Wednesday, August 3, 2011

Even MORE People Respond to the Great Harry Potter Controversy!

Wow--what's a hornet's nest of controversy I've stirred up! (That's an appropriate phrase because Lord Cornwallis once called Charlotte "a hornet's nest of rebellion") I've recieved not one, not two, but FIVE responses since yesterday! It probably helped that Elizabeth Bird, one of the best book bloggers around, mentioned the Great Harry Potter Controversy in a post yesterday. (look about two-thirds the way down the post to find it) These are some widely-differing ideas, so I'm going to post them all at once:

Anonymous

I like the Harry Potter books a lot. They're wonderful, enthralling, complex books that are rich with detail and feature real characters with their own personalities, flaws and all. As Stephen King recently said, "Harry Potter is about confronting fears, finding inner strength and doing what is right in the face of adversity." What a wonderful message for a book series!

I've not yet read the Riordian books, but I'm quite willing to read and enjoy them as well. Other books I like include the Abhorsen trilogy by Garth Nix, the Earthsea Cycle by Urusla K LeGuin, the Chronicles of Prydain by Lloyd Alexander, the Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis, and His Dark Materials by Phillip Pullman. All these series are quite different from one another, yet all enthrall me just as much on re-reads as they did the first time. I like them all for unique reasons. That's the great thing about books - it's possible to like more than one thing at the same time without having to tout one as better than the other. There's not much room in literary tastes for right and wrong. You aren't wrong for disliking Harry Potter, just as you aren't right about it. It's all a matter of personal taste.

It's okay to not like things! Just don't be a jerk about it. :)

Jana


I love them both. LOVE. I also LOVE Fablehaven and Artemis Fowl. There is room in my heart for all of them! I was as excited for each new book in each of these series. I just love to find something that hooks me and keeps me there for a bit. And I love that these series all have the ability to hook young readers and keep them reading!

Nicki

While I also enjoyed the Percy Jackson series, Rowling's writing, especially in the first two books, is far superior t
o Riordan's. The story is tighter, funnier and better researched. There are layers upon layers to Rowling's Harry Potter and her dialog is, in my opinion, better. Does it really matter, though. Kids are reading!

KateCoombs

I think people who like old school fantasy of the witches-and-wizards variety are more likely to get into Harry Potter, while action/adventure fans are more happy with series like Percy Jackson. I like them both! But for those who are wondering about the particular appeal of HP, it's creative details such as quidditch, the Marauder's Map, and Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans that grab me. Not to mention Hagrid on a flying motorcycle or Hagrid with his dear little pets.

Thanks, everyone! You all brought some good points. (and I hope I haven't been a jerk, Anonymous) Maybe our latest contributor said it best, though:

Doom said...

Boys, boys settle down. Riordan and Rowling are both great authors there is no need to take sides. You can both like both the same. everybody has their own opinions. no need to fight. Riordan has a bunch of creative ideas and thoughts, Rowling has created a series that has millions of potter fans worldwide. Domo remains neutral.


Well, it's hard to settle down when such a fierce debate is on. (BTW, is your name Doom or Domo?) I would agree that Rowling and Riordan are both great authors but I will STILL say that I'd trade a chapter of a Riordan for a whole HP book. Anyway, this is what GUYS do--we fight it out and then become best friends! So we can all disagree or agree and still be friends. And part of the fun of reading is arguing over favorite books and authors. So let's keep it up! Where do YOU stand on the Great Harry Potter Controversy?

1 comment:

Domo said...

SORRY MISPRINT it's Domo. Anyways, I remeber the first time I opened HP and The Sorcerer's Stone. I really got sucked into the magical atmosphere and couldn't wait to read the second. A few years later I read the Lightning Thief and enjoyed them about the same. I mean no offense Riordan fans but Riordan is sometimes a little sloppy in his writing. For example: Percy said "Hi"then he puts Annabeth said "hi" there's no real conversation. I remain neutral.