JK Rowling reveals Hogwarts secret

[Elf Witch]

Hairy Potter is not even the best books in its genre out now let alone the rest of the market. It has yet to win any major awards because the story's have never really been comparative with good fantasy fiction.

You and your friends like reading the books because marketing did a good job of getting them to you in the first place. Now you're a slave of the story. I"ve yet to talk to a person whom reads fantasy fiction on a regular that enjoys the hairy potter story over them. If its all you know of course you're going to think its gravy.

Okay let me get this straight since I and most of the people I know enjoy reading Harry Potter it is because we don't really read any other good fantasy. :\ This past month I have read Ellen Kushner the Privilege of the Sword. Tolkein Fellowship of the Ring, Susan Cooper The Dark is Rising. Please tell me what you consider good fantasy?

I guess it does not matter that I am almost 50 and so are most of my friends and I have been reading fantasy novels since the 70s because that would blow your statement out of the water.

It was not marketing that attracted me to the Harry Potter books. They had been out for awhile and an employee of my roomate was reading the first book. She had brought it to work with her when I went to pick up my roommate ahe was not ready to go. So I while I waited I bprrowed the book to have something to do. I found myself enjoying the story and I kept enjoying the stories so I kept reading them. I have no problem giving up on a series if it becomes boring or I stop enjoying it I am hardly a slave to to the story.

I get it that you don't like the books and that is your right because everyone's taste is different but I find it rather insulting to my taste as reader to be told that the only reason I like the books is because I have become a slave to the story and that it is because I don't know very much about the fantasy genre.

 

[Jeysie]

Hairy Potter is not even the best books in its genre out now let alone the rest of the market. It has yet to win any major awards because the story's have never really been comparative with good fantasy fiction.

So winning a Hugo award doesn't count as a "major award"?

Peace & Luv, Liz

 

[Harmon]

If you want a thread about Harry's sexuality, go start one. As to the purpose of this thread, it did give you an opportunity to insult a whole host of people by dismissing them as nothing more than a bunch of bigoted haters. That's a thing, if not a good thing.

Actually no, I don't care about anyone's sexuality, I find it really stupid that people have to make such a big deal and take such a really strange approach to talking about homosexual characters while straight characters are ignored.

I never said that anyone was a bigot, I simply think everyone needs to go- "wow, the old man was gay, emm- didn't see it," and move on. Why is it important? Why is his sexuality more earth shattering then Harry's? Why can't the world just accept that he was gay and leave him alone? Does this place some different spin on the character? Is he less now then he was in the first book or the last because of his sexuality? I just don't get it.

I really have no clue as to why anyone would take such an interest in this. Really I don't.

 

[Rykion]

You and your friends like reading the books because marketing did a good job of getting them to you in the first place. Now you're a slave of the story. I"ve yet to talk to a person whom reads fantasy fiction on a regular that enjoys the hairy potter story over them. If its all you know of course you're going to think its gravy.

My experience is the opposite. Every adult I know who is a Harry Potter fan reads quite a bit of fantasy fiction.

 

[Vocenoctum]

I never said that anyone was a bigot, I simply think everyone needs to go- "wow, the old man was gay, emm- didn't see it," and move on. Why is it important? <snip>

I'll supply a reason:
Because this is a discussion forum, and the topic came up. Now, folks are sharing their opinions on how important this is, if it is important, why the author did it, etc.

I really have no clue as to why anyone would take such an interest in this. Really I don't.

Completely understandable.
So then, why did you enter into the discussion if you've no interest in the discussion taken place?

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

I didn't say marketing and professional reviews were irrelevant, I said they couldn't account for the Potter phenomenon.

I know a lot of people that read the Harry Potter books. And they didn't read just the first one, they read all of them. Or are going to (since the last one is fairly new and the German version was published only a few weeks ago.)

Several of them don't read regularly, and if they read, they probably wouldn't choose Fantasy books first.

Maybe it is marketing that gets a lot of people to read who usually wouldn't read. But I am n convinced that this can be the only reason. It might explain why people pick up one book. But all 7? If the books weren't entertaining and well-written, I do not believe that marketing alone can sustain all these readers.

Personally, I did not want to read the books at first, because of the hype. But my sisters and my parents read it. Then, some day, I was sitting home, alone, and bored. I saw the Harry Potter DVD, and watched them. Enjoyed what I saw, and decided to read the books, despite my initial reservations. And I didn't regret it. There might be books I enjoyed more (I think Terry Prattchett and Douglas Adams suite my preferences better), but they were _not_ bad. I don't read enough (or varied) fantasy to say if what she did was just "mediocre", but I do not thing so.

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

I didn't say marketing and professional reviews were irrelevant, I said they couldn't account for the Potter phenomenon.

I know a lot of people that read the Harry Potter books. And they didn't read just the first one, they read all of them. Or are going to (since the last one is fairly new and the German version was published only a few weeks ago.)

Several of them don't read regularly, and if they read, they probably wouldn't choose Fantasy books first.

Maybe it is marketing that gets a lot of people to read who usually wouldn't read. But I am n convinced that this can be the only reason. It might explain why people pick up one book. But all 7? If the books weren't entertaining and well-written, I do not believe that marketing alone can sustain all these readers.

Personally, I did not want to read the books at first, because of the hype. But my sisters and my parents read it. Then, some day, I was sitting home, alone, and bored. I saw the Harry Potter DVD, and watched them. Enjoyed what I saw, and decided to read the books, despite my initial reservations. And I didn't regret it. There might be books I enjoyed more (I think Terry Prattchett and Douglas Adams suite my preferences better), but they were _not_ bad. I don't read enough (or varied) fantasy to say if what she did was just "mediocre", but I do not thing so.

 

[TheAuldGrump]

Wow, and here I thought that this would be a relatively innocuous thread....

!. I do not believe that Ms. Rowling outed Dumbledore for publicity.
2. They are not my favorite books, but they aren't anything to get up in arms about either. Neither are they terrible books, so let people like 'em.
3. So what? I don't care if he is gay, I don't care if he is straight - I liked the books well enough for what they are, and if they get more kids reading then more power to her.

4. This is just my opinion, feel free to continue arguing.

The Auld Grump

 

[Harmon]

I'll supply a reason:
Because this is a discussion forum, and the topic came up. Now, folks are sharing their opinions on how important this is, if it is important, why the author did it, etc.

She did it because it was her vision of the character. Writers create their characters like we create a good character to role play. History, whether written down or in you head is part of that character. Someone asked her a question that conflicted with what she had created and she answered the question. Very simple.

My question still stands- why is his sexuality important? If he was hetro this thread would not be here, plain and simple.

Completely understandable.
So then, why did you enter into the discussion if you've no interest in the discussion taken place?

I entered the discussion because I was curious about one thing- "why is the character's sexuality important?" Like I have stated a few times now- if he were straight, this discussion would not be taking place.

 

[Vocenoctum]

I entered the discussion because I was curious about one thing- "why is the character's sexuality important?" Like I have stated a few times now- if he were straight, this discussion would not be taking place.

Because you're making the discussion about his sexuality. It's all on your end that this discussion wouldn't be here if the detail was something else. The simple fact is, there is an assumed status quo with the books and deviations from that will raise a discussion. When she decreed what the characters were doing after the book ended, we had a similar thread.

Again, the "it's a topic because he's gay" is not the point. "If he were straight..." is where the flaw comes in, and you present the discussion as some gay rights thing. It's not about that, and it'd be the same no matter the detail really and it HAS been in the past. You stating it "a few times" doesn't make it true.