"straightforwardness" (is that a word)

[Scott]

No: HPFGUIDX 5337

Responding to a rather old post.  I beg your forgivness

> >That in mind, although the books are amazingly intricate and 
complex, they
> are also in many ways (I think) quite straightforward.
> 
> I think there are different levels to the books.  You can read the 
book once
> and get the gist of the story... but then you read it again and you 
pick up
> on more of the detail... the comedy, and you see how something in 
an early
> chapter is vital to something later on.


I agree that the books are very straightforward, but only in some 
respects.  If I am recommending the HP books (as I often am) and it 
is an adult or older (teen) reader I will explain that the books are 
quite complex and that there is an infinite amount of dicussion in 
them.  If however I am recommending them to a younger reader, or 
someone (say a grandparent) who is thinking of getting them for a 
younger reader I will explain that the stories are in reality, 
simple.  Like Simon was saying if you read the book, at any age (and 
in children I think that is errr, 9-12, or at least thats how it's 
marketed...) you get the gist of it.

I was talking to someone  about 10 the other day and he was like "Oh 
yeah my favourite was GoF, because the part where Voldemort comes 
back and Harry fights him is cool."  

In other words I think that it depends on how you look at it and 
therefore it is easy to understand it w/out reading into it, just as 
some people (though for the most part not this group) feel that is 
easy to read "too much" into it.

Scott

(sorry I know this is an old topic and that these things have 
probably been covered by someone else who's message I've not read 
yet.)