Are you a Defender?

[Slime]

Do you often find yourself put on the defensive from people who dislike your choice of books? Do people mock your series or authors?

 

Do you stick up for yourself or just say "whatev" and walk on?

 

This is the thread to elaborate in!

 

 

 

I think all Harry Potter fans about the age of 12 have run into a few situations where the haters say "Oh wow, those books are for kids...how can you like them so much?"

 

Slime normally replies with a few grumbles. Normally, the allegation of intelligence lacking is met with the simple "Have you READ them?". When the hater (normally) replies "Um, no", then the conversation is ended with "I will not accept criticism of HP from somebody who hasn't read them". If somebody who has read them would come up to me, I'm still ready to defend myself. Here's why...

 

I don't think ANY writer at ANY time has written any books as easy to get into as Mrs. Rowling has. You can pick up the first HP book and be drawn in so much that your vision literally doesn't extend past the page. From her writing, you can clearly tell that Mrs. Rowling understands teenagers as well as adults and the way in which both groups interact. Being a former teacher herself, that much is obvious.

The HP series does world construction really well. All fantasy stories have the problem/caveat wherein the world the characters interact in must be built up somehow. Other fantasy authors who have to create a whole world, including geography, politics, history and myth have more work to do and, let's be honest, some of them fail in this regard. Mrs. Rowling has, admittedly, less of this to do. But she still does include some of these elements into her world and works them in really well. Without as much overhead as other fantasy novels, Rowling has more time for character development and plot elements, which are done well.

 

 

 

*exhales* Enough of my ranting. I pose the "defender" question simply because I'm tired of people who haven't READ HP criticizing/dismissing it as kids stuff

 

 

But my question can be posed about any series or book. Feel free to jump in.

[steelcaressed]

QUOTE (Slime @ Nov 3 2006, 11:51 AM)

Do you often find yourself put on the defensive from people who dislike your choice of books? Do people mock your series or authors?

Actually, that comes up more w/ my choice in music than books.

 

And even though I'm older now, I still find the best defense is to turn up the volume.

Edited November 5, 2006 by steelcaressed

[Rush!]

QUOTE (steelcaressed @ Nov 5 2006, 05:25 PM)

Actually, that comes up more w/ my choice in music than books.

Same here.

[Necromancer]

Rowling does indeed create a very complex and interesting world. The books are good. Just not MY cup of tea.

 

My only problem is the wacky blind devotion/obsession that a lot of kids, like my kid get over them. They have a video game ability to suck kids in and have them turn into mindless drones.

 

But I don't diss Rowling for capitalizing on that type of fan behavior. George Lucas has been doing it to the Star Wars drones for decades now.

[treeduck]

QUOTE (Necromancer @ Nov 5 2006, 08:45 PM)

Rowling does indeed create a very complex and interesting world. The books are good. Just not MY cup of tea. My only problem is the wacky blind devotion/obsession that a lot of kids, like my kid get over them. They have a video game ability to suck kids in and have them turn into mindless drones. But I don't diss Rowling for capitalizing on that type of fan behavior. George Lucas has been doing it to the Star Wars drones for decades now.

I don't get the whole big deal about Harry Potter, it's a very average story series if you ask me...

 

 

[Necromancer]

Besides... the DEFENDERS are Namor, Dr. Strange, Silver Surfer and the HULK.

[JohnnyBlaze]

QUOTE (Necromancer @ Nov 6 2006, 11:06 AM)

Besides... the DEFENDERS are Namor, Dr. Strange, Silver Surfer and the HULK.

I'm more of an Avenger.

http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c107/andrewq2112/Miscellaneous/06_11_06_11_23.jpg

 

 

Nah, I don't need to defend the books I read. I like them. That's what counts.