J.K. Rowling has finished the seventh book.
Seven years ago, I must admit, I looked at Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
with scorn.Yes, scorn.
I've read fantasy books all my life and I could not figure out why people were getting so excited over a book about a normal kid who discovers he has magical powers and goes to a school for wizards/magicians/witches/warlocks. It's not like these ideas hadn't popped up in many variations before, and in books by authors I adored and respected.
I really thought Harry Potter was another dumbed down version of good things that already existed and that people were just jumping on the trendy bandwagon.
It was a year before I caved in and bought the first book.
I bought the second book within a week.
Truly, it doesn't matter if elements of the Harry Potter books have been in other books before. There are many different delicious dishes made out of flour and eggs. The Harry Potter books are good stories. And that, my dears, is why I read voraciously. Because I love good stories.
I can't wait for Book 7.
And while we're on the subject of fantasy, magic and fairy tales, Pan's Labyrinth is a haunting and beautiful movie and, yes, I think it will be one of my lifelong favorites. I first read about it at Inside a Black Apple, and I point you there, as her description is right on point.
4 comments:
Love the Harry Potter books and movies, but my daughter (21 yr old) is the biggest fan of them (even camping out to be the first to see the movies, buy the books, etc). I guess she has another camp out coming up!
Oh - and I meant to say, Pan's Labyrinth looks so intriguing - though I'm a little frightened by the one scene in the clip where an officer is holding a pair of pliers - since I really don't handle violent/torture scenes very well. Is it very graphic? Would you be appalled to see a child viewing the movie? Um, the child would actually be me - sad to say, but that's about my viewing level nowadays.
I can't wait till the 7th Harry Potter book comes. Kinda bitterswet though cuz you know it is the last one....
Terri -- the violence IS graphic, although I don't think it's gratuitous, which is how some reviews make it sound. I don't like those scenes either, and honestly, I closed my eyes for most of them. As for a child -- yes, I think you can see it -- just close your eyes like me! The first violent scene is actually the worst. For parents of younger kids, though, I believe kids can handle a lot of things when prepared, but I wouldn't want to take a child to see this without seeing it myself FIRST -- my parents had to take me out of Watcher in the Woods and I had nightmares for a long time. And that was just a light in the woods. To this day, I've never seen the end of that movie.
Crashie -- Yes it IS bittersweet. I'm hopeful, though, that she'll keep writing, and come up with other amazing stories.
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