[HPforGrownups] Re: CoS Is The Least Favorite HP Book. Why? -- Percy (P.I.N.E.)

[Penny & Bryce]

No: HPFGUIDX 27409

Hi --

Sorry to be lurking the last few days.  Egads ... I have 73 messages in 
my HP4GU box, which means there were at least 73 comments I wanted to 
make with time.  Bleh.  Won't be doing *that* to you all but I'll chime 
in on a few things.

> justanopinion (Laura) wrote:
> 
>  > According to the HP Grownups polls, CoS is unquestionably the
> least
>  > > favorite of the four books among people on this list.
>  > [snip]
>  > What exactly is it that causes so many people
>  > > not to like CoS?
> 
> Joywitch wrote:
> 
>  > Excellent question, Laura.  I, too, count CoS as my least favorite
>  > but I'm not exactly sure why.  One thing I found interesting --
>  > according to the interviews in this month's Nickolodean magazine,
>  > Daniel Radcliffe's favorite HP book is CoS.  The other two actors
>  > interviewed (the ones playing Ron and Hermione) like PoA the best.
> 
Amy Z wrote:

> At the time he was cast, Daniel Radcliffe had only read the first two
> (and I have serious reservations about their having cast any child
> who found the books that unaddictive <g>).

I had the same reservations, Amy.  But, my sister read in some 
publication that gets sent to elementary school teachers that Radcliffe 
is dyslexic.  If true, I can certainly forgive him for not having read 
them all yet.  He's apparently also written or is writing a book about 
his experience with dyslexia, HP, etc.

 > To Laura's question.  I wouldn't conclude from the poll that anyone
> *doesn't like* CoS.  I agonized over how to rank 1, 2, and 4 (PoA
> being my clear favorite), and I wouldn't say that I "don't like" the
> one I ranked last (PS/SS).  I love them all.

That's what my response would have been.  PS/SS is the one I ranked last 
also, but I would hardly say that I don't like it.  It's what got me 
started on HP after all!  It was, as someone else noted, a process of 
elimination for me.  PoA is my favorite on many levels, although if I 
were to be marooned on a desert island for the rest of my life & could 
only take one book (or one HP book), I'd take GoF for the length (much 
more bang for the buck so to speak).  It's typically a very tough call 
for me to rank PoA and then GoF.  I could go back & forth on that, but 
PoA typically wins out.  CoS was next for me, and again, *that* ranking 
is even tough for me to make.  :--)

I did enjoy reading all the comments about why people ranked CoS lower 
or lowest, and the logic/plot problems that they had with that one. 
Lockhart is annoying, but there are so many other wonderful things about 
CoS that I can overlook it (Barb mentioned lots of the great things we 
take away from CoS, as did Amy IIRC).  Funny thing -- I think I recall 
that JKR said CoS was *her* favorite of them all (I'd have thought PoA 
because of Lupin).  Can you imagine how hard it must be for *her* to 
rank the books or at least name one of them as her favorite?  That 
comment might be pre-GoF though -- I can't remember exactly.

PERCY -- I'm not going to make an entirely separate post just to repeat 
what I've said many times before so I'll slip it in here.  Percy.  Is. 
Not.  Evil.  2 sickles gets you membership to P.I.N.E. (successor to 
Percy Lovers Unite!).  Percy is a red herring IMO.  He will struggle 
with a decision, come to terms with the problems inherent in slavish 
obedience to rules & authority, and be quite interesting & complex along 
the way.  I think/hope he'll reach the right decision before someone 
gets hurt or killed, but I have no doubt he'll reach the right decision 
in the end.  Lots of Percy threads in the last few months if anyone 
wants to search the message archives.  :--)

Penny