Harry Potter

[Crocodile Hunter]

I like the books, although I don't like them as much as I did when I was 11 or 12 (I'm 18 now.)

I do think they're good, though, and I'm planning to get the seventh one. I'm re-reading Order of the Phoenix at the moment.

What do other people think of them?

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

1. I love them.

And I'm old enough to be your grandmother.

[Crocodile Hunter]

2. Transcends generations

Well, many adults do like them.

And I probably like some similar things to you. I love music from the 1950s, 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. I've been a fan of Buddy Holly since I was 7. And some of my favourite groups are the Beatles, the Bee Gees, the Beach Boys and the Carpenters. I also like Elvis and Billy Joel and Andy Gibb (the Bee Gees' younger brother.)

Who are your favourite characters in the HP books? My favourites are Ron, Cedric and Luna.

[Bjornsdotter]

3. Love them

...so does my mom. I have a 19 and a 17 year old....so we are really spanning the generations with reading Harry Potter.

Cheers

[orpupilofnature57]

4. It's the best Fantasy series I've seen in my 50 yrs.

[Crocodile Hunter]

5. Percy

Does anyone hope that Percy will be reunited with the Weasleys in the last book? I hope so, because despite Percy's awful behaviour in Book 5, I've always quite liked him, and I still like him.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

6. ditto as to thoughts and age!

i love this metooism.

[pepperbear]

7. I adore the entire phenomenon. n/t

[blueworld]

8. Terrific books

I still hold out Lord of the Rings as my favorite and consider it in a class by itself, but I've enjoyed all the Harry Potter books & am looking forward to the next.:hi:

[On the Road]

9. They are Worth All Their Hype

One of the things I particularly like about the series is its depiction of authority. Authority figures are often wrong or misguided, in some cases bringing great danger on the students. Harry is constantly flouting authority and breaking rules, but always for reasons be believes are right. However, at the end of the day, there wisdom and goodness (Dumbledore) win out.

It's a much better way for a child to think of the world than either blind obedience or rebellion.

[Tesha]

38. Harry understands the deeper rules/justice.

Harry very clearly understands what's "just", and as is
so often the case with humans, what is codified in "the
rules" (read: "the law") isn't necessarily what's most
just in a given situation.

In the real world, we routinely fall into this trap as
we try to make our laws cover every possibility ahead
of time. But because the world is such a complex place,
it can't be done.

In nearly every situation, Harry, Ron, and Hermione try
to do what they perceive as the best, most just thing.
Hermione especially had trouble with this at the beginning,
when she was very much a "rules-oriented" person. She's
grown tremendously throughout these books.

Tesha

[flamingyouth]

10. I love them.

I'm 38 and have been reading them since the 3rd book was released. I'm looking forward to July and I should re-read Order of the Phoenix as well so I can catch up.

[Malikshah]

11. For someone who read them while in his 30s....they are great stories...

Of course I reread Sayers, Tolkien, and King to get away from workstuff so...

[iamjoy]

12. I Love Them

and I am in my mid 30's. Some aspects of it are very much like kids books, but I think other aspects are quite adult.

Hermione and Mr. Weasley are my favorite characters. Hermione because she's smart and Mr. Weasley because it is just so funny the way he is fascinated by muggles.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

13. I think they're wonderful...

And not just for children!

I'm 63, BTW...

Each one is longer and darker than the one before...

Such complex plots too...

I think these stories will stand the test of time...

[Solly Mack]

14. Love them!

I'll be standing in line at midnight along with others (HP &DH) - contest and everything. I won a beautiful leather bound edition of HP & HBP last time out.

I'll also be standing in line for HP/OOTP (movie)

[MonkeyFunk]

15. I've enjoyed them all.

I read the first one just to see what was getting 9-year old boys to pick up a book, and I was hooked. I've already got Deathly Hallows on order from Amazon.

[rep the dems]

16. Just pre-ordered Deathly Hallows.

I'm 17 and I still think Harry Potter books are great :D

[japple]

17. Love the books AND the movies. And I pre-ordered

my copy of The Deathly Hallows from amazon back in March and am impatiently waiting for it's arrival on July 21. BTW, I'm 53 and the grandchildren love HP too.

[Crocodile Hunter]

18. The film

The film comes out in a few days, doesn't it?

It will be interesting to see how she ties things up.

[MaineDem]

19. The movie is from the fifth novel

It's the seventh book that's being released this month.

[Greyskye]

20. They're good stories

Written well enough that not only can this 45 year old enjoy them, but my almost 9 year old son does as well. We're currently reading the 5th book at bedtime, but he quite often picks it up on his own and reads a chapter or 4. It's a good thing I already read this one; otherwise I'd be horribly lost!

[LWolf]

24. Stories that successfully bridge the age divide

are classics. It's great when kids and parents can enjoy a great story together.

[Mandate My Ass]

21. I reluctantly started the first HP book last summer

My friend has a HP party every summer and I was invited last year. I asked if everyone there had read them and he said yes. I read the first in in about 30 hours of picking it up. I've read all of them now and am looking forward to the 7th.

His parties rock. They have Station 9 3/4 on their front door and the whole house and yard are decorated with HP stuff. THe banners of the four houses etc. My friend's wife even makes little trophies that look like snitches and give them out to kids as prizes.

I'm 46 and I like them just fine, although I agree with the poster that the Lord of the Rings is in a class by itself.

[uberllama42]

22. They are probably the deepest thing most people our age will ever read

Most readers don't even realize how much planning and symbolism has gone into Rowling's story arc. I was in middle school when the second book came out, and I resisted reading it because I hate anything which is excessively hyped (though I made an exception a year later for Attack of the Clones). Once I picked them up I realized that I would be in college when the final book was released. I've been a dedicated reader throughout the years, though, making midnight runs for Goblet, Pheonix, and HBP. Can't say if I'm going on Friday night, though.

[Orrex]

26. Sad, but true

I know more than few adults who've read no book since college that didn't have Harry Potter in it. I'm not an inordinate literary snob, and I don't require my friends and coworkers to dive into "the classics," but I would love to have just one conversation about literature that didn't begin with "It's really not a kids' book, honest!" I don't even doubt that the books are well written, but when the reader reads nothing at all between the release of book four and the release of book five, then that's a shame IMO.

I find it especially disappointing that the books have been praised as a means of inspiring children and adults to read. Well, if it only inspires them to read more Potter, then we haven't gotten very far, have we? But that's not Rowling's fault by any means, of course!

I am delighted beyond words for her and for her wholly unprecedented success, but I have no interest whatsoever in Harry or his chums.

[MrSlayer]

23. I think they are as good as any fantasy I've ever read.

And I read a lot of fantasy. Just brilliant through and through.

[Bonobo]

25. Honestly, I hate them. Here is why.

To me, they suck all the magic out of magic and leave a world as sadly regimented and boring as our own. The very opposite of Tolkien!

As for the House Elves... Don't even get me started!!

[Thirtieschild]

27. Love them, have read them several times. And I'm 72. eom

[ChazII]

28. 10:30 pm on the 20th

and I will be leaving shortly for an HP party at the local Borders.

[brettdale]

29. Its been out for about 10 hours in New Zealand

Amazing.

[MaineDem]

30. Mine came!!!

First thing this morning. I think I'll be busy for a while. :)

[goddess40]

31. my son has first dibs and he's in his room reading right now

I'm glad he's a fast reader so I'll have it by tomorrow.

[goddess40]

32. I'll have the new book in less than an hour

the kid is almost done with it - I hope my headache is gone by them.

[MaineDem]

33. My goodness! I don't want to read it that fast.

I'm up to Chapter 4. I'm taking my time...but it's hard not to read quickly. It's very exciting right from Page one.

[goddess40]

39. Finished last night

We have five people that want the book so I felt I had to rush - besides I wanted to get done with it before someone blabbed about any details.
I enjoyed it but there is just something missing - although it could just be that I know it's over.

[XemaSab]

34. Da bomb.

:D

[mcscajun]

35. I hated to rush through it, but I just couldn't stop: too much spoiler danger

if I didn't finish it in 24 hours.

So, I spent four hours on it last night, and another five or so today. Great read. Nope, not gonna spoil a thing in this thread. :)

[Pithy Cherub]

36. One of the first in line

but had to wait because I got the deluxe edition in the box and out of the THOUSANDS of boxes they didn't know which one it was in. Ha - it took 15 minutes. The colored rendering of the albino peacock is fantastic. The poems dedicated to the dead and the loving dedication inscription to the 7 pieces put my heart in my throat and I just drove straight home not reading a word. Then I settled in for a long summer night's read... The spoiler issue kept me silent and off line most of the week.

[ChazII]

37. Finished!

Loved it. Did not cry but there really are some sad scenes.

[sinkingfeeling]

40. Me too. Started it about 7PM on Sat. and finished yesterday. I thought it was

one of the best she wrote. Just wish there had been a little more info in the epilogue.

[rep the dems]

41. I agree, there were many characters that survived that weren't mentioned

at all. I guess we're meant to assume that everything's just same old same old for them. Oh well. I loved the rest of it.

[MaineDem]

42. Please be careful of possible spoilers

Remember, not everyone has even started the book yet.

[yellowcanine]

43. People worried about spoilers shouldn't be reading Discussion threads titled "Harry Potter".

The book has been out long enough that folks who have finished it have the right to discuss it. People who haven't read it yet should just not click on the thread in the first place.