Squidward Tentacles Posted March 19, 2011 Report Share Posted March 19, 2011 This thread is about the book series. Discuss it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yang Xiao-Long Posted March 19, 2011 Report Share Posted March 19, 2011 Bad as books, good as movies. Favorite is Chamber of Secrets. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DARKPLANT RISING Posted March 19, 2011 Report Share Posted March 19, 2011 Azkaban was far by the best, with a natural flow in the plot, and devices well hidden. It also had the badass Dementors. However, from around Phoenix I started to became dubious about what's so good about it. Thinking back, yeah it had some cool plots in Secrets and Azkaban, that was its peak. From then on it drastically dropped off to the horrendous ending. Everyone started dying for no apparent reason. I knew Snape was a good guy from the point of Stone, and everyone else was probably so. In addition it could have done a lot better. For instance, since everything was in London I half-expected the chasing to be around Big Ben, or have at least [i]something[/i] related to national monuments as in Percy Jackson (which I consider a "better remodelling" of this). The worst thing was the lack of unorthodox characters, with Harry himself too perfect, showing a lack of future growth in personality. Hermione just nothing but brains, and Ron just fighting against Malfoy forever. Voldemort was pretty much mwahahaha im gonna kill ya all an taik ovar ze worrd an stuff lol type of primal antagonist, aka the lamest. His backstory is so orthodox even I could make it if asked. Not to mention Dumbledore's personality of a perfect teacher (till Hallows) is nothing but quite too good for a character, perhaps divine, and if it was intended so why corrupt it in the end? Also, while Draco with the Elder Wand [i]was[/i] a bit surprising the ending with Harry and Voldemort shooting their awesome spells with Voldemort losing was just simply, simply expected. The place to put power within Hallows should have been the plot that [i]moves[/i] towards that scene in a unique way, as there was no way Voldemort would win. Draco being the chosen one - well, yeah, acceptable, but she could have done better. Not to mention most of the last 4 books were fillers, and there was no real memorable character (Bartimaeus from his Trilogy, Percy Jackson from the Olympians, L, Mello, Ryuk from Death Note, Shion from Higurashi, Enma Ai from Hell Girl, Gendo and Shinji from Evangelion, Kiryu Kyousuke from the Dark Signers ark, all the things I classify good have a memorable character (though I do agree 5D's sucked after season 3). The more memorable characters a story has I like it better. Well, back on topic, I found none in HP, and that's the main reason why I don't like it.) Maybe it was good when released, and I admit it did open the path for many for-children fantasy. However, as of now I find many others better, and as so I don't consider it wholly amazing. Most its fans from around Phoenix were simply inspired by the movies, and probably helped mentain fans during the tedious final books. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dark Posted March 20, 2011 Report Share Posted March 20, 2011 Unlike other people who constantly bash the series (and I totally understand it, the books are overhyped), I actually liked the whole series. But I can still truthfully say that the first four books were the best, and the next three really took a turn for the worse. The ending was pretty mediocre at best, but the story as a whole was pretty thought-out and I liked it. I prefer the books to the movies just because the movies don't really capture the joy you get when reading a book, but I guess that's just me. In America, more people would rather watch a movie in three hours than read a book in ten. :/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DARKPLANT RISING Posted March 20, 2011 Report Share Posted March 20, 2011 It takes 10 hours to read a single HP book? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Squidward Tentacles Posted March 20, 2011 Author Report Share Posted March 20, 2011 i once read an HP book in 5. anyway, i was pretty upset by the ending too. i mean after the goblet of fire, it did go downhill.somewhat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NobleShadow Posted March 20, 2011 Report Share Posted March 20, 2011 The first four were better. I liked the series, but it is overhyped. Darkplant said most of the stuff like people dying randomly. [spoiler=spoiler]Like Fred, Lupin, Sirius, and Tonks. I mean come on, at least Tonks should've survived to keep her son company or something.[/spoiler] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dark Posted March 20, 2011 Report Share Posted March 20, 2011 [quote name='Darkplant' timestamp='1300589888' post='5084101'] It takes 10 hours to read a single HP book? [/quote] Oh, well that was just an estimate. I usually read at a rate of a page per minute, so I guess the 600-page and higher Harry Potter books would take me ten hours. I like to analyze what I read instead of rushing through it just to get the gist of the plot. I guess that's why my English grade has gone up since sixth grade. I've read Chamber and the short(er) books in three or four, but because Harry Potter has a moderately intricate plot, I like to take my time, even when rereading them. I've read the series twice over so far, and I'm going for a third time this summer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DARKPLANT RISING Posted March 21, 2011 Report Share Posted March 21, 2011 The same logic as how I have to watch End of Evangelion over 5 times. I see. Well, it is true analizing what happens takes time, though in my case it's 30 mintues or so. It takes more time for me to read a book now than it did back when I was in 2nd grade. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. Cakey Posted April 1, 2011 Report Share Posted April 1, 2011 [quote name='Shion Kaito' timestamp='1300577319' post='5083695'] Bad as books, good as movies. [/quote] You're hilarious. Basically what Darkplant said. The final book infuriated me the most; everything about the Deathly Hallows was absurd, particularly since they hadn't been foreshadowed in the slightest previously. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DARKPLANT RISING Posted April 1, 2011 Report Share Posted April 1, 2011 Yeah, and the Horcruxes (Read in Japanese mainly, not sure on spelling) have nothing to do with the plot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Squidward Tentacles Posted April 1, 2011 Author Report Share Posted April 1, 2011 i [i]did [/i]hate the 7th movie, though i haven't read the book. I hated that Fred died, and I hated that Moody died. And in the 5th one, why the hell did Sirius have to die?! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DARKPLANT RISING Posted April 4, 2011 Report Share Posted April 4, 2011 Because Rowling f***ed up from around 5. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chaos Number: Card Master Posted May 4, 2011 Report Share Posted May 4, 2011 The only thing i don't like about this series was Deathly Hallow's where they decided to go on a killing spree and make everyone die Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brushfire Posted May 4, 2011 Report Share Posted May 4, 2011 [quote name='Hiyama Kiyoteru' timestamp='1300577319' post='5083695'] Bad as books, good as movies. Favorite is Chamber of Secrets. [/quote] Hahahaahahahahahaha! You're great mate. A real comedian. No. It's the complete opposite way round. They're good as books, and awful as movies. The movies change director after every film, with the exception of 5+, and 5 has a different screenwriter that created a poor adaption. The films are rushed, they leave out important information and throw it in later on to try and make up for it. As for "the books turned s*** after 5"... I'm intrigued. I'm not sure if you just didn't like it since the fifth one and want to go with the general consensus to try and validate your reason for saying so if they actually got worse after that point. The lack of characters being introduced after that is a hilarious comment to make when considering the size of the series- as if enough characters hadn't already been introduced and reintroduced within 5 book's worth. Perhaps you just didn't like that there might be a reason for Voldemort still being alive, because "oh yeah got hit with a killing curse and survived 'cause I'm so evilz" was a much more logical reason. Also, lol, lack of character development? Although romance really isn't JK Rowling's thing and the feelings she expresses through Harry in the 6th book are more like the thoughts of a 13 year-old rather than a 16 year-old, Harry certainly changes. I don't understand the complaints towards Ron and Hermione's lack of growth either; just because they keep similar personalities, it makes them poor side characters? Okay, be right back while I tell my mate's of the last six years that they suck because they haven't changed enough. I don't think you're giving someone enough credit. It takes a lot to think of a good concept, expand on it, and write four very good books about it. To then be able to expand on that even further and introduce new ideas that fit in with the previous concept is a sign of a good writer. Or maybe to some people out there, it's a sign of milking the work. By the way, ironically enough, Order of the Phoenix is my favourite book. Why? Because of the filler. The little details into this wonderful universe are part of what makes it a great series, as it shows a large amount of depth in the universe. It is also the book that contains the most detail on Harry's interactions with his peers in the school, rather than just pretending they don't exist. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Squidward Tentacles Posted May 5, 2011 Author Report Share Posted May 5, 2011 I just didn't like the 5th because I always thought Sirius was kinda awesome. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DARKPLANT RISING Posted May 5, 2011 Report Share Posted May 5, 2011 [quote name='Brushfire' timestamp='1304545457' post='5188315']It's the complete opposite way round. They're good as books, and awful as movies. The movies change director after every film, with the exception of 5+, and 5 has a different screenwriter that created a poor adaption. The films are rushed, they leave out important information and throw it in later on to try and make up for it.[/quote] Agreed here. Even so, one thing that I personally believe is that most of the fame of the Harry Potter series (quite ironically) originates from the movies themselves. Face it: HP's so famous because of the motion pictures. Even though the adaptations where worse than the books, as one of the first fantasy novel-based movies it [i]did[/i] make HP special. However, after this trend was passed onto many other fantasies, it did start to get duller and duller. [quote name='Brushfire' timestamp='1304545457' post='5188315'] As for "the books turned s*** after 5"... I'm intrigued. I'm not sure if you just didn't like it since the fifth one and want to go with the general consensus to try and validate your reason for saying so if they actually got worse after that point. The lack of characters being introduced after that is a hilarious comment to make when considering the size of the series- as if enough characters hadn't already been introduced and reintroduced within 5 book's worth. [/quote] You know, I don't remember anyone in this thread saying "Lack of characters". Unless I'm mistaken. -.- [quote name='Brushfire' timestamp='1304545457' post='5188315']Perhaps you just didn't like that there might be a reason for Voldemort still being alive, because "oh yeah got hit with a killing curse and survived 'cause I'm so evilz" was a much more logical reason. [/quote] Because the Seven Horcruxes were the best logical explanation ever, and it couldn't go with say, something like a [i]Singular[/i] Horcrux. TIME FOR YO FILLAH SO U CAN GET ZAT 700 PAGES YO WANNA WHOOOOOO ...Yeah, basically it was made to earn more pages and money. [quote name='Brushfire' timestamp='1304545457' post='5188315']Also, lol, lack of character development? Although romance really isn't JK Rowling's thing and the feelings she expresses through Harry in the 6th book are more like the thoughts of a 13 year-old rather than a 16 year-old, Harry certainly changes.[/quote] Say where. He was at first a really nice kid. He ended as a really nice father. Difference: whether he had sex or not. [quote name='Brushfire' timestamp='1304545457' post='5188315']I don't understand the complaints towards Ron and Hermione's lack of growth either; just because they keep similar personalities, it makes them poor side characters? Okay, be right back while I tell my mate's of the last six years that they suck because they haven't changed enough.[/quote] IMO character development is one of the most important aspects in [i]literature[/i]. NOT in real life. I myself haven't changed much since I was five, much to the dissapointment of others, and the same can be said for almost 99% of YCM's overall stubborn and idiotic individuals. ...Unless you live in a book. [quote name='Brushfire' timestamp='1304545457' post='5188315']I don't think you're giving someone enough credit. It takes a lot to think of a good concept, expand on it, and write four very good books about it. To then be able to expand on that even further and introduce new ideas that fit in with the previous concept is a sign of a good writer. Or maybe to some people out there, it's a sign of milking the work.[/quote] I never gave less credit; I simply said though HP is certainly a read, it [i]isn't[/i] the best fantasy book in the world that everyone calls it. I don't randomly go around bashing everything everyone loves; I don't hate Justin Beiber, Michael Jackson, Lady Gaga, and I don't stick to other peoples' opinions either. My opinion currently is that HP is overrated. Not bad, simply overrated. Writing a bit myself, I know a plotline is hard to make. [quote name='Brushfire' timestamp='1304545457' post='5188315']By the way, ironically enough, Order of the Phoenix is my favourite book. Why? Because of the filler. The little details into this wonderful universe are part of what makes it a great series, as it shows a large amount of depth in the universe. It is also the book that contains the most detail on Harry's interactions with his peers in the school, rather than just pretending they don't exist. [/quote] Not going to go far on this, since I don't think there's a right to force someone to have a differnet opinion on faves. And I felt like this post because quoting everything and answering with reasoning makes me look like a total genius when in fact I'm just another idiot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chaos Number: Card Master Posted May 5, 2011 Report Share Posted May 5, 2011 I liked Prisoner of Azkaban the best I just like all of the Revelation of Harry's perants and what they did in school and Sirius the most awesome character was revealed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fusion X. Denver Posted May 5, 2011 Report Share Posted May 5, 2011 I've been into Harry Potter lately, browsing Wiki, getting hyped for the last movie, that kind of thing. What was a little funny though was I looked back on an excerpt from Hallows, think it was in the Snape-Lily flashback. The writing style was adequate, but surprisingly simplistic. When I say that, I only mean sentence structure, but I noticed she didn't overdo description when describing young Snape and Lily. Then I thought back to YCM where people have complained in FanFic that people don't describe their character much beyond their hair color and outfit, when Rowling did that for her book. It may have just been that particular segment or the fact that these were established characters, just younger, but I thought that was interesting. Maybe YCM shouldn't always bash lack of description when not a lot is needed to paint a picture. Anyways, I love the books. The one thing I like about it is that there's a whole universe behind it, and like Brush said, the little details, how everything is connected, it creates a whole other universe that's fun to explore. Its wiki has tons of articles about every little thing, and I don't think a lot of book series would have that much expansion as Harry Potter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brushfire Posted May 5, 2011 Report Share Posted May 5, 2011 [quote name='Darkplant' timestamp='1304562254' post='5188848'] Agreed here. Even so, one thing that I personally believe is that most of the fame of the Harry Potter series (quite ironically) originates from the movies themselves. Face it: HP's so famous because of the motion pictures. Even though the adaptations where worse than the books, as one of the first fantasy novel-based movies it [i]did[/i] make HP special. However, after this trend was passed onto many other fantasies, it did start to get duller and duller. You know, I don't remember anyone in this thread saying "Lack of characters". Unless I'm mistaken. -.- Because the Seven Horcruxes were the best logical explanation ever, and it couldn't go with say, something like a [i]Singular[/i] Horcrux. TIME FOR YO FILLAH SO U CAN GET ZAT 700 PAGES YO WANNA WHOOOOOO ...Yeah, basically it was made to earn more pages and money. Say where. He was at first a really nice kid. He ended as a really nice father. Difference: whether he had sex or not. IMO character development is one of the most important aspects in [i]literature[/i]. NOT in real life. I myself haven't changed much since I was five, much to the dissapointment of others, and the same can be said for almost 99% of YCM's overall stubborn and idiotic individuals. ...Unless you live in a book. I never gave less credit; I simply said though HP is certainly a read, it [i]isn't[/i] the best fantasy book in the world that everyone calls it. I don't randomly go around bashing everything everyone loves; I don't hate Justin Beiber, Michael Jackson, Lady Gaga, and I don't stick to other peoples' opinions either. My opinion currently is that HP is overrated. Not bad, simply overrated. Writing a bit myself, I know a plotline is hard to make. Not going to go far on this, since I don't think there's a right to force someone to have a differnet opinion on faves. And I felt like this post because quoting everything and answering with reasoning makes me look like a total genius when in fact I'm just another idiot. [/quote] (WHY IS THE NEW QUOTING SYSTEM SO MUCH EFFORT? I honestly cba to cipher all the quotes like you just did. I want MyBB back) I agree with you, the films are what made it so famous in the end. Not with me though, I picked up the second book when I was eight and understood it fine, kept going with the series after that. I've reread them all since, because I wouldn't want to base my opinion on the series on my eight year-old self (although nostalgia may play a role in my positive opinion of it). See, I disagree that it got duller and duller, I actually think it got better after that point. :S I still very much love the older books but... well, might just be me. "Not to mention most of the last 4 books were fillers, and there was no real memorable character" <- you. Not so much lack of characters, but you meant lack of notable characters. There wasn't really much room to add another notable character unless they wanted to go with "lol new dark lord voldy has compo trolol" or something. The 7 Horcruxes were hardly a logical explanation in truth, but at least it was one. She chose 7 for a reason though, 7 is a number that is constantly mentioned throughout the series as it is "the most magical number" (I don't really see how this makes sense, it's probably very much a silly theory in the wizarding world alike the ones there are in the real world). Um, how could writing more pages earn more money? Yes, she could've stuck to one horcrux which would have made the seventh book shorter but I don't see how that creates more money. If anything writing more pages costs more money due to production costs. Lol, he matures, his personality doesn't change. I mean he has that little emo patch in the fifth book where he is like "lol I hate everything" but I don't really see the need for his character to change dramatically for it to be successful. I agree that it's important in literature, but it's not exactly... needed. When books are supposed to be a reflection of real life then why does it have to be any different? You're not an idiot. I might not seem like it but I actually enjoy this a lot more than half of the things on here. You have a different opinion, and you're willing to defend that opinion- I respect that and it's good to be able to have a debate with someone intelligent on here to be perfectly honest. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DARKPLANT RISING Posted May 6, 2011 Report Share Posted May 6, 2011 [quote name='Brushfire' timestamp='1304602041' post='5189396']The 7 Horcruxes were hardly a logical explanation in truth, but at least it was one. She chose 7 for a reason though, 7 is a number that is constantly mentioned throughout the series as it is "the most magical number" (I don't really see how this makes sense, it's probably very much a silly theory in the wizarding world alike the ones there are in the real world). Um, how could writing more pages earn more money? Yes, she could've stuck to one horcrux which would have made the seventh book shorter but I don't see how that creates more money. If anything writing more pages costs more money due to production costs.[/quote] Pretty sure that the money a writer gets is 10% or higher (depending on the writer's skill) of the overall earning of the books. In JKR's case most likely a tad more. Well, think of a gumball, and a car. If one is bought, the higher the bought price, the higher the earned money. This ultimately occurs mainly because chances of being bought are higher for a gumball over a car, and yet the car companies need to earn just as much as the town's candy store. ...Pretty sure you know this, but anyways. And the more page numbers, the higher the price. Normally 30-dollar books aren't easily bought, so this logic fails, but in HP's case everyone overhypes and so everyone buys it eventually. So, thinking logic, the more pages in a HP book, the more money JKR earns. Get it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brushfire Posted May 6, 2011 Report Share Posted May 6, 2011 I paid £5 for HBP and £7 for DH... hardly money-spinning lol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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