. If a book can keep them away from those things for a while it's a good thing. Granted for many kids it would be great if they went outside and got some physical activity it would be great too, but that's a different topic all together. Look at all the people that were inspired by the books written by J.R.R. Tolkien or other countless other writers. At some point I'm willing to bet there will be some kid that grew up reading the Harry Potter books and will be inspired to create some that will capture the imagination of the next generation, just as Rowling has done.

Posted by Ronin on 17-07-2005 at 15:19:

reminding me of this.

`I, Jessica Amanda Salmonson, haunt used bookstores for interesting non fiction books, which are ever so helpful in the art of the fictioneer. (she lists arcane and fastinating tomes..) Somehow modern fantasy and SF fiction rarley appropaches the richness and imagination of these. so Ive learnt not to be influenced by my colleages fiction in as much as I want mine to be interesting.`

I rarley read fiction these days.

Tengu (who is retelling an occult tale for the next part of `Tinys Journey`)

Posted by Berg Katse on 17-07-2005 at 23:13:

I'm with Tengu on this, I rarely read fiction these days as well. Non-fiction, stuff on healthcare, ancient civilizations, spirituality (includes new age, occult, etc) and religion, that's my main fare. It's more stimulating to my mind, as I find it's rare to find good SF/F fiction these days, particulary seeing so much is just a glut of franchises and formula writers. I've also come to hate ongoing sagas that run in stupid circles and never lead anywhere except to frustration, like Terry Goodkind's Sword of Truth cycle. At the fourth book, I gave up. Terry Brooks' new Shannara books have fallen to a tired and true formula that are terribly predictable. And as for SF...no, I won't go there.

Never read Harry Potter, don't want to. Had the premise summarized to me once, and don't like it. I'm a very picky bitch.

Sure, I'm happy children are reading. But I hate the price they're putting on the books (list price, $41, but they'll sell it cheaply for $23). I know a lot of children here that just can't afford that much for a book. But isn't it more about the profits, really? I've seen the merchandise that goes with the books--same deal. Rowling is a billionaire by exploiting children's love of the books. Noble? I think not (as you can see, the spirituality books are starting to really alter my view of the world, even moreso than it was). I'm just so disgusted with inequality.

As for Interview with the Vampire, I read it when I was 13. The religious and philosophical concepts were good, but Louis really needed a good kick in the ass. Speaking of that series, that went down the shitter the second Anne Rice became "famous". Memnoch the Devil seemed like a pointless modern day ripoff of Dante's Inferno, and it was so ... well, IwtV was written contrary to mainstream beliefs, which made it attractive. Memnoch was written in a way to change the entire tone of the damn series to turn all the wayward vampires toward salvation and redemption. Pampering to the masses--and most of her books from then on have been crap, doing the same sort of thing. Fan service, writing for the money, not for the art. (Ironically, Eddie Van Halen seems to have fallen into that pit as well, for those who have compared the band's two latest releases with the great music on VH3, which was panned to death by the fans).

Well, now my brain hurts again. Literally, I just woke up from a migraine breakout. Tongue Man, you guys make me use my cranium way more than I should.

Katse

Posted by Buffy on 18-07-2005 at 04:18:

Oh boy, Shannara is another series I can get on about. I read the first two and enjoyed them. After that, it was just reenventing the same formula over and over again like one of those fill in the blank stories you can screw around with online.

I get you on the non-fiction. I have been living in the Deweys at the library. Just finished a biography on Mary Queen of Scots. Also read a nifty book on Monsters in Folklore around the world. I also just finished a book on Russian Prision Tattoos.

As for Harry, sweet Harry. (Not so sweet these days). I don't begrudge Rowling her millions. I just wish I'd thought of it first. As far as a the merchandising, that's just a human truism: Value is assigned to what is most desired, and the money follows accordingly. If the kids (and adults) didn't buy it, it wouldn't sell. I'd be hypocricital of I said I had a real problem with it, and in the same breath ran out to buy my Star Wars (and Gatchaman) collectables. Okay, so the Gatchaman was given to me and much appreciated, but still.... It's a fanboy world eh? LOL

Nah, I guess I just don't have a real problem with consumerism, or rather, I don't get angry with things I can't change, and just concentrate on the things I can. Like not spending my money where I don't see value. Books too expensive? Just wait for the paperback or check it out from the library.

I may even risk Gatchahell by saying I think Harry Potter has a much more fascinating and complex universe and characters than Gatchaman. Definately much better written, but then that goes without saying considering the difference of medium among other things. *Buffy ducks birdrangs.

Actually, I'm not saying that to promote a huge debate, though they can be fun, I enjoy Gatchaman a great deal or I wouldn't be on the Gatch sites as much as I am. It is also interesting to note that while I love Harry Potter, I avoid the fan sites wholesale. But, I still think it's true that the Potterverse better written from the ground up.

Onward, I'm nodding my head off in almost agreement about Anne Rice. There are a few notable exceptions of hers I've enjoyed lately. Marreck and Servant of the Bones being on the list. I just enjoyed both of them greatly. Marreck for it's twist on the old Vampire/Mayfaire stories, and Bones because it was so entertainingly upbeat towards humanity in spite of its flaws, not to mention the whole storyline was fascenating if one likes ancient Babylonian fiction.

Van Halen, I've not followed in years, though I manage to keep up with Metallica and their beautifully brilliant retakes on S & M.

And with that, I'm off to finish my program prep for tomorrow.

B.

__________________

"Spider sense....tingling."

Posted by Ashke on 18-07-2005 at 07:04:

Bought the book for 22$ at costco, then came home and read 'Blood of ten chiefs'(My sis is an elfquest fan and left it here) Go figure. Prefer Mercedes Lackys stuff over HP anyway

Posted by ThornGenX on 18-07-2005 at 13:53:

I still not have read the new Harry Potter book much yet. Maybe 10-20 pages. I have been online instead. I probably could have saved $20 by waiting to get it at the library. Another lesson for me to not give in to hype.

Posted by CricketBeautiful on 18-07-2005 at 15:16:

Yeah, Louis bugged me, too. LeStat was okay, and the next one if there was one, but I stopped after Queen of the Damned -- she'd told her grand story, and I couldn't be bothered sitting around while she hauled out the same old egotistical and narcissistic character without any of the ones I did care about.

Potter lost part of my interest at book 4? 100 pages describing the campground and the quiddich match; should have been done in 50. How many pages in a run through the ministry basement?

Rowlings has gotten caught up with the grand tale with many morals and the culture, and forgotten how to tell a story. She says that she expects her readers to get older as the characters do; the final books are written for young teens. Some of the events and the length of the books, sure, but she's forgotten something: as the reader gets older, the book should become more subtle, not less.

Yep on the profits. I've been told that they sued that store in BC as a matter of principal because if they didn't, they'd be setting a precedent that they'd not insist their release dates be respected, but it still comes across to me as a hype and profit.

Russian Prison Tattoos? Someone wrote a book on them? Someone decided that that book was a good use of library resources? I agree with them. In moderation. It's gems like that that make people prowl the shelves for something interesting, and gets them away from the latest diet or self-improvement craze. It's an antidote from the censors who try to feed us CanLit and history as facts and figures.

Still, I don't read much non-fiction these days. I read more for escape and insights than for facts.

I used to read non-fiction; my parents encouraged me to get a new author and/or a non-fiction book every time we went to the library. But I got tired of the same old demonstrations of stuff I knew and was too practical to see prison tattoos as interesting. Documentaries usually bore me.

After two weeks, I finally stopped dragging myself through The DaVinci Code on Friday, after maybe 70 pages. Mystery. Run. Find clue. Decipher clue. Confusion. Run. Stray fact about Paris. Make bad decision. Correct it. Brilliant bit of planning. Brilliant bit of forcing luck. Extra layer of consipiracy gets added. Stray fact about art history. Repeat. Throw in a handsome woman and older man and lost family for leavening.

Then I went to Bujold's Paladin of Souls and devoured it in a weekend. Not as good as Curse of Chalion, but still caused me to pause and think several times. They made me think about the big pictures and big deeds done by small, reluctant people, and why the people would ever volunteer. About repetition on the large and small scale and how the key details of historical events really don't matter to the average citizen. History is written by the victors. I'm so glad that Bujold and Moon and other middle-age women are writing fantasy; they write, not about young people gaining experience and coming of age, but about experienced people using their experiences.

Next on the list is Laurie R King's The Game. Should be a fun romp. She's an author I have to be careful with; her books can leave me dazed for days. Real people, real fear. When I look up from one, my living room seems less real than the sewers under Cairo or the religious conclave of a madman. Her Mary Russel books, though, generally end positively.

I'll still read the new Potter by the end of the summer, maybe in parallel with another low-interest book, or on holiday. Hubby and some friends got together to pre-order copies from Amazon and he'll be bringing it home tonight.

Edit: Just read some blurbs from the front of the new King book. Mary wasn't under Cairo, she was under Jerusalem.

__________________
Between stimulus and response there is a space.
In that space is our power to choose our response.
In our response lies our growth and our freedom.

- Viktor E. Frankl

Posted by stardust on 18-07-2005 at 15:26:

In regard to Anne Rice, I keep hearing that after her first few novels it goes downhill from there. I was told to read Vampire Lestat because it is his point of view and I can stop there. Too many people are saying this and I think I will follow advice.
Shannara? I read the first three and then got tired after that.
The bookstore called and told me HP is in for me to pick up (I was on the waiting list). I don't think it is that expensive here, but I'll let you know.
And talk about formulas? Yes I hate when an author gets stuck in a rut and doesn't recognize it or doesn't care. After awhile I give up on that too. I like reading my art books, always something I can learn from them.

Posted by meridianday on 18-07-2005 at 18:21:

I read the first 4 HP books. A friend of mine loaned me the 3rd one, which was the one I started with, and I remember wondering what all the fuss was about because it seemed quite unremarkable. Then, a while later, I read the first one and thought it was really entertaining.

Perhaps they have to be read in order, although I don't recall anything being hard to follow in the 3rd when I had no other HP background to base things on.

Anyhoo, I think I enjoyed the 2nd book too. I got quite frustrated with the 4th book - parts were overlong and dull, and Harry's behaviour was getting annoying. Perhaps it's just a realistic teenager thing, I don't know. But if strange things happen for the 4th year in a row, and all the previous times people ended up trying to kill him and change the very nature of the magical world, isn't it odd that he decided that people would think he was nuts if he told them about it?

Perhaps with publishing deadlines, and what must be huge pressure to deliver, she's paying less attention to the telling a story part.

Perhaps I will get around to reading the 5th and then the 6th book at some point.

I'm not reading much these days - I should be reading some improving books on asp, .net, javascript and vbscript. There never seems to be the time...

Currently reading "Going Postal" by Terry Pratchett though, and enjoying it as I usually do enjoy his books. It is reliably well written and has his usual attention to human nature and detail.

After that I'll be starting on the latest Artemis Fowl book.

Very mainstream, I know, but Terry Pratchet deserves his reputation and Eoin Colfer is still creative. I love the technological world of fairy magic.

__________________

Mallanox : "My mother was Irish and my father was an alien. I was an only child and I dress funny." Devilstar

Posted by Ronin on 18-07-2005 at 19:35:

Whenever I see something new I want to read; I always order it from the library, that way they are obliged to spend their money on what `I` want and not what `they` think I ought to read.

(its that or new CDs)

Posted by SailorCallie on 06-09-2005 at 22:11:

I have just finished reading Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince not too long ago, and I have to say that I loved the book. It may have a sad ending (and I won't say what happens) but I'm looking forward to Ms. Rowling's 7th and final installment when it's published in two years. Big Grin

Posted by Metaliant on 24-09-2005 at 11:00:

My eldest niece was into the first 3 or 4 books and after my mum read them, I was told and read them myself.

It took me a while get into them but then now I love them and I have seen the 3 movies and hopefully will go and see the 4 movie.

I also can't wait and read the 7 and last book.

What is going on here? Why is the books appeal to us big kids?

__________________
Eagle in Residence
Tempory Frisker

Posted by Madilayn on 04-02-2006 at 22:51:

I've stopped being a Harry Potter fan since Book 5. I didn't like it - parts of it (and Book 6) read like bad fanfic.

I'm not even going to go near what she's done to the pups!

Book 6 seemed to have all sorts of pairings in it that were there just because she wanted them to be - no rhyme or reasoning.

Previously good characterisations went paper (Tonks - who I quite liked in Book 5, but was cardboard in Book6).

I'll be reading book 7 when it comes out - just for finalisation (and the hope that Sirius does come back from the veil and he and Remus go off into a sunset an dlive happily ever after Clap

Megs

__________________

"When I'm old, I don't want them to say of me, "She's so charming." I want them to say, "Be careful, I think she's armed." -G. Stoddart

Posted by Ronin on 09-02-2006 at 21:40:

Well, I got the action figure of Fluffy.

I found him at a car boot for 50p

And the man said `are you a HP fan or you just think the idea of a three headed dog is cool?`

Posted by Elvin Ruler on 09-02-2006 at 23:08:

Fluffy isn't original. He's based off of Greek mythology. Cerberus, I believe. He guarded the gates of Hades and either had 3 heads (along with a serpent's tail, which was poisonous) or 50 heads (3 was much more common, I think only one Greek tale described him as having 50 heads). He was, of course, defeated by Hercules (Heracles).

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What if there is a spoon? Nerd