I'm relatively certain...

...that I am the only person on the planet who is NOT reading the new Harry Potter book this weekend.

I'm also relatively certain that every writer on the planet is profoundly jealous of Rowling and her unimaginable success, all of them knowing she won the authorship lottery that could have fallen on any of them.

I've not read ANY of the books, but none-the-less I also tend to suspect that there is no way they could be THIS good...could they? Could any book really be deemed - by sales - so much better than all other works of fiction. How much is fad driving this success? I mean really if POB books were flying off the shelf (can you imagine HMS Surprise midnight parties?) then I'd be less inclined to see fad as the driving force.

Okay, Potter fans, flame away! No matter how hard I try, I cannot generate any interest and I feel terribly lonely for it. On my flight to Uganda, I am accompanied by these two books:

Fields Withour Dreams
To Appomattox, Nine April Days, 1865

Comments

Athanasia said…
No they are not that good. It's pure hype and I'm hooked. Rowling is an "okay" writer but not fantastic by any stretch.

They are fun-filled imaginary story lines where good meets evil and wins out. Tolkien they are not.

The only thing your missing out on is being able to talk about it.

Back to page 300. :o)
Mimi said…
I'm with Philippa, while there are definitely a lot better books out there, it's the whole storyline and buzz that is enjoyable.

I finished yesterday.
Liz in Seattle said…
They are not the best books _ever_ written. They are now officially classics, however. One of the most interesting parts is watching the kids grow up...they are fully-fledged adults in book 7. The writing has matured as well (remember how Brendan had to pass literary maturity tests to go from year to year).

In the final book (no spoilers here), every single loose end and story line is brought together in a masterful fashion.

And, at the risk of sounding like a liberal pro-public-school educator type, there are MANY kids out there who are far better readers because of Harry Potter.

I continue to advocate the reading of HP for all kids, keeping maturity levels in mind. I used to be of the camp that said, "Witchcraft...eww," until I read them and realized that the magical world was only a setting, and not an advocacy of satanism.

On another note, as Steve walked the streets of London yesterday, it seems nearly everyone was either carrying or reading HP, as they moved through the city. A high percentage of the passengers on his flight today were doing the same thing. He was sitting near the front, and as people passed by and saw him reading, they waved their books and grinned. He should be finished by the time he touches down in Seattle this evening.

If I don't talk to you before then, have a safe and blessed trip.

Liz (and Steve, by default)
Susan Sophia said…
I'm shocked to hear you all say what you've said, "they are not that good", "a lot better books out there", "not the best books_ever_written"! You have put your lives on hold to read a book in one day (or close to it) but for what? A book that's "okay".
How funny!!
Mimi said…
However, recongizing that they aren't the best books out there ever, doesn't mean I don't want to know how the storyline progresses because I enjoy it and have grown to know and like the characters
fdj said…
Well my book is MUCH better. Please stand in long lines, go to midnight parties, read it in one sitting, and mention it at the water cooler at work.

I'd love to retire and farm.
Christina said…
we didn't spend the weekend reading HP either. We started reading the series when my husband, Paul, was teaching elementary school and that was when book three came out. Since then, we have borrowed the other books from other people who bought them in their HP frenzy and read them straight through. Paul no longer teaches elementary school, but we both like to occasionally read juvenile literature. Maybe when pavlos is older we will buy the books, I'm not sure. Yes, there are some better series of books out there for juvenile readers. This one is very entertaining. So, maybe we will get our borrowed copy in the next couple of weeks:) OH, and, as a former teacher, I agree with Liz. There has been an increase in children reading because of HP, and, hopefully, those children will move onto other, greater juvenile lit books and eventually, on to being adults who read.
Liz in Seattle said…
Now, how can you compare the entire set of books ever written with one another? Odysseus with Pride and Prejudice or the Philokalia? All clearly books/stories, but all radically different. Apples, oranges, and kumquats.

As for being classics, clearly the series in toto is a classic. Will it stand the test of time? No way to know. Odysseus has stood the test of time. Surely we as Orthodox know that Jane Austen (less than 200 years ago), or J.R.R. Tolkien (less than 100 years ago) may or may not stand that test, simply by virtue of the calendar. No way to know. Likewise with J.K. Rowling.

For me, the release of the latest Potter book has been a longstanding date with myself. Somebody else might go to the spa, or to (heaven forbid, and I do it too) a womens's retreat ;-)

The other thing for me is that I patently despise spoilers. Since I know there are people out there who would deliberately spoil, and way more people who would accidentally spoil, I choose to hide in my room for the day to avoid this pain in the patoot (I also avoid the media for several days prior).

I truly enjoyed this series of books, probably more than any other series of books I've ever read. POB is probably an exception, but again, apples and oranges...two completely different types of work.

YMMV, of course, but I stand by what I said, and still strongly urge all children to begin the series (maturity comments still standing, of course). FWIW, I handed the book to Brendan immediately upon finishing it, and had no qualms about doing so.

Now you know my TRUE feelings on the subject ;-)
Liz in Seattle said…
Oh, for those of you who don't know him, Brendan is 10.5, and has always been an avid reader. He had to read each book of Tolkien before reading books beyond year 3, to prove himself ready for the more mature themes.
Munkee said…
Liz, I like your POV.

I've never read a single Potter book, but my Sara has read them all, some a couple times over. They are in fact fun reads and really, is there anything wrong with being part of a little fun fad and cultural phenomenon?? Come on! I have a feeling that many who give this series grief turn their nose up at it because of the "magic" aspects mixed with the feeling they need to rebel against all cultural fad and phenom.

C'est La Vie.
fdj said…
Now hold on Munkee...I'm not turning my nose up at it. I'm profoundly and admittedly jealous of her success. Not having read any of them, how can I turn my nose up at it.

I do ask: Does the quality of this series warrant the insane sales and the cornucopia of odd public reactions. You know, kinda like the iphone?

All that said, I am very grateful to see kids anxiously awaiting the arrival of a book. It's a nice change.

Why have no other books had such astonishing results and reactions? Are none as good? Will some in the future do as well? What causes this rampant success?

I guess I'm more interested in what drives Harry Potter mania as opposed to why so few others thumbs their nose at or why still fewer others like me shrug their shoulders at it.
Munkee said…
sorry, i didn't mean to implicate you as a nose turner upper. I know some of Sue's feelings on the books, and I think to some extent they would qualify as nose turner upping. Hehe. Maybe I'm wrong about that. My real driving point was these are in fact very fun books, that happened to catch the attention of everyone and people, I believe, like enjoying something together as a community. I'm definitely not able to pin point the reason for the success of Rowling's books, if i could i wouldn't be typing it here.
Susan Sophia said…
Well, I wouldn't consider myself a "nose-turner-upper" just because I haven't read the book and think it's funny that one would say it's "okay" but then sit and read it from cover to cover in a day. I can't do that and well, maybe I'm jealous of those who can. I've never been into fantasy and I'm not a big reader at this time in my life. I can't tell you the last time I've actually read an entire FICTION book from cover to cover, certainly not in many years!!! Sad, I know!
FWIW...I'm thinking Kelsey should read them, if she wants to. SHE is the BIG reader in our home!

So, if that makes me a nose-turner-upper, so be it.
Athanasia said…
Chiming back in here for a moment. HP of course does not compare to Alexandre Dumas, A.A. Milne, Lewis Carroll and the like. Apples, oranges, kumquat and prunes. Some you love. Some you hate. Some you don't have a clue what they are! LOL!

However, HP captures the imagination of any child (almost) for which of them (and us) didn't dream of being able to fly by jumping into the air, or wave a wand to make all bad/frightening things go away? I know I did and sometimes wish I those magical abilities were available to me.

And how I *wish* I could have put my life on hold to read HP! LOL! Unfortunately, Tactius and Suetonius have taken priority for the moment in prep for my Ancient Rome history class...

...now while I chow down dinner...where DID I put Harry?!

LOL!
Karl said…
James asks, "I guess I'm more interested in what drives Harry Potter mania..."

John Granger (an Orthodox Christian, incidentally) has become quite famous for arguing in his books (and I believe incredibly convincingly) that the answer to this exact question is that Rowling has accomplished and perhaps even surpassed what Lewis did in Narnia; masterfully created a world where the Christian story is at once reverently, impishly, and beautifully displayed. If the books were nothing more than "fun reads", that wouldn't explain the mania, as there are quite a few good reads out there in fiction.

The fact is, Rowling has done what few authors have done in recent memory: she's brewed up a powerful potion that contains the magic & wonder of "Fairie", the truth of the Gospels, an accurate portrayal of the journey through adolescence, and all the mythic and powerful symbolism of the alchemic literary tradition -- all in one story.

So, the answer to your question, James is, simply: because they really are good stories!

I am a HUGE proponent of the series, if you haven't noticed. :)
fdj said…
Karl, Acts 26:28

where the Christian story is at once reverently, impishly, and beautifully displayed

Can you elaborate? Is Potter an allegory? What archetypes are present? Or is it more subtle, as I suspect?

I'm not sure that this itself would answer for the remarkable sales, especially since amidst many Christian circles the book is held suspect.

The fact is, Rowling has done what few authors have done in recent memory:

When was the last time in ANY memory that kids and their parents went to midnight parties to await the grand revelation of an open box of books???? A new phenomena? What causes it? My wife suspect media hype leads to this and she might be right, it almost becomes a chicken/egg question: which comes first popular opinion or the media frenzy/buildup. I suspect the answer is complex in that they play off of each other.

When I was selling DNA necklaces, media coverage was by far THE most effective use of advertising dollars...if for no other reason that the coverage was absolutely FREE!

Luck is important in authorship, I believe. Eragon, Inkheart, Redwall are all terrific kids books, but apparently lack something. We shouldn't kid ourselves, a huge collection of people from Rowling on down to corner bookstores are making A LOT of money.

Maybe its just hard to imagine something so GOOD - in the truest sense of the word - being so popular. Experience of our society and culture would tend to say this is a virtual impossibility. Maybe kids do have something to teach us?
Or maybe kids are an excellent source of revenue and need to be seen as a real powerful marketing demographic...or at least a fairly newly tapped one in the realm of fiction books.

Sell me Karl.
Karl said…
James,

I think your last paragraph says it right: "its just hard to imagine something so GOOD - in the truest sense of the word - being so popular" .... AND...."Or maybe kids are an excellent source of revenue"

I think both are true at the same time.

Rowling and her team have done a stellar job at marketing the product. Of that there is no doubt.

But bad products usually don't survive the graces of good marketing in the long run, and these stories have only gained in grass roots popularity as the series went on. One can critique certain literary shortcomings of her writings (of which there are more than one). One can be nonplussed by fantasy fiction in general. But people crave the Christian story and experience it, in some mysterious way and for many unconsciously, through Harry Potter and his adventures. That, I believe, in part explains the "hype" and the intensity supporters show for the story and its symbolism. The story "rings true", as it were.

Now, is Rowling interested, necessarily in "making" anyone a Christian (re: your reference to Acts)? No, I doubt it. She, being a Christian herself, would agree that stories or parables don't MAKE Christians. But they sure can help till the soil!

Regarding your first question about allegories and archetypes: Yes, they abound everywhere in the story! I can't recommend highly enough John Granger's work on that issue. All those questions are tackled in his books...
Thea Swanson said…
Phenomenon

Hi all,

This is my first blog posting and my second blog reading--behold: the power of Harry. I haven't read any of that dear boy's life and times, but Father has, and I have seen a movie or two, and I have to say that if any phenomenon causes an explosion of children to root for good over evil, I'm for it. Harry is a very good boy, and with the little scratch of bad that is within him--as is within us all--he struggles to do the right thing. I agree with Karl and with John Granger (we have that book; Father read it and met the man).
As far as hype goes, well, I think we're witnessing an attempt at people creating community (something we're born to need)--it's kind of sweet really. I'm glad to see moms and dads and kids flocking to midnight parties so that they can eventually read if the children who are fighting for goodness win against badness. Perhaps some people who don't have community in their lives have found one. It may seem desperate, or misdirected because after all, it's make-believe, it's fiction, right? The thing is, the highest calling that fiction writers can aspire to is to bring people closer to the truth--without being didactic. And that's what Rowling has achieved. Through normal children whom are endowed with magical gifts (aren't we all, by our Lord, do different degrees? What could we do if we had faith the size of a mustard seed? And don't we ask our children and ourselves to believe in the unseen, the Holy, our God?) Rowling has, through her imagination, pointed to the truth: good is better than evil.
As a fiction writer, I know what she has done. I will never do this. I will never be able to bring millions to root for the good boy, to cry for children I create in my mind (maybe I can get a few thousand to feel a bit sorry for a misguided grown up). Yes, she's made a lot of money, and so have a lot of people because of her work, but really, so what. That's only temporal. Most importantly, she has created something good, which I believe we all are called to do in whatever capacity we are inherently inclined.
In Christ,
Mka. Thea
fdj said…
Actually, the Acts quote was meant to say that you may yet make ME a reader of HP.

Again, I must emphasize that I have no criticism of the book. I just want to understand why this sudden celebrity of a book series, of all things. A movie, a movie star, a pro sports player, all these thing we have seen and expect...but a series of books garnering the same hype? Pretty amazing.

It is clearly an unusual thing, and standing on the outside looking in, I have to wonder: "Wow, what's going on?"

I'd like very much to believe that the simplicity of good vs. evil still can sell today and that people can indeed rise above post-modern notions of moral ambiguity.

As a side, here is a hilarious fictitious account of Noam Chomsky and Howard Zinn commenting on Lord of the Rings. (Greg...I mentioned this to you the other night...check it out!)

http://www.mcsweeneys.net/2003/04/22fellowship.html

Anyway, I think you may be right in that indeed almost subconsciously people long for simple moral clarity and good vs. evil with good ultimately and unexpectedly triumphing in the end. The success of the LOTR and Narnia perhaps point to this...I try not to be too cynical with regard to Hollywood discovering the "Christian market."

Mka. Thea...I am honored [bowing].
Thanks for your insights...I pass no judgment on the hype...just marvel about it and wonder about it. None-the-less...my choices for the long plane ride tomorrow will not include Potter this time, but maybe when I return I'll give it a go.
fdj said…
One or two more thing(s):

It's just hard to imagine that the same culture that makes Britney Spears and Paris Hilton famous, would make something genuinely good famous. But despite the paradox of it, I've seen it before.

Knowing that Mka. Thea may be reading and commenting here, I have to be on my best literary and grammatical behavior. It's kinda like having your famous and much esteemed Ivy League English professor reading your stuff. Except she's a lot more nice.
;)
Thea Swanson said…
Reader James, you treat me too well. And don't worry about being on your toes: notice that I goofed up two times in my post: a "do" instead of a "to," and an awkward construction somewhere too. Anyway, let's not forget that the culture we are in is a mix; after all, we are part of it! God made even Britney with a soul that is meant to be redeemed; remember St. Xenia of Petersburg. And while I write this, I think, how dare I use Britney as an example, as if I'm better than she! She could die closer to Him than I. Okay, that's all the posting I'll do for a long time. Back to the usual. God bless you on your long trip. Stay safe and well. We will all miss you and look forward to your return.
mkathea
layne (herman) said…
James, I too have not read any of the books or seen the movies.
Liz in Seattle said…
Okay, Papa Herman, whaddya waiting for? Browse our comments, and read the books (but start at #1)

:-)
Anonymous said…
I've just gotten the last book today and started it. I'm sure I won't finish it as soon as I usually do, I'm occupied with other things, but I am loving it so far.
fdj said…
"Reader James, you treat me too well"

Nonsense, Matushka, I count you as an authority on many things no the least of which is literature and english.

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