Too Old For Harry Potter & Season's Greetings

[Mary Ann <macloudt@yahoo.co.uk>]

--- In HPFGU-OTChatter at yahoogroups.com, "Shaun Hately" 
<drednort at a...> wrote:

> Well, obviousy, I don't agree with it - but besides anything else, 
I think he missed a 
> fourth group of readers - voracious readers, who read more than 
that his 'regular 
> readers'

I agree, Shaun.  I don't have as much time to read now as I used to, 
but, like you, I read whatever tickles my fancy.  Apart from the 
usual Discworld, Dickens, and Eco books, at least once a year I get 
my old copies of Charlotte's Web and Goodnight Mr. Tom out of my 
daughter's bookcase and curl up for an enjoyable evening.  Who wants 
to read the same kind of stuff all the time?  That's boring, IMO.

> I think he expects *WAY* too much from novels - how about just 
reading for 
> enjoyment.

Hear, hear!  The occasional dose of mindless pulp is good for the 
soul.

On the back of this point, I think there's also an image issue here.  
The author points out that he sees adults on public transport reading 
these books.  As he does so, he makes judgements about these people.  
So, IMO, he is very conscious of others passing judgement on him.  
Does he really object to the content of the HP books (I agree with 
Judy that is seems that he's never even read them), or does his self-
image/self-importance not allow him to be seen with a book that 
doesn't ooze knowledge and self-realization?  How do we know that 
he's not sneaking into the toilet to catch up on the latest Jackie 
Collins book?  Is he incapable of realizing that the vast majority of 
us adult HP fans don't give a rodent's behind what he and his ilk 
think of us?  Does he know what the term "anal retentive" means?

Ah, well.  It's his loss, isn't it?

On another note, I'd like to wish all of you a happy festive holiday, 
and a Merry Christmas if you celebrate it.  In a moment I'm going to 
be mercilessly shoved off my chair, but that's my own fault as I'm 
the one who bought the kids new CD-Roms and they're dying to play 
with them ;)

Mary Ann