HP and Similarities to Other Books (Worst Witch/Secret Platform 13)

[wibble_flibble]

No: HPFGUIDX 37142

Hi again. 

I will try and answer you a bit at a time!

First: The Worst Witch was written by Jill Murphy - there are three 
or four books in the Worst Witch series, but apart from the 
similarities you already mentioned (Witches, a school for witches and 
the blond haired baddie!) the two are quite different.

The Worst Witch is a much more light hearted read, and the whole plot 
and background is much less involved and not as dark or as multi-
layered as HP (IMHO). The books are a good read though, and quite 
humorous, so I do recommend them!

Next point: I didn't mean that Artemis Fowl was like HP, but that it 
had similarities to Eva Ibbotson's book, the Secret of Platform 13, 
especially it's "bodyguard" characters.

Thirdly, the actual similarities. Well, I had a look at the "anti 
Harry Potter" website that someone pointed me to, to see if they had 
noticed the same similarities that I had. Here is a combined effort 
between that list and my observations (I have missed out the the 
little ones which I thought were not as important):

1. The Prince, who is kidnapped as a baby and brought up in our "real 
world", away from the magic of his people. He is treated badly, and 
is a goodhearted soul who always seemed to have something magical 
about him, and never seemed very surprised when he saw magical things 
happen. Like Harry, although he doesn't realise it, he is very well 
known in his own world (for different reasons of course - this hero 
is a Prince).

2.The rescue party who come to bring him "home" are an odd bunch, not 
exactly reminicent of Hagrid and Co, but at least as weird and 
wonderful as them! The rescue team includes Cornelius, a batty old 
wizard, and Hans, a gentle giant.

3.Ben lives with a nasty family called the Trottles, who bear a 
striking resemblance to the Dursleys, right down to their fat and 
spoiled little brat of a son, the same age as Ben. They make Ben 
sleep in a "windowless cupboard", just like Harry.

4. At the time the story takes place, Mrs Trottle has arranged for 
Ben to be sent away to a horrible school with a reputation which 
reminded me of St Brutus School for Incurably Criminal Boys (or 
whatever it was exactly, I can't remember). Meanwhile Raymond 
Trottle, like Dudley, is sent to a ridiculously expensive private 
school.

5.The Gump on platform thirteen, and the secret Platform 9 3/4 in HP.

6. The Mistmakers on the island adore the sound of music which makes 
them sigh and create a mist. This reminded me of Fluffy in the first 
HP book.

I am certainly not an "anti-Harry potter" person - I thoroughly 
enjoyed all the books, and authors, artists and musical composers 
have been recycling and developing others' work for many centuries - 
that is how we progress, according to Bartok, although I would need 
to look up the exact quote.

Yes, I recommend the Secret of Platform Thirteen - all "coincidences" 
aside, it is an amusing book, although a little short.

Interested in your response.

Avital