Harold Bloom on HP

[ardentdreams at yahoo.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 11265


> > Bloom: Do you really believe children will read better books after 
> reading Harry Potter? I don't think so. And one of the worst writers 
> in America, Stephen King (he's terrible, I can't even read a couple 
of 
> paragraphs by him) has confirmed my worst fears in a review he wrote 
> for The New York Times. According to him, the 12-year-olds who are 
now 
> reading Potter will be ready to read his books at the age of 16. Do 
I 
> need to say more? The USA are a country in which television, movies, 
> video games, computers and Stephen King have ruined reading.

I guess that I would just need to ask how have we "ruined reading"? 
The scripts for televison, movies... even guides for video games 
require reading by children. I admit that perhaps the "classics" are 
being ignored. But, I would like to raise this question: Are we, 
perhaps, living in an era that is creating new children's classics? By 
far I wouldn't want to admit that Stephen King is an ideal reading 
choice for a sixteen year old, but what would be better? Tom Sawyer... 
with it's racial remarks... or Lois Lowry's " Killing Mr. Griffen" 
with the murders and deceit. Our world is slowly introducing our 
children to what we have created as "reality" by creating stories. We 
are asking their imaginations to grow... to accept things beyond them. 
By doing so we can not be upset when their imaginations lead them down 
a dark path. Are we asking them to give up innocence by reading Harry 
Potter? Is Stephen King now the "scum of literature"? I don't think 
so... I prefer to think that we are asking children to accept 
something beyond themselves. It is never easy to realize that the 
world is not all nice and easy... but then... it's not.  


> > Bloom: I have only read one of her titles. The language is 
horrible. 
> Nobody, for instance, "walks" in that book. The characters "stretch 
> their legs", which is an obvious cliche. The whole book is full of 
> these well-worn, second-hand phrases. I've written a negative review 
> of Harry Potter for the Wall Street Journal. It was instant 
> controversy. Over 400 letters were sent, calling me the worst names 
> imaginable. Defense for such kind of bad books comes from everywhere 
- 
> parents, children, media - and it is very unsettling and not at all 
> healthy."
> 
> I wish people would stop sending flames to people like Mr. Bloom. 
He's 
> entitled to his opinion, and some people just love to get vilified 
> like that.

 I agree with you here that Bloom has the right to his opinion. I also 
think that sometimes people can take things too seriously. I just feel 
that perhaps his reasoning is broken down. I must ask why he questions 
the literary value behind Harry Potter. I was wondering if anyone knew 
where I can find a copy of Bloom's article. I suppose that in order to 
argue this intelligibly I would need to know what he said 
specifically. I just want it to be said for the record that I do not 
argree with his opinion that it is unhealthy to defend Harry. I 
actually think that for children especially... to defend, especially 
in writing, Harry-- or any literate work is a step to a deeper 
understanding of literature as a whole. I know that my brother, who is 
11, started reading HP with the whole family. Since then he has taken 
a new look at reading. I know that for me it was the same when I was 
younger. I hated to read until I came across Ramona Quimby--- I am 
greatly impressed by my brother's new dedication to reading. I can not 
even begin to thank JKR for that. I think that the use of simplistic 
language was necessary to the audience the JKR was writing. Yes, I am 
21, and I love to read HP... but I am not the intended audience. I 
would never begin to think that Mother Goose is bad literature just 
because it is simplistic... 
> This is exactly what we need to capture the minds and imaginations 
of 
> 9 to 12 year olds, isn't it?
I totally agree with you...