Worth it?

[klmf1]

No: HPFGUIDX 153597

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "zanooda2" <zanooda2 at ...> wrote:
>Snip
> 
> > Janie:
> 
> > I am an intelligent person and a very good reader [one of the only 
> > things I'm really good at], but I just don't think they're that 
> > amazing. I read the first, second, and latest one that came out, and 
> > quite frankly, lost interest.
> 
> 
> zanooda:
> 
> Maybe I didn't understand you right, but it sounds like you read the
> first 3 books, and then jumped directly to the 6th. This won't work
> with HP. There are book series where every book has independent plot,
> only the main character(s) remain the same. Here every next book
> starts right where the previous one ended, you can't jump through them
> like this!
> 
> I can't say myself that I got hooked up on HP from the very first
> book. I started reading them when the first 3 books were out. I wanted
> my son to read more in English and was looking for something that
> might interest him.
>  
> I liked the first book, but it was just a good children's book for me.
> I liked the second one better, but I thought that the plot (memories
> jumping out of diaries etc.) was a little too much even for the
> wizarding world (I know better after HBP, of course).
>  
> It was PoA that finally got me, loved every word of it!.....


Me:
My sentiments exactly----I only started reading the books just before book 4 came out 
because my students were all toting copies around and the series was getting a lot of 
attention. Truth be told, I could not for the life of me get thru the first couple chapters--
they just did not hold my interest (me reading late at night when I was already on the 
verge of nodding off...), 
so I got the audio tapes in hopes that I could concentrate on the story a little better.  I 
didn't get truly hooked until PoA, which is when elements from the first two books started 
coming back into play in a significant way...not to mention it packed a substantial 
emotional punch.  There was no turning back after that.
If you (original poster of the thread) haven't read the books in order of publication then 
you are missing out on a lot of the story and it's understandable that you "don't get it".  
This isn't the kind of series where each book is an independent story. They each layer 
upon the one before it.

I also find the more intellectual offerings of the stories---the mythology, the use of 
words/language, the hidden clues, the deeper meaning, etc.---the stuff that goes over 
most of my students' heads---particularly stimulating. When I related some of this stuff to 
my students who are HP fans, it served to fuel their interest even more (not to mention 
giving them a little more appreciation for mythology and philology).
If one takes the story at a strictly superficial level, it wouldn't have the broad appeal it has 
and could be labeled as "just another children's book".  

Granted, the series and all it encompasses is not going to interest everyone.  

The audios, BTW, are wonderful! I recommend them highly.  I have the American version 
done by Jim Dale and he does a fantastic job with all the characters!   I prefer the cassettes 
and pop them in the Walkman whenever I have some kind of mindless chore to do---
housework, weeding the garden, long drives, etc. I've been able to get thru lots of books 
I'd have never been able to otherwise. I love to read but just haven't a lot of time for it. 

Karen F, who will be sad when this great ride is finally over.