Harry Potter and the Half blood prince

Hunl said:
Harry Potter has a lot of bizzare "Horror Elements" nothing like bloody corpses lieing everywhere, but they do exist if you look carefully and disect a few things. Which you usually do if you are actually reading a book and not skimming it.
Click to expand...

It has suspense, sure, but the "horror" parts have been "dumbed down" specifically so that kids can read it without being scared. All of the really violent/ruthless/whatever things are just hinted at, and there doesn't seem to be any imagery that would really frighten anyone.

I don't "dissect" things when I read them, I just take the story as it's given. I only stop and ask "Now, why did the author choose to do this?" if I'm doing a book report. Otherwise, it'd just ruin the experience for me.
 
Dissection is important in a book, otherwise you real not really understand a few things. Just my take on it though..
 
Hunl said:
Dissection is important in a book, otherwise you real not really understand a few things.
Click to expand...

I don't understand how. A book is a story, a story is told for the sake of itself, not so it can be dissected and torn to pieces by someone looking for a "deeper meaning" behind it. That's like when someone says something like "What do you think the painter was trying to convey with this picture?" It's a picture, not a secret government code or something. Sheesh. It's like, "Why can't you be happy with it being a nice picture?", ya know?
 
Understanding the feelings of the author and the characters is important. Also, you can usually discern some actions BEFORE they happen in such cases. I have on some occasions..

A book is more an amalgamation of ideas and feelings. In story form.
 
Hunl said:
Understanding the feelings of the author and the characters is important. Also, you can usually discern some actions BEFORE they happen in such cases. I have on some occasions..

A book is more an amalgamation of ideas and feelings. In story form.
Click to expand...

The feelings of the characters, sure. That's a big part of the story. The author, however, should try to leave as little of themselves in their work as possible, in my opinion. Leaving none of themselves would take a little of ther personality out of the book, but it isn't really possible, so... whatever.

Discerning the actions that are to come doesn't really require dissection, in my opinion, just common sense, or perhaps an understanding of the situation. You should never have to stop and think "I wonder how this character is feeling? or "I wonder what the author is trying to convey?" if the book is well written. Again, just my opinion.
 
A well-written book is one that DOES leave you to guess some aspects. Having everything handed to you on a copper platter is just boring, a good book sparks the imagination.
 
Hunl said:
A well-written book is one that DOES leave you to guess some aspects. Having everything handed to you on a copper platter is just boring, a good book sparks the imagination.
Click to expand...

Sparks the imagination, yes. Makes you think after the fact, yes. Makes you think during the process, no. It's supposed to take you for a ride, not a leisurely stroll rife with pit stops and long winded conversations.
 
Kuzzle said:
Sparks the imagination, yes. Makes you think after the fact, yes. Makes you think during the process, no. It's supposed to take you for a ride, not a leisurely stroll rife with pit stops and long winded conversations.
Click to expand...

Too much description IS a pot hole..thus for it to be good it needs to make you think. A book is a ride, but I usually need to stop to urinate so I do not mind pit stops. ^^ Thought I think this is what paragraphs are for..
 
Hunl said:
Discussion, and just because it is meaningless to you does not mean it is for me or other parties. ^^
Click to expand...

Yeah, I thought it was an interesting debate on the various learning styles that Hunl and I support. Or, well, that's what you'll tell the police if they call... OK? :P
 
<throws sporks all over the roadway and blows a whistle into a megaphone plugged into a PA system>

... The discussion here, to get back on topic, is Harry Potter :smiley:

And I own all the books. I am 34 yo (in a week) and happy to tell *ANYONE* that I read the books. Those who give you quizzical looks, need to get the rubber bands out from around their... <body> ... parts as it's such a crock that "you're not macho" or "manly enough" if you read.

I read All the Harry Potter books, and will be in line the night/day the next book is released in the near future. I look forward to the next movie with great anticipation. I also read George R. R. Martin, David Eddings, Terry Brooks, and Robert Jordan... But they too have children and adults with magical abilities, so it must all be childrens' books.

Yes. Harry Potter was originally written as a kids book. It was intended for much more past the 2nd book after the fame of the 1st swept it away. Regardless... how many adults have read "A Wrinkle in Time", "A Tale of Two Cities", & "Swiss Family Robinson" *as* adults? Saying books are for kids only is ridiculous, unless you are actually talking about picture books, which are aimed for infants and toddlers ;) I read "Swiss Family Robinson" and "Treasure Island" when I was 7 years old, and I read them again as a teenager in school, and again later in life.

It's all perception... I consider it a matter of society being narrow minded when books are labeled as "childish" when they also pertain and have subject matter adults can relate to. Just my two copper though.

Now... Parry Hotter ?err... Harry Potter?
 
A Wrinkle in Time and said books are more geared towards adults I think with their topics. It is "Childish" Because it does not contain overly complicated and hidden subjects.

Reading does not always mean understanding.
 
Hunl said:
... Reading does not always mean understanding.
Click to expand...

This is why many books, sometimes labeled as being Childrens Books (ie: Harry Potter, imho), are not truly looked at very thoroughly. Too many people skim through them, or just read the inner flaps and go "this is childish!" without reading the books. There is a lot of depth to the characters, but you are correct in that, there isn't a lot of hidden connotations in the text either. So, in that respect, children, young adults, and adults alike should be able to gleam some relations to the characters and come out of it liking the books. That is, if the Harry Potter style fits your personal preferences. Personally, I'm not one for romance novels, and since Harry Potter isn't a romance novel, I'm good ;)
 
Kuzzle said:
I don't know about you, but I read a 300+ page book in third grade. Could've read it faster if we ever got more than ten minutes to do so!



Kids, Young Adults, and those young at heart. I'm not saying that they're not good, just that, as a man, I can't really say "Oh, did you read the latest Harry Potter book?" to someone without drawing funny looks. :(2
Click to expand...


Yep, I was reading Margaret Weiss and Salvatore in 3rd grade....

Harry Potter was cool, but it got boring.
 

Similar threads

A
Harry Potter
Replies
6
Views
701
KMRock
K
K
Harry Potter Movies
Replies
6
Views
877
KMRock
K
S
Harry Potter Actors
2 3 4
Replies
60
Views
6K
byrnsy
B
Back
Top