Harry Potter Fans: Share Your Love for the Series

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the Harry Potter series, focusing on participants' experiences with the books and films, their opinions on the storytelling, and the impact of the series on popular culture. The scope includes personal reflections, comparisons between the books and films, and commentary on themes within the series.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants express their enjoyment of returning to the series after a long break, highlighting a deeper appreciation for the books.
  • One participant mentions reading the series multiple times and discovering new connections, while expressing skepticism about upcoming adaptations without the original cast.
  • Several participants advocate for reading the books, arguing they provide a richer experience compared to the films, with more depth in character development.
  • There are mixed feelings about the simplicity of the first two books, with some participants acknowledging their appeal to children while others feel they lack complexity.
  • Some participants note that the series popularized certain themes in fantasy literature, such as the concept of a magic university, attributing this influence to J.K. Rowling.
  • Concerns are raised about the accessibility of the plot in the films for those who haven't read the books, with some suggesting that the depth of the story is lost in adaptation.
  • Participants discuss the allegorical elements of the series, including themes of racism and class struggles, and the development of characters over time.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally agree on the enjoyment of the Harry Potter series, but there are competing views regarding the complexity of the early books and the effectiveness of the film adaptations compared to the books. The discussion remains unresolved on these points.

Contextual Notes

Some participants express uncertainty about the impact of adaptations on the original story's essence and the varying interpretations of themes within the series. There is also a recognition of the intended audience for the earlier books, which may influence perceptions of their simplicity.

Sophia
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Are there any HP fans in here? [emoji2] I've returned to him after about 10 years. I didn't have time to finish the series because of school and other stuff. Now I'm on book 4 and I absolutely love it!
What about others here?
Just don't spoil it for me please, I have successfully avoided all info about the ending until now. Thank you [emoji1]
 
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That's a long time to wait to finish.
 
Yep :) I've just forgotten about it in the meantime due to other responsibilities and hobbies.
But now I enjoy it more I think. :)
 
mememememe! i read the whole series 7 times... each time i discovered something new and made connections between details in the books. did you hear about the new play coming up? and the new film? I'm not sure I'm fond of the idea... for me there's no harry potter world without harry, and no harry potter story come to life without the original cast. i can't wait for pottermore to release a patronus quiz though!
 
I keep thinking I should read the series. I have the first book on my tablet, but just never seem to start it. I liked the movies well enough.

I like that the harry potter series popularized the idea of a magic university, which was incorporated into "the name of the wind" and "the magicians", two books that I liked. At least I think Rowling gets credit for that.
 
meBigGuy said:
I keep thinking I should read the series. I have the first book on my tablet, but just never seem to start it. I liked the movies well enough.

I like that the harry potter series popularized the idea of a magic university, which was incorporated into "the name of the wind" and "the magicians", two books that I liked. At least I think Rowling gets credit for that.
if you liked the films. you should definitely read the books. definitely. they are sooooo rich, they go into much more depth (especially around certain characters, like dumbledore) and some parts from the books didn't even make it into the films. please, read the books. it will change your life!
 
Harry Potter is great :) If you're done with the books and still cannot get enough of it I can suggest a great fanfiction called "Harry Potter and the methods of rationality"
You'll easialy find it on google.
 
Definitely read the books! I'm just at number 7. The movies are OK but they cannot be even compared to the books.
 
Can only concur.
Coerced by my then teenaged children to read the books, I actually liked them.
When I saw the movies, I wondered how someone who hasn't read the books can really follow the plot.
 
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  • #10
You can follow the movies just about, I should know because I started by watching the first two movies then continued with the books.
Sophia said:
The movies are OK but they cannot be even compared to the books.
The books are on another level though, nobody can understand how deep, genius the story line is if they haven't read the books.
Samy_A said:
Coerced by my then teenaged children to read the books, I actually liked them.
When I saw the movies, I wondered how someone who hasn't read the books can really follow the plot.
I tried to get my dad to read them but he just couldn't get into it :(
Thr future is going to be awesome when they make kids study Harry Potter in schools, cause it will be a clasic you know;)
 
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  • #11
I thought the Harry Potter books were rather enjoyable however I felt the first two were painfully simple. I also felt that they weren't the most groundbreaking work of fantasy fiction ever and that J.K. Rowling borrowed a lot of themes, elements, story lines and terms from other books.
 
  • #12
Axon said:
I thought the Harry Potter books were rather enjoyable however I felt the first two were painfully simple. I also felt that they weren't the most groundbreaking work of fantasy fiction ever and that J.K. Rowling borrowed a lot of themes, elements, story lines and terms from other books.
Yes, it is true that the first books are simple. But you have to take into consideration that they are for kids .
Also the themes are not new either.
But what I find exceptional is character building, especially towards the end of the series. These people develop and there are no simple good and bad characters. In my opinion, this is a nice thought to have in children's literature.
The books allegoricaly speak about racism, class battles and dangers of some political regimes while remaining enjoyable and understandable for children.
I but fully agree with you Axon, that some adults may find it simplistic.
 
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  • #13
I'm reading 5th book now, third time actually :) So many years passed but this books still carry me to my childhood and fairy tales. So as The 10th Kingdom actually :)
 
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  • #14
Axon said:
I thought the Harry Potter books were rather enjoyable however I felt the first two were painfully simple. I also felt that they weren't the most groundbreaking work of fantasy fiction ever and that J.K. Rowling borrowed a lot of themes, elements, story lines and terms from other books.
I read the first book in one day. Orders from my late wife, who was studying to be a children's librarian.

J.K. wanted the books to be read by children of the same age as Harry in that book. So the first one was geared toward eleven year olds. I wonder if anyone will be able to keep their kids from reading every book as fast as they can after reading the first one?
 

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