Potter for stunted imaginations

[hal]

AS Byatt (booker winner) says Harry Potter caters for people with stunted imaginations. Fay Weldon finds the sight of adults reading the books troubling. Are they right?

[mwalimuevans]

What one should not forget about the Harry Potter books is that they are just not at all well written. It is mostly about the hype that has surrounded something which became unexpectedly popular - the first I ever heard of them was in an article in the airmail Guardian about how popular the first two were with young City gents. Her grasp of basic English is quite poor at times, and the plotting is getting increasingly heavy handed. I would not read them from choice, but do so to keep up with the children I teach - and one or two of my emotionally stunted colleagues - who also rave about Lord of the Rings (but only since the films came out). The children I catch teaching them, I quickly point in the direction of Terry Pratchett. They are not great literature; but they are popular and Ms Rowling has made an obscene amount of money from them ... and isn't that what writing and publishing is really all about these days? Look how much money it has made for Archer ... and he makes Rowling look like Shakespeare!

[Roxy]

think about it like this; if Byatt and Weldon haven't read the harry potter books then they're talking trash, they can't pass judgement. And if they have, then they have stunted imaginations, and are "troubling" aswell. If you see kids reading "to kill a moking bird" and "animal farm" (both school texts) why can't you see adults reading harry potter??? It's not right for them too judge a book that brings so many people of all ages pleasure, shame on them!!