What - no Harry Potter thread?
- Thread starter mcsven
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Bouncing Zabaglione Bros.
Legend
Even my wife who loves these books (she picked up her copy yesterday and finished it last night after re-reading the previous book yesterday to "get in the mood") says that Rowling's writing is terrible. She does voraciously read all kinds of terrible stuff from Mills & Boon romances to Booker Prize winners, and fantasy series, so she enjoys it even though it's "badly written".
I think it's kind of sad that adults read a Harry Potter book once a year and think that means they "read books", when there's so many better authors out there who create really exciting and imaginative stories that have new ideas pinging around inside your head.
Horses for courses though, it's really meant for kids and teenagers, despite the adults who think it's some kind of high literature.
I think it's kind of sad that adults read a Harry Potter book once a year and think that means they "read books", when there's so many better authors out there who create really exciting and imaginative stories that have new ideas pinging around inside your head.
Horses for courses though, it's really meant for kids and teenagers, despite the adults who think it's some kind of high literature.
I found it somewhat disappointing. To be honest, it read like fan fiction: Every single bit of speculation turned out to be true. I couldn't help but wonder, if Rowling read the forums of a certain HP site too much and tried to bend the story to the rumours in there. The other HP always had some moment of surprise / mystery this one came without that.
Also the deus-ex Ron moment in the middle was just really weak writing or maybe we should call it plot magic. That was the low point of the book for me.
And for god's sake why the hell did she write an epilogue? It was completely unnecessary (as in it didn't add a single bit to the story).
The ending had much promise, but under delivered, though. I would have preferred different ending. The last action "sequence" was marred by the plot magic as well.
Now, that's sound more negative than I'd like. I enjoyed the book (as in light reading) but even children books should have a coherent plot and not just various bits of pieces stringed together clumsily. It just missed focus all over.
Also the deus-ex Ron moment in the middle was just really weak writing or maybe we should call it plot magic. That was the low point of the book for me.
And for god's sake why the hell did she write an epilogue? It was completely unnecessary (as in it didn't add a single bit to the story).
The ending had much promise, but under delivered, though. I would have preferred different ending. The last action "sequence" was marred by the plot magic as well.
Now, that's sound more negative than I'd like. I enjoyed the book (as in light reading) but even children books should have a coherent plot and not just various bits of pieces stringed together clumsily. It just missed focus all over.
The wfie and I saw the 5th movie Friday night and I enjoyed it so much that I now want to read the books. My wife's read them and has been really looking forward to the last one (which I was supposed to buy yesterday but completely forgot about).
I think she should thank the lucky stars that she came upon a good idea at the right time that was halfway coherent enough writer for a childrens book. Her writing is awful, and simply marred with too much incontinuity. The movies may stand the test of time, but the books certainly won't.
I'm still scratching my head as to how that lighter thing did that (other than it being a convenient plot device). It wasn't hinted at before, or really explained afterward. It simply did its inexplicable thing and that was that.
Deus Ex the game ?
Bouncing Zabaglione Bros.
Legend
"deus ex machina"
The game "Deux Ex" actually takes it's name from the above, literally translating the title to "God of the Machine" or "Machine God", which makes sense in the context of the game.
Read The Deathly Hallows on Saturday and enjoyed it overall. In particular, the first third of the book was nicely paced and well written. However some of it was just weak. She's never really found a good way to indicate a large amount of time has passed, and the post-lapse comeback is invariably crap; religion found its way in to the book in subtle but completely unnecessary ways; the last hundred pages had me screaming, "nooooo, don't do it!", in terms of the end sequence, and the epilogue was horrible.
Hrmph! I've found myself wanting to go and read the series again though, just to pick up on some of the nuances and characters I seemingly glossed over which are referenced in this last book, which might make my second read of it a bit more enjoyable than the first. But that's something to do in a couple of years. After seeing the latest film recently too, I've had my fill for a while. Brilliant stories overall, cheers J.K.!
Hrmph! I've found myself wanting to go and read the series again though, just to pick up on some of the nuances and characters I seemingly glossed over which are referenced in this last book, which might make my second read of it a bit more enjoyable than the first. But that's something to do in a couple of years. After seeing the latest film recently too, I've had my fill for a while. Brilliant stories overall, cheers J.K.!
No, I think there are more people in the world who prefer a thin book, or don't like hobbits at all.
I loved the Lord of the Rings.
Well, the Hobbit was certainly more digestible, and not so bogged down in the mythos minutia that only a linguist can generate in such volume.
Anyways, back to Harry Potter. The wife sent me this (presumably copied from some forum):
Anyways, back to Harry Potter. The wife sent me this (presumably copied from some forum):
Bouncing Zabaglione Bros.
Legend
I read both books some fiveteen years ago and from what I remember I 'liked' 'Lord of the Rings' better. 'The Hobbit' struck me as more of a children's book, which isn't a bad thing, just not what I had expected. 'Lord of the Rings' on the other hand, is one of the most over-rated best-selling books ever. It may be a seminal, genre-defining work but its literary quality is quite abysmal (I re-read the original a few years ago and came to that conclusion). I can see how it's jerk-off material for roleplaying nerds, though.
Harry Potter - unfortunately I think I'm a little too old to be able to enjoy them. The first book I couldn't finish because I thought it was so mind-numbingly trite nor have I watched any of the movies for lack of motivation.
"It may be a seminal, genre-defining work but its literary quality is quite abysmal"
Hmm, not exactly sure what that means. You mean the quality of the prose? Its pretty heavy duty in description, but its quite beautifully done all the same, which is why its considered a twentieth century masterpiece.
As for HP, read the last book in four hours last night. I liked it, but it had pacing problems at time (when they're sitting there doing nothing in the woods). I also can't help but compare HP to my other childhood books, like the Chronicles of Narnia -- which is indisputably of a superior quality.
It also hurts that you really more or less despise the main character throughout the novels and that he never really has much depth to him beyond whats already established in book 1.
Hmm, not exactly sure what that means. You mean the quality of the prose? Its pretty heavy duty in description, but its quite beautifully done all the same, which is why its considered a twentieth century masterpiece.
As for HP, read the last book in four hours last night. I liked it, but it had pacing problems at time (when they're sitting there doing nothing in the woods). I also can't help but compare HP to my other childhood books, like the Chronicles of Narnia -- which is indisputably of a superior quality.
It also hurts that you really more or less despise the main character throughout the novels and that he never really has much depth to him beyond whats already established in book 1.
I find it rather strange, while Snape is consistently the very reason I continue to see these movies, almost everyone I discuss them with doesn't like him. How could they not? Rickman's acting is phenomenal, and the character itself is the most interesting.
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