[HPforGrownups] Re: Why did you decide to continue reading HP books?

[Laura Lynn Walsh]

No: HPFGUIDX 177917


On 2007, Oct 12, , at 07:09, dumbledore11214 wrote:

> --- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, Laura Lynn Walsh <lwalsh at ...>
> wrote:
> <SNIP>
>>> I remember clearly when SS first appeared at my favorite
>> book store.  The book store has sales people who really
>> know the books - they actually READ a lot of the books in
>> their section of the store and can talk about them intelligently.
>> So, there was this sizable display of the book.  I looked at it
>> and thought the cover looked rather silly, so I bought something
>> else.  But on a return trip, I was in the mood for something like
>> it, so I bought it.  I was hooked from the start.
>>
> <SNIP>
>
> Alla:
>
> Anything in particular that hooked you on the books from the start or
> just everything? :)

I suppose if I think about it, there are several things
that really appeal to me about the books.  I read a LOT
of books designed for upper elementary or middle school
aged children and it seems like many of them have
become so issue oriented that it is oppressive.  The
kids are dealing with divorce, death of a sibling, a
horrific car accident, gangs, sex, etc.  These books,
in contrast, deal with serious issues, but they don't
always take themselves so seriously.  There is humor
and relief to balance out the seriousness.  [I have
read an analysis of The Hobbit that points out the
alternating bad and good chapters and I think this
is part of the appeal - we can stand the bad if there
is some comic relief interspersed.]

Secondly, the books are complex enough to keep
up continued interest.  As witnessed in this forum,
there is a lot to think about and to talk about.  There
are many, many levels to on which to discuss them;
there are many complex topics that they explore.  You
can look at them as a sort of mystery, with clues to
explore; you can look at them as an allegory, which
relationships to history or current events.  The fact
that they deal with a magical world set alongside of
the real world invites parallels at all sorts of levels.

Finally, there are the characters.  I am not sure how
authors manage to get you interested in their characters,
but, for me, that is a critical element for my enjoyment of
any book.  I really have to be interested in one or more
of the characters.  It is somewhat surprising, therefore,
that I wasn't particularly taken by Snape.  I am not sure
I understand why he never captured my interest as much
as he obviously did for many others, but Harry, Ron,
and Hermione certainly did.  And, not just them, but loads
of the other characters, too.

Laura
-- 
Laura Lynn Walsh    lwalsh at acsalaska.net
http://llwcontemplations.blogspot.com



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