Harry Potter – Phenomenon or Freak Show?
Today we want to know where you stand on Harry Potter – is it a phenomenon or a freak show? And if Harry isn't your thing, what other books would you recommend this summer (yes, you are allowed to pick up a book in the summer)? We've read Four by Chuck Klosterman (entertaining, but loses momentum toward the end) and Paul Shirley's Can I Keep My Jersey?: 11 Teams, 5 Countries, and 4 Years in My Life as a Basketball Vagabond, which was thoroughly entertaining. What do you recommend? Comments:PEOPLE ARE FREAKS ABOUT HARRY! WHAT'S UP WITH THAT?
I'm not sure if I'd go so far as to get dressed up and all that, but the books are awesome. You should check them out.
Much ado about nothing. Harry Potter is for people who can't get a date and want to hang out with their fellow losers.
Hey, anything that will get kids to read in this day and age is fine with me. And of all people, I would think writers (you do consider yourself a writer don't you???) would be excited that a new generation is embracing reading. That means job security for you....
I dont understand the mania, to me it seems stupid that adults indulge so heavily on a silly fairy tale.
I can't wait for Auburn to get the book because I've already colored all of the other ones in the library.
The books themselves are amazingly writen, and offer a pull-back towards childhood for the adults who enjoy them. As for dressing up and hosting Potter parties, that is a bit extreme- but no more extreme than those who held Sopranos parties or Seinfield parties, etc. Any rabid fan base looks nutty to outsiders- how about those football fans who hold draft parties?
Rowling will go down as one of the best storytellers in history. The tale of Harry Potter will be remembered alongside Romeo and Juliette, the Odyssey, etc, as the best stories ever told. Even if you find the story "childish," there is no way to call her writing such.
It's alright for them to dress up, at least there not participating in dog fights. And second i would highly recommend 1. This present darkness by frank perretti and 2. Showdown by Ted Dekker, excellent books.
8.3 million people lining up for a book at their local bookstore is no stranger than 100,000 people driving for hours to watch college kids play football. The books are absolutely wonderful.
I wouldn't go as far as dressing up, but the books are entertaining to read.
Harry Potter can't hit a curveball.
Dont get it or understand it, but then again I guess people could say the same about things I like.
Great books & very good movies. I have also had plenty of dates so suffice to say my opinions remain relevant.
Don't see Pottermania as being that much different from how excited people get over that start of any given sports season. Are the folks who dress up like Harry Potter characters any different from the folks who dress up in their favorite players jerseys? The folks who decorate their houses in NASCAR paraphenalia?
How about the folks who can't get off the couch because they are watching "the game" or playing the latest Madden game? The books are very interesting and fun to read, but I think too much of anything leads to bad outcomes. These people seem to have too much time on their hands and no life. Though this may not be the case, they are making a strong case for the outsiders looking in to think so. I think it is okay to see children excited and get dressed up, but the more extreme outfitted people are adults! I think that is crazy. I'm glad to see excitement over a book, but come on, just wait until you've had sleep and simply go buy the book the next day in regular attire!
If you haven't read the books, than I don't think you can bash it, really. I thought it was crap too, and then my girlfriend (yes, some Harry Potter readers have girlfriends) suggested I read it. I did, and I've loved all of them. If you read it and think it's crap, then that's fine, but it seems sort of immature (and ignorant) to stereotype without any knowledge of the books...
Harry Potter is a fool, and so are his "worshippers".
It's a great story, and has as much reality as "Fantasy Football". Not everyone will like it, but over 8 million people in a day surely says something. My daughter and I dressed up and had a really great time together going to get the book; how is this a problem?
My experience is that most who poo-pooh potter haven't even bothered to read it. Seems awfully hard to call it "nothing" when you don't even read it, eh? wow, it's funny how people that spend time posting comments on a sports website choose to call people that read books losers. look, i love sports, and spend way too much time watching and reading about them (and commenting on them). i also love any form of entertainment that is done well and captivates me. what makes commenting about harry potter okay, but actually reading and enjoying the books somehow for losers?
i went to a midnight release for the book, and there were quite a few people dressed up. i would say maybe about 1 out of 3 were dressed up. and guess what? the vast majority of those people were children. those stupid dateless losers. and you know what, if an adult enjoys something so much and wants to dress up, go for it. is it okay to be a kid at heart, as long as you hide that from everyone? one last question: are adults that dress up for sports events losers also? seems pretty immature to paint your face if you are older that 10 years old. and grown ups shouldn't wear jerseys with someone elses name on them either. all of these things are fine with me, and i find it awesome to get carried away for your favorite team, but it is no different than doing that for a book release. I don't think there is anything wrong with the kids dressing up, in fact I think it's great that they're that excited to read (and parents of kids have a little leeway as long as they are with their children). However, there is no reason for an adult to dress up. I love the books, too. But dressing up doesn't make the books better, it just makes people who read the books look bad. Slowly but surely, Harry Potter fans are being related to the likes of Trekkies, which is not a good thing.
Hey, we should all follow Lavar Burton's life lesson..."you can go anywhere in a book"
The Books are great fun and give you a little of you childhood back. As for being losers ah to each their own never see me dressed up to buy anything.But why would you need a date when you are married
I have read all 7 of the Harry Potter books, I started reading them when the series first began when my daughter was seven. I love them. I am neither stupid, nor am I a loser, but having been married hapily for 18 years, I guess I can't get a date...The fantasy is fun, better than anything on TV, I can talk with my kids abouts the books and the idea of Quidditch as a sport beats all the NBA reffing, NFL dog abuse and MLB steroid scandals. If you don't like to read, or if you don't like fantasy, fine, don't read them, but don't call people stupid or losers for enjoying something that you don't or you will seem to be both.
And, bye the way, I do not get dressed up as any Potter character, but I do not see that much different than a 28 or 35 or 52 year-old wearing a Reggie Bush or LeBron James jersey.
I think it's fantastic that books are getting readers this excited. Would you prefer they wait in line for 24 hours for the iPhone, or dress up as Luke Skywalker or Darth Vader for the Star Wars movies? More power to them I say.
The worldbuilding in the books is superb. The prose? Meh, but that only sells books to people who normally read(as in, less than a quarter of Americans).
They are good books, and they go fast despite how long they are. Now, are they worthy of being up there with the Bible, the Quran, the Little Red Book and the Book of Mormon? Hell, no. No book is ever that good. I'm casual harry potter fan. I would never buy any of the books, let alone dress up during the purchase. But, regardless of your feelings towards the Harry Potter Saga, it is without a doubt a cultural and international phenomenon. All ages and backgrounds can be found reading this series. While there are fanatics (who should be embarassed), this is a creative well written series that deserves recognition.
mate, i'm not really sure how much of a say you can have in it to begin with if you haven't read the book. I mean, I didn't dress up or anything when I bought mine... but you should definitely read a couple before knocking it. I'm only willing to respect the opinion of anyone who's read or tried reading the books... and the films are trash by the by.
Men who wear pig noses and dresses to football games should be banned, as should those who paint and display their flabby stomachs for the world to see. Let's also ban grown men begging other men to sign a bubble gum card (or worse yet, PAYING to have them sign it).
People dresing up to buy a BOOK? Dawg, that's downright intellectual, compared to a lot of sports nut jobs. I mean, at least the Harry Potter fans can READ!!!! Listen, I read Harry Potter. They're really good books. But I don't understand why anyone would dress up. I guess there are the freaks in every group.
It's hilarious that posters here are calling people that like harry potter losers when they are the ones probably plunking down hundreds on throwback jerseys and making sports signs and putting paint on themselves at games
Is it really that different from some unathletic sports fan wearing a jersey to a game and giving their money to an overpaid jock? PLEASE. People are better off reading fiction than wasting time on professional sports. You can either live vicariously through an overpaid jock or flex your imagination and maybe learn something about yourself in the process.
Did you really put the Book of Mormon up as an example of literary greatness? Maybe an example of the exact moment the war on grammar was started (the precursor to today's nigh unreadable text messages), but it's hardly a masterpiece in any sense of the word.
Same goes for the Bible and the Koran...although I don't deny their influence on the world today, they're not literary masterpieces. Anyways, on the subject at hand, yes the Harry Potter series is extremely well written and deep in its own ways. Although hardly a challenging read, each book warrants multiple readings and Rowling is a wonderful storyteller. The books are written phonemonly well. The best books that have come out in a long time.
As for people dressing up for the book..that I think is a little strange. However, I was one one of the 8 million who got the book. Her best yet in my opinion. (sorry of the spelling, as you can see I'm not the best) The hypocrisy runs deep in here. I think Potter-mania falls under the old adage of ‘one mans trash is another mans treasure’. Tell me, who hasn’t been to a game and seen a bunch of people dressed up in uniforms, face paint, dying their hair, etc. I have. It’s a way to symbolize that you are a fan and want to meet other fans around you. Potter mania is no different. Dressing up and going to these events is their way to connect with others containing the same interest. They get excited about their passion in the same way sports fans get fired up about sports. I for one am not in the potter-mania crowd (I’m in the sports fanatic crowd, why I’m blogging here) but I think they would be more accepting which is too bad.
The hypocrisy runs deep in here. I think Potter-mania falls under the old adage of ‘one mans trash is another mans treasure’. Tell me, who hasn’t been to a game and seen a bunch of people dressed up in uniforms, face paint, dying their hair, etc. I have. It’s a way to symbolize that you are a fan and want to meet other fans around you. Potter mania is no different. Dressing up and going to these events is their way to connect with others containing the same interest. They get excited about their passion in the same way sports fans get fired up about sports. I for one am not in the potter-mania crowd (I’m in the sports fanatic crowd, why I’m blogging here) but I think they would be more accepting which is too bad.
I've read the first six Harry Potter books, am reading the seventh, and have seen all five films. I love Harry Potter. It is a great series, and all of the books have been very good. I'm not a big fan of the whole dressing up thing, but really, is that any different than football fans dressing up in crazy outfits? Is it any worse than wearing brown and orange paint and barking like a dog? Is it worse than grown men doing to a game wearing pig snouts and dresses? Is it worse than wearing spiked shoulder pads to a game? NO! It's the same thing, just fans really getting into something they like.
How is dressing as a Harry Potter character for the booksale different from wearing a team jersey or painting your body as a tiger for a college football game? LSU '71
I agree with the majority of the people here. You are allowed your own opinion of course, but I don't understand yours at all when you haven't opened one of the books.
If people choose to dress up and it makes them excited and happy, then what problem do you have with it? I, like the others, waste too much time watching sports. However, I would feel more shame to wear a Michael Vick, Barry Bonds, or Ron Artest jersey than to wear a robe or wizard hat. But, I'm just one of the 8.5 million people here... This is a watershed event for one reason...our children are reading books. Anything that promotes literacy and the fight between good and evil is great for our culture...
The same people who say it's stupid to dress up for a book release are the same ones who would dress as the idiots in the black hole in Oakland. How is it any different than all the college football fans who wear face and body paints for games? I'm a die hard Rams fan, I'm also a huge Harry Potter fan. Anybody who says that those who enjoy the books are childish obviously haven't taken the time to actually check out the books. The movies don't count, they absolutely suck...
There is a minor relationship between Potter and the sports world. It gives Duke's "Cameron Crazies" something to look forward to when basketball isn't going so well. I think it is required reading for freshmen. I have heard that they may rename the school Hogwarts.
Harry Potter is great for kids but honestly the adults (Duke fans) that i know that are crazy for Harry Potter (especially the movies) are a little creepy/sad. Maybe if you were 10 years old when the first book was released and now an adult and you read the book at a reasonable time after its release(not show up in a costume at midnight to buy it) that maybe would sound reasonable. Plus for what its worth Rowland seems like such a twit. Observation: The Sopranos, The Oscars, Seinfield, and the NFL Draft are all for ADULTS...which would leave some indication why ADULTS would have a viewing party for such events. Harry Potter is for Children and having Potter themed party as an ADULT may make you look like a PEDIFILE.
If you like the books that's ok but to say that they are some of the best ever is an embarrassing way to justify reading the books as an adult. At this point (considering the other billion books written about wizards and other similar fantasy themes) its hard to look at the series as being the least bit original or worthwhile in comparison to the classics. You could easily say that Tolkien and others were used to create the Potter series. The success of Potter is about the modern mass marketing machine,the movie success, and all the other fantasy writers that came before. Did the 70's and 80's not teach you the lesson that just because millions of people purchase something doesn't make it "great". It's like saying that Phil Collins is more important than the great blues artists that never sold many albums.
Jesus is a fool..and so are his "worshippers".
I read about half of the first book and couldn't get into it. I tend to read A LOT, but the books were too... childish for me. I don't find fantasy to be silly (in general), but I didn't find the books to be of good quality. The bulk of the people that I know that say the books are "good" do not tend to read enough to have a credible opinion on the quality of a book.
Regardless, the series presents a good way to get kids to read, but kids should be exposed to books of higher quality. I think Harry Potter is symptomatic of the decline of education worldwide. The books are wonderful for a ten-year old reader, but their popularity among adults befuddles me. The plots are linear and predictable, the moral lessons elementary and the characters lacking in depth. Two generations ago, they would have been classified as dime fiction and laughed off the shelves. Now they're being compared to "Romeo and Juliet"?
The books are the best story I've ever read.
I am sure Harry Potter is a good story. However comparing Rowling with Shakespeare is laughable.
Excellent book series, mediocre movie series. My wife and I like to laugh about all the people who say that HP is for kids and losers. Our other married friends that bought the book with us laugh too.
yeah people are crazy when they dress up for the book. i dont see the point because you are dressing up to go buy a book. the books are great though. i was very excited about the book as were millions around the world. people getting exctied about reading is a great thing.
yeah people are crazy when they dress up for the book. i dont see the point because you are dressing up to go buy a book. the books are great though. i was very excited about the book as were millions around the world. people getting exctied about reading is a great thing.
I agree with what's said above...I'm fine with people dressing up, its just not for me....Not to say I don't like the books...they're great, and extremely well written....I also thought they were stupid until my sister got me to read them.....
don't take shots of harry potter unless you've read the books, the movies don't really do them, and rowlings story justice. If you dont like it, dont read it. But there is no reason to make fun of others who do like them. Now, I wouldnt get dressed up for a book...but if someone wants to, I wont say anything bad about them. Im very happy to see people picking up books. In the TV and computer era, seeing a youngster inside of their house reading a book is amazing. And people stating "Harry Potter is for people who can't get a date and want to hang out with their fellow losers" it sounds kind of bitter.
would it not compare with football fans wearing jerseys and crazy hats to games?! or basketball fans painting their bodies? It is just another way of showing how much you like it. Don't hate on the fans. The books are amazing!
I love the self-righteous rants that begin with "I don't get it, granted I haven't read it", well maybe you should read one of them if you want to see what the hype is about. Thats what caused me to start reading the stories. But of course you guys concentrate on the things that make sense, like grownups who obsess about college sports even when its a school they didn't go to (or in some cases didn't even get accepted to).
All those who have written negatively about harry, seem to be missing something...a clue as to what its about. Take my anonymous word for it, not all of us potter fans dress up to get the book, cant get dates, or are "freaks." What you all dont seem to realize is the authors ability to take a "childrens book" and make it so relevant to adults. The main issues often discussed in this series are love, death, growing up during a war, and the aftermath that ensues. Seems mildly relevant to me, but hey i guess im just a silly potter freak. So i guess if you dont want your kids to grow up to be mild mannored, respectful and educated college students, take them to go see the new die hard movie, or explain the life lessions in the sapranos, but make sure as hell you dont let them pick up a really quality book!
To work in an office with supposedly mature adults who can't stop talking about who has read Potter already make's me lose respect for them...i wouldn't be surprised if they have a cape in their closet...i read every day...i understand the allure of these books/movies...But to dress up to buy a book?...that's just fing sad...
This is just literature's equivalent of a tailgate party.
(Y'all like tailgate parties, right?) Yeah, sports fans don't go crazy dressing up to show their fandom for their favorite team. I mean, imagine seeing some yahoo come to a game wearing a giant piece of cheese on their head, or a rubber dog mask, or giant spiked shoulder pads, or......
Good books. not worth the mania at ALL. ppl who dress up and do whatever else for movie/book releases and whatever else they can think of, need a better hobby. like sports!
Hey, the series is a fun read. If it's not your sort of thing go the library and find something else.
If people want to dress up, let them. I don't hear criticism about the guys with the beer bellies and cigarettes dangling from their lips dressing up in team jerseys and caps. Clearly, they're not athletes but they are in a form of costume. So you can dress up like an idiot as a fan for a sporting event but not as a fan for a book release? No, you aren't biased at all. Why do people wait out in line and dress up for movie premieres? Video game releases? Concert tickets? Because they are fans and even the waiting and celebrating with fellow fans with similar interests is part of the event itself.
These books got an entire generation of children reading, which can only be a good thing for everybody. While I am a die hard Harry Potter fan, I did not dress up to buy the book at midnight. However, the article states, "we believe strongly that nobody should ever get dressed up to buy a book". Ok, fair enough. My question to you is this: Why should an overweight 300 pound man give himself a full body painting for a football team out of playoff contention in the middle of December? Answer me that, and you have your answer for Harry Potter. ~ Ross S.
The reason people dress up is the same reason people paint their chest for games. Same passion, different obsession.
I disagree with the comment about people who read Harry Potter as dateless losers. My girlfriend Loves the series and I don't and she's not dateless, and we both have numerous friends both male and female int eh same "position" as us.
Just backing up the comment @1:52...can't get a date...I stopped into a Starbucks in Maine this past weekend and noticed a van outside with the license plate "Muggles" and noticed a 30yr old-ish guy with thick glasses sitting in the corner reading the latest Harry Potter...someone needs to get out.
I think anyone who says that Harry Potter is for kids, has not read the last three books. In fact, if all the violence and language in book 7 remains intact for the movie version, it would surely garner an R rating. A witch yelling "Get away from my daughter, you BITCH!" while violently killing another person. Yeah, that sounds like kid's stuff to me...
I remember attending a previous Harry Potter book release party while still in college(and no, I didn't dress up), and I ran into some former acquaintences there. The exact dialogue:
Me: What brings you guys out here? Them: We're here to laugh at all the freaks buying Harry Potter books on a Friday night. You? Me: I'm here to buy a book. Them: Haha, that's pretty lame. Me: You know what's even lamer than showing up at a Harry Potter release party on a Friday night to buy a book? Them: ??? Me: Showing up at a Harry Potter release party on a Friday night just to make fun of people buying a book. I am a huge sports fan, I dress up aka face painted, jerseys, screaming, the whole works....There is not a Timberwolves or Gopher football game that I am not dressed up whether its at home with my fiance or at the game with her. WE are huge potter fans too. Read every book, seen all the movies. We both dressed up with our friends and waited all night for the book. Dressing up has nothing to do with being immature or freaks. Its no different then going to the game cheering. Its fun to dress up for something your passionate about. Just cause people think its a book for kids doesnt mean it has to be.
The Harry Potter book series will go down as one of the best series of all time. I can't remember a time in the last 15 years when kids would rather read than play video games. The books are heartwarming, scary, suspenseful, and clever all at the same time. Kids can connect so well to the characters, which opens up their imagination, which has been shut down by TV's and video games
I can tell how much the anti-Potter crowd reads by the atrocity of their (no, it's not there or even they're, it's their) spelling and the anger or their responses (jealousy of those among us who can read and spell?) My all time favorite was "PEDIFILE" (his caps, presumably to call attention to the insult, but for me they only drew attention to the misspelling), though all the misused pronouns were also quite entertaining.
I read a lot (25-50 novels a year) and I watch a lot of sports, especially college football and basketball. I am in a highly competitive NFL fantasty league. I took my kids to a Harry Potter party on Friday night (they dresssed up, I didn't), I am taking them the on-campus preseason party for our favorite college football team as well. I am hoping they will grow up well rounded, literate, athletic and nonjudgemental. People who call Harry Potter childish clearly have not read the books. They are a great story and Rowling has created a great universe. The truth is the plot lines are not linear and predictable. If you want any idea of the depth of the books you should head over to mugglenet.com and read some of the editorials.
Dressing up is a little over the top. Yeah... if you are over the age of 12, it's more than a mite goofy to get all gussied up to buy a book. (The same goes for people wearing costumes before each of the Star Wars movies, etc.).
That said, I was legitimately excited to receive my copy of HP&TDH in the mail on Saturday, and devoured it over the weekend. Rowling has written some entertaining stuff... and I find it FAR less strange than the throngs following NASCAR or fantasy-league sports. They really are enjoyable books, but I don't understand the level of mania that would drive someone to dress up for it. That, in my humble opinion, is a little bizarre. And to the person who predicts Harry Potter will reach the historical status granted to such books as Romeo & Juliet and The Odyssey...you're nuts. Plain and simple. The books are good, but they're nowhere near good enough that they will achieve the status of classic literature. Sorry. but J.K. Rowling's writing is nowhere near as eloquent and well-crafted as the writings of such people as Dumas, Shakespeare, Dostoevsky, Dickens, etc., so let's not get carried away.
People who dress up for this Harry Potter stuff creep me out, but could they say the same about me wearing my favorite football player's jersey.
I myself enjoy the books. However people who dress up like that need to see a doctor and get some help. I feel that the books offer people a world that, previously was a taboo. The books are very well written and have a lot of morals to teach, even if you are over the age of 14.
people that get dressed up and go to some events are considered fanatics.ring a bell anyone?
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