Author Topic: Who's into Harry Potter? (Read 16501 times)

ToneMonkey · « **Reply #30 on:** July 24, 2007, 02:51:20 PM »

It's mainly the theory stuff that I needed. I could arse about, but I didn't know what I was doing. I've been reading up on chord progressions and the such like and now I actually understand what I'm doing.

Pentatonic's once I've got the chords sorted.

Anyway, this seems like another thread that I've hijacked so I'll try to pull it back to Harry Potter........................

......................Anyone want to know who dies? Because I already know :lol:

Philly Q · « **Reply #31 on:** July 24, 2007, 03:30:40 PM »

Quote from: ToneMonkey

......................Anyone want to know who dies? Because I already know :lol:

Yeah, me too. Although not having read the books, it didn't have that much significance for me! :P

deg0ey · « **Reply #32 on:** July 24, 2007, 06:36:07 PM »

Quote from: ToneMonkey

Anyone want to know who dies? Because I already know :lol:

You say 'already' like it's really soon :P

Most of the people that would be REALLY annoyed by finding out have probably finished the book already...Also, I predicted all of the major deaths, go me 8)

plastercaster · « **Reply #33 on:** July 24, 2007, 06:52:33 PM »

Quote from: Philly Q

I probably never will, because (I'm sorry to say) I'm a literary snob of sorts - I will not be seen reading "those" books which even people who don't normally read have read. So no Harry Potter, no Captain bloody Corelli and no DaVinci Code.

It's not "even people who don't normally read", it's only people who don't normally read. Heavy on the plot twists, light on character building and the result is a book for people who don't like reading, but something the literary elite despise.

Philly Q · « **Reply #34 on:** July 24, 2007, 07:21:13 PM »

Quote from: plastercaster

It's not "even people who don't normally read", it's only people who don't normally read. Heavy on the plot twists, light on character building and the result is a book for people who don't like reading.

I like that phrase! I always say something similar about those sh!tty 90s "ironic" horror films like Scream, Urban Legend, Final Destination and I Know What You Did Last Summer - horror movies for people who don't like horror movies.

To be fair to the Potter books, I don't think the kids who read them fall into the "people who don't like reading" category, they're genuinely enthusiastic and it seems to have encouraged many of them to get more into reading generally, which is a very good thing IMO.

FELINEGUITARS · « **Reply #35 on:** July 24, 2007, 08:01:54 PM »

It's actually really nice to see kids eager for the release of a book.

Makes a change from a games console.
I think the hype has been way overdone though- just like on the Apple iPhone (and I am an apple fan - just one who is sick of the marketing overkill that has been in place this year)

Kilby · « **Reply #36 on:** July 25, 2007, 01:02:05 PM »

My kids love the Potter books (and I end up reading them eventually), along with the Lemony Snickett series. My sons dyslexia has caused me to read a hell of a lot of books to him that other kids would read themselves.

Anything that gets kids thinking is a good thing, though I don't understand the adult fasination with the HP series. Without having kids I simply wouldn't have bothered, but it has helped me pass a lot of otherwise dull hours.

As for Phillip Pullman & the Dark Materials trilogy, well theres so much real church history (and dislike for religion) that I wouldn't count it as a 'kids' book, though the 1st book is a real slog (in my opinion)

My own reading at the minute though is the Derren Brown book, and The God Delusion (Richard Dawkins)

TBH the only popular fiction I dislike is Dan Brown and the pseudo quality literature like Captain Correllis Mandolin (and other Richard & Judy sh1te)

Recent fiction has been
The Baroque Cycle by Neal Stepenson http://www.amazon.co.uk/System-World-Neal-Stephenson/dp/0099463369 an excellent romp around 17th & 18th century world.

The Illumantis Trilogy (again), no wonder my mind is a little damaged

The Wheel of Time series (11 books), not my usual reading, and was bought by weight rather than quality, but easily digestable on 15 hour bus journeys

Hmmm time to re read the Historical Illumantis Trilogy (again)

Philly Q · « **Reply #37 on:** July 25, 2007, 02:31:26 PM »

Quote from: Kilby

The Wheel of Time series (11 books), not my usual reading, and was bought by weight rather than quality, but easily digestable on 15 hour bus journeys

I'm up to book 6, but I keep waiting for Waterstones to have them on "3 for 2" offers and they never do.

Back on the "kids' books that work for adults" theme, I've enjoyed the Young Bond series by Charlie Higson. I started buying them not because I'm a fan of James Bond or The Fast Show (or even The Higsons), but because I really like Higson's adult novels. Unfortunately he hasn't written one for quite some time.

Kilby · « **Reply #38 on:** July 27, 2007, 04:21:32 PM »

Quote from: Philly Q

I'm up to book 6, but I keep waiting for Waterstones to have them on "3 for 2" offers and they never do.

Back on the "kids' books that work for adults" theme, I've enjoyed the Young Bond series by Charlie Higson.

For the WoT series try "Books etc" do the buy 1 get one half price all the time (the sole advantage of working in Canary Wharf), I hope the bugger dosn't die before finishing the last one (selfish I know but after spending so long reading the things)

I was going to mention the Bond books (but I forgot), theyre quite dark (and a good job too). I thought the third one came out this year (rummages around amazon and comes up with January 07)

The Artimis Fowl series are good fun but have a slightly dark edge.

noodleplugerine · « **Reply #39 on:** July 27, 2007, 04:26:07 PM »

Quote from: Kilby

The Artimis Fowl series are good fun but have a slightly dark edge.

What's dark about Fairies? xD

_tom_ · « **Reply #40 on:** July 27, 2007, 04:26:39 PM »

Well I've only just started reading "The Half Blood Prince", its pretty good. I hadnt read the previous book but I saw the film for Order of the Phoenix so I got the general idea..

Kilby · « **Reply #41 on:** July 27, 2007, 04:29:29 PM »

Quote from: noodleplugerine

Quote from: Kilby

The Artimis Fowl series are good fun but have a slightly dark edge.

What's dark about Fairies? xD

Something to do with his father, Artimis and his bodyguard being more than slightly psychotic (certainly in the 1st couple.

noodleplugerine · « **Reply #42 on:** July 27, 2007, 04:33:29 PM »

Quote from: Kilby

Quote from: noodleplugerine
Quote from: Kilby

The Artimis Fowl series are good fun but have a slightly dark edge.

What's dark about Fairies? xD

Something to do with his father, Artimis and his bodyguard being more than slightly psychotic (certainly in the 1st couple.

They're hardly psychotic - They're just very villainish - Very superhero villain style DR Evil :p

Kilby · « **Reply #43 on:** July 27, 2007, 04:56:30 PM »

Quote from: noodleplugerine

They're hardly psychotic - They're just very villainish - Very superhero villain style DR Evil :p

Heh, it's not the grander schemes I'm referring to but the use other people are put to.

Having seen early draughts of the 1st 2 books, I can assure that there was a lot of menace used and the Sig that Butler carries was not just for show and wounding others.

Unfortunatly it did become a little too cute and cuddly.

Psychotic yeah, possibly the wrong phrase, sociopath is probably closer for Artemis (but then thats being used to to describe jerks that cheat on their girlfriends these days)

Return to the original Brothers Grimm fairy tales and you will find what is simply implied (in todays kids fiction) said right out in the open. Check out the original story of Bluebeard

Just cos it's implied dosn't mean it's not there (hence me reading way too many HP Lovecraft storys in my late teens) and to an extent it goes in much deeper.

A Brian Lumley vampyre story or an HP Lovecraft story, the 1st one shocks but the 2nd one lurks till you are sleeping :twisted:

sambo · « **Reply #44 on:** July 27, 2007, 05:00:44 PM »

Rob- you can wade through the wheel of time quite happily but find the Dark Materials book(s) a slog?! whats wrong with you man!!!!?

the WoT is like a big mental swamp of words... not because its complicated or anything... its just looooooooooooong-winded.... even the Lord of the Rings book(s) are easier to keep reading.

ive got the first 5 or something of WoT... really do WANT to read them because they seem good i just dont have the drive...

can you just summarise the entire story for me please? :lol: