Books of Magic vs Harry Potter

[Geoff Bannister]

--- In HPFGU-OTChatter at yahoogroups.com, "Steve" <bboyminn at ...> wrote:

> bboyminn:
>  
> It's odd isn't it, that people can be so fiercely
> loyal to books and authors. I know many LotR fans
> who absolutely will not touch a Harry Potter book
> because the are convinced JKR betrayed their 
> favorite author by using what in reality are 
> universal themes. 

Geoff:
To me, it certainly seems odd.

I am a great fan of both HP and LOTR and, in my own 
personal imagined universe, they fit quite happily because 
they occupy completely different time zones. LOTR is in a 
period of incredibly remote history whereas Harry and 
friends occupy an almost contemporaneous period to 
today.

There are bound to be overlapping themes in this sort of 
book because authors draw from similar source material. 
For example, If you read Alan Garner's "Weirdstone of 
Brisingamen" and "Moon of Gomrath" there are sections 
in which I see parallels with LOTR and Narnia and I do 
not feel that the author is plagiarising in any way.