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Harry Potter: 3 More Things I Learned
ExileStreet ^ | 8/1/07 | John Mark Reynolds

Posted on 08/01/2007 6:59:32 AM PDT by ParsifalCA

I am warning those who have not finished the series . . . and there must be still a few of them by now. . . that there are spoilers ahead. I have just finished the last book . . . having spent an enjoyable evening with it thanks to Sam’s Club and an indulgent wife.

I am done with Harry Potter and enjoying the literary aftertaste the way one enjoys a fine meal almost as much after it is done as when it is being consumed . . . though it is a bit sad that the series is finished.

And it is really finished . . .

Will one be able to re-read the books with pleasure?

I think the answer is only a tentative “yes.” If one knows the “puzzles” and “the secrets” of the book, it will not take away the charm of the characters or the fun of a good Quidditch match, but the first read will always be the best.

The strength of these books is in the plot and the second read, when everything is known, will be satisfying for finding all the clues to what happens . . . but I am hard pressed to know if I will want to re-read them a third or fourth time.

A really great book is as good on the fourth read . . . and some children’s books (Little White Horse) are better.

I deeply enjoyed the last book and thought the ending satisfying. For those who found them quite Christian, they will find much in this last book to give strength to their idea.

(Excerpt) Read more at exilestreet.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Editorial; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: childrensbooks; christianity; culture; deloresumbridge; harrypotter; hillaryumbridge; kidbooks; nooccultpractices; strictly4kids; threaddementorsalert; tinfoilwitcheshat
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To: PetroniusMaximus

Oh he’s back on the teenage male prostitute thing. Let me guess, you recently got back from Thailand?


161 posted on 08/01/2007 10:32:33 AM PDT by discostu (indecision may or may not be my biggest problem)
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To: Corin Stormhands
Rufus Scrimgour was more manipulative, but he did believe in the threat. He may be the closest to Clinton as he wanted to use Harry to enhance the image of the ministry.

Sorry, I don't want to sound picky but I just don't think Scrimgeour should be compared to Clinton, at least, not after his actions in the last book (I don't want to spoil it, but if you've read it, you know what I'm talking about).

162 posted on 08/01/2007 10:33:09 AM PDT by The Blitherer (What would a Free Man do?)
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To: jetson
One thing I have noticed about the Harry Potter stuff. People who are tuned into and follow politics don’t read or watch the garbage. What could this mean?

You're right. Nobody on FreeRepublic would bother reading or watching that garbage. That must be the reason that there haven't been any threads about HP on Free Republic.

Mark

Do I need a "/sarcasm?" I've read all the books, seen all the movies, and enjoy Jim Dale's performance on the audio books: I'm listening to "Prisoner of Askaban" right now at work. Some of you may have noticed that I'm a little bit interested in politics...

163 posted on 08/01/2007 10:33:17 AM PDT by MarkL (Listen, Strange women lyin' in ponds distributin' swords is no basis for a system of government)
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To: PetroniusMaximus
Something that struck me about the books (and others on this thread have certainly mentioned it) the young wizards have a sort of genetic ability to do magic even before they know about magic. In this way, the magic in Harry Potter differs very much from the Occult practices we see in our own world.

One of the exception is in fortune-telling (as you point out) and tea-reading, astrology, etc. These are "magical disciplines" in Harry Potter which map quite closely to "magical disciplines in our own world. But Look:

The professor for these subjects is Trelawney. She is a fraud. Everyone knows it. She is a laughingstock. The magic that she tries to teach simply doesn't work!

The one exception is that Trelawney makes a prophecy (without intention and without knowing she's doing so)which harks back to the inborn genetic capability that the Harry Potter wizards have.

I think Rowling in telling us how she feels about the Occult when she portrays Trelawney this way.

164 posted on 08/01/2007 10:33:36 AM PDT by ClearCase_guy (Progressives like to keep doing the things that didn't work in the past.)
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To: Ignatz; JenB; SuziQ; Lil'freeper; HairOfTheDog; ecurbh; Ramius; RosieCotton; Bear_in_RoseBear; ...
I've read the LOTR trilogy three times and have yet to become a Hobbit, a Dwarf, an Elf, a Wizard, or even an Orc...

ooops

165 posted on 08/01/2007 10:33:52 AM PDT by Corin Stormhands (I drink coffee for your protection.)
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To: Artemis Webb
Several people have brought up “I Dream Of Jeannie”. Did that television show glorify occultism? Jeannie practiced magic.

Jeannie's dark-haired sister *was* fairly naughty, as was Samantha's dark-haired cousin Serina. When I was a teenager, I often wished I could take a magic wand to those two. ;-)

166 posted on 08/01/2007 10:34:34 AM PDT by Charles Martel (The Tree of Liberty thirsts.)
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To: I still care
Your tagline caught my eye. Excalibur!
One of my favorite movies! It might have been the first movie I bought after getting my first DVD player. After I saw it the first time, I was so taken with it that I chucked my Christian upbringing and became an occult wizard and was frozen for many, many years, and then.....Oh, wait...that's what happens in Petronious's world, not mine.
Nor ANYONE else I know of.
'Cept maybe Xenalyte.
But she's hot so I'll make an exception.
167 posted on 08/01/2007 10:34:52 AM PDT by Ignatz (NPC's have feelings, too!)
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To: discostu; PetroniusMaximus
Let me guess, you recently got back from Thailand?

Jim Webb's a FReeper????

168 posted on 08/01/2007 10:35:48 AM PDT by Corin Stormhands (I drink coffee for your protection.)
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To: PetroniusMaximus

it would depend on the setting of the book, the age of my children and the ultimate lessons coming out of the book. If they were going into law enforcement or medicine, and needed the info about how this subset of the society lives, and were old enough to handle it (prob late HS, college) I would not object. This would be mild compared to some of the things I was exposed to in medical school.

In most cases no, but the point is the decision is made on a case by case basis. I actually read Harry Potter first, and determined there is nothing that would harm my children by reading it. We also discussed witchcraft (the real kind, not the Harry Potter kind, and how God feels about it.)

There are some Christian books I do not want my children reading due to the graphic nature of the same. Sorry, the arguement does not hold water.


169 posted on 08/01/2007 10:36:37 AM PDT by Mom MD (The scorn of fools is music to the ears of the wise)
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To: Corin Stormhands

And he hates Harry Potter. Probably doesn’t like oil cans either but that’s a joke for another day.


170 posted on 08/01/2007 10:38:11 AM PDT by discostu (indecision may or may not be my biggest problem)
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To: The Blitherer

No I agree. My point was that, if anyone could closely be compared to Clinton it was Scrimgour and his desire to have Harry “hangout” at the ministry to enhance the image of the ministry.

But you’re right, his actions in the last book are definitely NOT Clintonlike.


171 posted on 08/01/2007 10:38:14 AM PDT by Corin Stormhands (I drink coffee for your protection.)
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To: Mercat
If you enjoy audio books, look into them. They are done by Borders.

Geez! You'd think that being a reader for audio books would pay enough for one to at least afford a house!

172 posted on 08/01/2007 10:38:37 AM PDT by Ignatz (NPC's have feelings, too!)
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To: discostu

*snicker*


173 posted on 08/01/2007 10:40:18 AM PDT by Corin Stormhands (I drink coffee for your protection.)
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To: Ignatz
I've read the LOTR trilogy three times and have yet to become a Hobbit, a Dwarf, an Elf, a Wizard, or even an Orc.

I confess, I saw the movies and wanted to become an elf. Of course, that could have been cause I had the hots for Olando Bloom at the time :-) In fact, I'm pretty sure that's the reason, since reading the books never gave me that desire.

*sigh*...Orlando Bloom...

;-)

174 posted on 08/01/2007 10:40:53 AM PDT by The Blitherer (What would a Free Man do?)
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To: PetroniusMaximus
Now if there was a very popular childrens series about a couple of crack-addicted, teenage, male-prostitutes -

Just to end this obsessive rhetoric you seem to repeat so often, no editor worth his salt or author for that matter would consider your fictional 'crack-addicted, teenage, male-prostitutes' as appropriate for children.

Let me repeat so you don't get confused.

no editor worth his salt or author for that matter would consider your fictional 'crack-addicted, teenage, male-prostitutes' as appropriate for children.

Try something new.

175 posted on 08/01/2007 10:41:10 AM PDT by Pistolshot (Every woman, who can, should learn to shoot, and carry a gun.)
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To: abner; altura; Androcles; andyssister; anonsquared; Bigs from the North; Blue Eyes; Caipirabob; ...

Potter Ping!

(Sorry for the late ping! Apologies to anyone I may have left off the list, I’m on a backup computer.)


176 posted on 08/01/2007 10:41:57 AM PDT by retrokitten
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To: Pistolshot

“Try something new.”

It’s a “What-if” question.

Ever heard of that?


177 posted on 08/01/2007 10:43:24 AM PDT by PetroniusMaximus
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To: PetroniusMaximus

It’s a logical fallacy, specifically poisoning the well with a false comparison. Ever heard of that?


178 posted on 08/01/2007 10:44:43 AM PDT by discostu (indecision may or may not be my biggest problem)
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To: ParsifalCA; Corin Stormhands; JenB; Lil'freeper
Rowling writes well . . . she plots fabulously . . . she creates lovable characters . . . but her prose fails her when she gets to scenes of great beauty or pathos. Her battles, to cite just one example, end up reading like her Quidditch matches.

I see this argument all the time, written by ADULTS as though they were critiquing a book written for them. It's a KIDS book!! It is written for tweens and teens, and won't be written in the same way as a typical book for older adults. That's not to say that adults can't enjoy them, but the books shouldn't be judged on how they're written if the person doing the judging is using an incorrect measure by which to do it.

As for the contention that the jargon is too contemporary, and will be 'dated', aren't folks still reading Thomas Hardy and Jane Austen with their stilted language? That's pretty dated, but it doesn't take away from the fact that they wrote some pretty good stories that have held up over time. It remains to be seen if the Harry Potter series will endure, but I think it will, because the struggle between good and evil is timeless.

179 posted on 08/01/2007 10:45:14 AM PDT by SuziQ
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To: Mom MD

“it would depend on the setting of the book, the age of my children and the ultimate lessons coming out of the book. “

There would be no moral lesson - for or against - their conducts. It would simply serve as a “plot device” as magic does in HP.


180 posted on 08/01/2007 10:45:51 AM PDT by PetroniusMaximus
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