Harry Potter

sockospice

Am I the only person in the UK who doesn't care about the new Harry Potter book? I tried reading the first book at the prompting of friends and found it to be badly written, dreary and dull.

Yes, it's great that kids are reading more, but if Harry Potter is held up as a shining example of literature... the mind boggles, it really does.

jimclark1967

Hmmm, must admit I've read all the books (once)

Things start getting interesting around book 3 as things start moving away from Hogwarts based set-pieces and you realise they're part of something much bigger.

Yes it's good that Harry Potter gets kids reading, no they're not the best books in the history of the world, not even the best stuff out there right now but hey, that's marketing and hype for you.

And yes i'll be reading book 6 in a few weeks when I can borrow it from a friendly 12 year old who's finished with it (Moneysaving option)

JC

Becles

I found them boring, but my 8 year old loves them.

I had problems getting him to read a couple of years back, as he hated the pathetic books they get as reading books from school. Managed to get him to read the first Harry Potter and he's since moved onto other books. In the last few weeks he's read Roald Dahl, Swallows and Amazons and Treasure Island.

We're off to town this morning to get the new Harry Potter book.

IvanOpinion

I have never read any of the Harry Potter books simply because they are really aimed at children. As a kid I used to love Enid Blighton and the Billy Bunter books ... however a couple of years ago I found an old 'Secret Seven' book and thought I would have a quick read (thought it was a load of old rubbish).

For some reason I also do not seem to have enough concentration to read books any more ... I read a couple of pages and then realise I haven't got a clue what I have just read ... so you have to re-read them. Guess that is whats known as being out of practice! To be honest what put me off reading was the book we had to do for O-level ... of all the great books on the list the one we were assigned was Charlotte Brontes 'Villette' ... obviously I am not sophisticated enough because it was the biggest pile of boring old claptrap I have ever been forced to read.

As others have said, anything that gets kids reading is good. With the new film coming out shortly we might see a revival for 'The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe' and 'The Chronicles of Narnia' et al.

Ivan

Faith_2

Enid Blyton! That IS a blast from the past!!

I'm an avid reader. I'd happily spend a whole day with my nose in a good book! As I did today! Bliss!

I've read the Harry Potter books. (My daughter (12) however hasn't and won't)

However, I can't stand all this hype around the HP books. They're only kid's books!! They are not particularly well written. There are many more much better writers of both children and adult literature that don't get a look in. I don't understand what is so special about these. Yes the stories are quite original but... so are many others.

I certainly wouldn't queue - and certainly not in the middle of the night!! - to get the last Harry Potter. Or any book for that matter.

It seems some people have got a really warp idea of what is important in life!

nearlyrich

I can't see the attraction of HP either, but if it encourages children to read it can't be all bad in my opinion.

I read lots of books, I always have from being a small child. My children are capable readers and both have good passes at GCSE in English but neither of them read for pleasure, my DH doesn't either. I think children have many more "easy access" pass times than I had, children's tv & dvds (almost) 24/7, computer games etc. When I was young we had loads of books in the house and if it was raining in the school holidays I would find a quiet spot and read all day, no mean feat in a house with 5 siblings I can tell you.:D

Faith_2

If we want to encourage children to read, should books be made into films then?

My daughter reads a lot, but the books she reads are not made into films or tv series and one of her arguments for not reading the HP books is that she can see the films!

My other point would be: have you seen the size of the last HP book? (I don't mean the book that came out last night, but the previous one!). It's like reading a small dictionary! It took me months before I could bring myself to read it and that was thanks to a bout of insomnia.

It seems that in the beginning the publishers had a little more power into the content of the book. Now that the author is so famous and successful, therefore powerful she just writes as much as she wants. Not always a good thing!

nearlyrich

I understand the point about books being made into films,(or not) but many children have access to videos or DVDs and never get the chance to read the book. Also the publishers (and authors) want to make as much money as possible from each release. I suppose if you are 10 years old it is EASIER to watch a film than to read a book but it doesn't do much for the child's literacy does it?

Jem8472

did anyone see in the papers that I think it was Gorden Brown (may have been two jags) said that JK Rowling "had done more for literacy than any other human being"

Now is it just me that thinks you must have to be a realllllly stupid person to say that? Or is he just so keen to jump on the bandwagon?

Faith_2

Jem8472 wrote:

did anyone see in the papers that I think it was Gorden Brown (may have been two jags) said that JK Rowling "had done more for literacy than any other human being"

Now is it just me that thinks you must have to be a realllllly stupid person to say that? Or is he just so keen to jump on the bandwagon?

I heard that too. Not sure it was Brown either! But I thought exactly the same: what a stupid comment!

I think it's a case of: Open mouth and let out whatever is going to come out!

rushnowt

my 12 yr old daughter is a mad harry potter fan has wanted all the books as soon as they come out, but then she does love to read all the time, i tried reading the first one but got bored half way through so gave it up as a bad job, enjoyed the films though