Posted on 07/18/2005 6:36:15 AM PDT by Kitten Festival
J.K. Rowling is history’s richest-ever author, enjoying an incomparable global readership. With eager consumers lined up at midnight to buy her book on the date of release, she stands as the literary phenomenon of our times.
Rowling resembles no one in popularity so much as Charles Dickens, who inspired excited crowds in America to meet the packet ships from England, calling out for the next installment of the story of Little Nell.
She also rivals Dickens in her ability to create some of the most delightful names in literature. Uriah Heep, meet Severus Snape.
Few authors today write books for adolescent boys, who readily fall away from reading and are lured to the video tube. Daring to write long and complicated plots, Rowling doesn’t underestimate her readers. Her books contain delightful inventions on almost every page: from mail delivery owls to the winged boars (flying pigs) that grace the Hogwarts school gates.
But huge success makes for a big target. Rowling does not lack for critics.
Some are bothered by her abundant use of adverbs, or worry about exposing very young children to the violence in the books’ good vs. evil plot lines. Occasional gross-out humor and love of annoying practical jokes dismay some adults, but meet the literary tastes of the adolescent boy.
By far the most serious criticism of the Harry Potter series comes from those Christians and Jews who believe any mention of magic in literature is completely and automatically off-limits based simply on the Biblical prohibitions against witchcraft.
I respect such critics, but I disagree with them. A few of them go overboard, muttering darkly about bargains with supernatural forces. But many are sincere and intelligent.
There is a basic difference between reading a Harry Potter book and invoking the dark forces. Casting actual spells is one thing. Reading about them while engrossed in a struggle between good and evil on the magical plane of childrens’ literature is quite another.
Magic has become a literary convention of imaginative literature, positing forces fo
What can I say? The stars were right.
Does it endorse mistreatment of little people and house violence?
And no Elder Sign in sight ...
Maybe not chickens, but they are probably trimming the ends of Cat5e cable and then using the cuttings to tell fortunes (similar to reading entrails).
:^)
Agree to disagree, I suppose.
They might as well disembowel goats. When they use digital diagnostic equipment to evaluate network issues, the CIO says, "Yeah, well that doesn't prove anything!"
Your son seems quite insightful. My oldest boy, 11, just read the first Harry Potter book, and said it was reasonably interesting; maybe he'll check out another from the library. My 14-year-old daughter said it was boring.
YOU HAVE NO CHANCE TO SURVIVE MAKE YOUR TIME
In the wrong hands, the Bible is dangerous. Anything string enough to build on is strong enough to beat someone with.
I've read all of the books except the new one and as a Christian, am not bothered at all by the series. It's more about good -vs- evil than anything else.
I can't wait to start on the new oen.
The story -- and it might be an urban legend -- is that Lewis and Tolkein were sitting together, lamenting the fact that the youth of (their) today had no myths. And out of that conversation came the two great epics of the 20th century.
Lewis' epic adhered more closely to the Bible. Tolkein's reached back more into ancient tradition and sheer invention. But they both served the function of ancient myths, to teach moral lessons and illustrate virtue: Courage, wisdom, loyalty, determination, compassion. Those are eternal, no matter what the external trappings of the story. And the Harry Potter books depict all of them well. As well as some others I probably forgot to mention.
(As an aside, I will not be moved from my position that Samwise Ganjee is the real hero of the LotR trilogy. He had no special skill, no great strength, no supernatural powers, no preordained destiny. He Just. Would. Not. Give. Up. We can't decide to have the skill of Legolas or the power of Gandalf. We can decide to be Sam.)
I've struggled through two books of the Ring trilogy. I haven't had the energy to start the third.
There are people who fervently believe all fiction should be banned(burned) because fiction is by definition, untrue! Don't let anyone read lies!!!! Especially bad are political campaign flyers and recent supreme court decisions;obvious works of fiction.
To fear literature is to be doubtful of the rock upon which you stand.
I've read the books so that I can discuss them with my oldest son, who is also reading them. Guess what? We still believe that Christ died for our sins, and that our redemption is through Him only.
Plus, we got to read some pretty good books. Tolkien they're not. But they're pretty good.
Love it, love it, love it! Too bad it's too long for my tagline or I'd steal it!
I'll warn you in advance--if you ever decide to tackle The Silmarillion, start taking vitamins a month or two ahead of time.
LOL, that's no lie!
I love LOTR, have read them many, many times -- but I would say that I ENDURED the Silmarillion, or SURVIVED it.
My punk teenager ate it up, though, and my wife thought it was fun. Humph.
Dan
Oh good lord! - Said in my best kelsey grammer impersonation.
You mean to tell me you have never seen Army of Darkness. Only one of the best cult films of all time. Bruce "The Bruce" Campbell is one of the most underrated actors of all time in a comedy-action sense. Ok.... First skip the censored crap on tv and go rent Evil Dead 1 & 2, and Army of Darkness.
Personally, I have my limited edition of Evil Dead 2 with the fake skin (Necronomicon) case.
Plus, the Bruce was the only reason to watch Xena (other than that totally hot lesbian thing).
That's me - putting the "Fun" back into "Fundamentalist".
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