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i'll start, again, by saying the harry potter series will go down as one of my favorite series ever behind only two (maybe three) other series of books.
my issue is that it is (the series) a one-way street for many. a lot of people i know feel like they are the best books of the last 15 years. definitely the best in the fantasy genre.
which is fine. opinions are different, i get that. nor am i saying that i want to challenge opinions held by so many people i know.
again, i just feel it is a one-way street. people refuse to move to different genres after the series, and in fact, i know of at least two people who have read nothing since the series (underwhelming) conclusion.
that bothers me. it really does. i don't know why. i would just think after reading one great series of novels one would want to move on to more. maybe they won't like what they read nearly as much, but not reading is closing doors. for many (see my earlier blog) reading is like the alamo of the imagination.
it's where it is taking its last stand knowing it is out numbered.
my other (major) issue is that people believe these books are the lord of the rings of our generation. which it is not. i like the hp novels MUCH more than i do lotr but the latter series defined everything that followed. i can't see harry potter and his seven years at hogwarts doing the same.
i don't want to see that because they are lacking the originality i feel is needed to define all fantasy novels that i read for the rest of my life.
i just don't want them to become some gold-standard, with all reviews for future fantasy novels saying, "it is no harry potter" or "the next great fantasy for those looking for something after harry potter".
which the diary of a wimpy kid books already did.
yeah, i have other issues with the books. mostly having to do with lack of the world-building that wasn't there in the novels, the lack of threat to those outside of hogwarts, or the fact that the real "meat of the story" didn't occur until book 5.
but i can lay that aside. i still love the books, and i think i always will. again, there is just more out there that i like more.
but maybe i just want rockie to stop reading these over and over and spend more time devoted to me. : )
(15:56)
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a quick note on dan simmon's the terror. it was fucking amazing. one of the best novels i have read in 2009, and probably one of the best novels (or at least favorite) i have ever read.
that's two for two on the over 700 page novels this year (jonathan strange and mr. norrel, by susanna clarke, which was also amazing and a fantasy novel).
i'll start, again, by saying the harry potter series will go down as one of my favorite series ever behind only two (maybe three) other series of books.
my issue is that it is (the series) a one-way street for many. a lot of people i know feel like they are the best books of the last 15 years. definitely the best in the fantasy genre.
which is fine. opinions are different, i get that. nor am i saying that i want to challenge opinions held by so many people i know.
again, i just feel it is a one-way street. people refuse to move to different genres after the series, and in fact, i know of at least two people who have read nothing since the series (underwhelming) conclusion.
that bothers me. it really does. i don't know why. i would just think after reading one great series of novels one would want to move on to more. maybe they won't like what they read nearly as much, but not reading is closing doors. for many (see my earlier blog) reading is like the alamo of the imagination.
it's where it is taking its last stand knowing it is out numbered.
my other (major) issue is that people believe these books are the lord of the rings of our generation. which it is not. i like the hp novels MUCH more than i do lotr but the latter series defined everything that followed. i can't see harry potter and his seven years at hogwarts doing the same.
i don't want to see that because they are lacking the originality i feel is needed to define all fantasy novels that i read for the rest of my life.
i just don't want them to become some gold-standard, with all reviews for future fantasy novels saying, "it is no harry potter" or "the next great fantasy for those looking for something after harry potter".
which the diary of a wimpy kid books already did.
yeah, i have other issues with the books. mostly having to do with lack of the world-building that wasn't there in the novels, the lack of threat to those outside of hogwarts, or the fact that the real "meat of the story" didn't occur until book 5.
but i can lay that aside. i still love the books, and i think i always will. again, there is just more out there that i like more.
but maybe i just want rockie to stop reading these over and over and spend more time devoted to me. : )
(15:56)
---
a quick note on dan simmon's the terror. it was fucking amazing. one of the best novels i have read in 2009, and probably one of the best novels (or at least favorite) i have ever read.
that's two for two on the over 700 page novels this year (jonathan strange and mr. norrel, by susanna clarke, which was also amazing and a fantasy novel).
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