<p>
[quote]
So I stopped reading that, and moved on to Huxley and Nietzche.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Blech, that's the most pretentious thing I've heard today. </p>
<p>"I don't read Harry Potter, I read... Nietzche". </p>
<p>Why waste your time rereading Harry Potter 10 times when you can pick up that riveting page-turner Thus Spake Zarathustra for the 5th time? O please.</p>
<p>I stopped reading the series after the fourth book, because I felt that that Prisoner of Azkaban was the peak, while Goblet of Fire felt too bloated and overdone. I tried to get into Order of the Phoenix, but Harry's cockiness in the first few chapters did not grab my attention.</p>
<p>I rhyme real fast
I hardly even think.
But for most people
It takes them all week.</p>
<p>It's not hard to rhyme
Once you find the time
To hone your skillz
Takes a lot of will.</p>
<p>I'm like Lil' Jon
Straight from the Deep South
You ain't got time to comprehend
What's comin' out my mouth.</p>
<p>So foo, you wanna mess with me?
Im the biomaster, true straight up G
I'm a balla on the court and a balla with my pen
With my phat cool rhymes, Im representing the New Gen!</p>
<p>i think part of what fuels the "I hate harry" attitude amongst those who don't bother to read it is cynicism, yes, because Harry fans can be crazy loyal and protective of their obsession (not unlike many other fans of popular phenomena) i was at border's the other night and i overheard a customer asking the cashier if she was a fan and she seemed to be slightly ashamed of saying no! let the fans have their fun, no problem with that, but no need to dehumanize people who haven't jumped on the bandwagon of popular culture</p>
<p>biomaster, you really suck at rhyming.. there was no pattern or rhythm you just would rhyme random words.. thats isn't very hard and you don't need talent for that</p>
<p>its not so easy to rhyme
two nickels make a dime
math is really fun
i get burnt by the sun
that makes me mad
but i am not sad
i will survive
as long as i know how to love i know ill stay alive</p>
<p>I don't see why people can't just say, "Harry Potter isn't my cup of tea" instead of saying, "It's retarded and gay." And the argument that it's children's literature doesn't really hold anymore. Yes, the first three books were definitely children's lit, but from the fourth book on, the books have become increasingly darker.</p>
<p>True, JKR may not have the most eloquent writing style, and her word choice is often simple (her extreme liking for the words "said" and "ominous" irks me), but that doesn't mean the story is elementary. If you guys have ever closely read the books or read fan-authored analyses of her writing style, you'll notice that JKR can be quite brilliant sometimes. I personally think she's very clever.</p>
<p>Finally, reading Harry Potter doesn't equal stooping to a lower intellectual level. In fact, some fans have written very good analyses of HP. You may like your Kafka or Nietzsche, but please don't look down at the people who enjoy Harry Potter. Because can you really, definitely say that all those millions of fans are less intelligent than you are?</p>
<p>I definitely agree with what demeter said. Just because smaller children read the series does not mean it's "elementary material." On its literary value, it does not delve into convoluted passages of philosophy, or propose a future alternative society, but it still raises very important issues. For example, Harry is a young boy forced to make very hard decisions, forced to face terrible forces. I think some people can find him inspiring, for in real life don't we--people of all ages-- often face tough choices? And, the magical realm that JK Rowling creates is more tangible than many other fantasy books I've read (with exceptions of Tolkien and Narnia). I think most people would agree with setting and motifs are quite creative, and perhaps we should celebrate Harry Potter for its imagination. </p>
<p>Just food for thought: Who here thinks the Harry Potter series are better than the "accepted classic", Ethan Frome, by Edith Wharton?</p>
<p>I read a thread on another site (I think?) where someone said they couldn't focus on their school work because the Harry Potter plot twist was affecting them so badly. They were going to postpone their SATs so they could "recover." It wouldn't have struck me as shocking until I realized they were dead serious. When you're that involved with a series, you need to pull away. It's not healthy.</p>
<p>It's so fake. I am more of a realist anyway so I don't really enjoy books likeharry Poter or the C.S. Lewis books about narnia I'd much rather read about something that actually happened.</p>