Guest ShamRock Report post Posted December 27, 2002 My friend got the first three Harry Potter books for Christmas by his mom's friend.He doesn't like Harry Potter.So I asked him if he would give them to me and I said yeah.I told him that I'd think about it.What do you guys think? Are they any good? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest red_file Report post Posted December 27, 2002 I suppose it depends on how you mean good. They're entertaining, well written, and for some reason seem to make me very happy when I read them. On the other hand, the characters are not really all that deep, there's very little inventivewise in regards to the plot, and some of the clumbsy handling of theme will make you cringe. But they're very enjoyable. Out of the four books I enjoyed the third the most, and I think by the time I'd gotten to the fourth I'd really had my fill of Potter & co., so I'm going to have to give that one a re-read one of these days. But seeing as the series isn't yet finished (and rumors keep popping up that it might never be finished), I think I'll wait a while before going back to the fourth book. But that third one, I might get to that one again soon. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest caboose Report post Posted December 27, 2002 'No' is all you need to know. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest J*ingus Report post Posted December 27, 2002 I'd say yes. The first two are breezily entertaining, and the second two are actually a bit deeper & darker than one would expect. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest bob_barron Report post Posted December 27, 2002 I only read the first one and I thought it was great Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest CanadianChick Report post Posted December 28, 2002 I say yes. I've read the first three and found them very entertaining and a fun read. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Edwin MacPhisto Report post Posted December 28, 2002 They're good, but you just need to remember that they're largely aimed towards a kid's audience. The stakes are never really that high in the first books, but it's worth getting through the first two to get to the third and fourth, where shit really starts to go down. Fun, fast reads, if a bit predictable. The reliance on whodunit? gets old quick, but the books have got a totally wild imagination about them that makes them worth reading. JK Rowling won't win any awards for stellar prose, but she tells a good story and creates a lot of really fun characters. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Mad Dog Report post Posted December 28, 2002 The first two are kinda blah, but the 3rd and 4th books are very excellent reads. Very dark and very well written. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Vyce Report post Posted December 28, 2002 I'd say yes, with much the same reasoning as my fellow posters. You need to keep in mind that kids / young teens are the target audience here, so don't expect too much from the books (although the last book, IMO, was getting pretty wonderfully dark). However, they ARE entertaining, and I would say worth your time. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Renegade Report post Posted December 28, 2002 The forth book is the best, but to understand that you would have to read the first 3. I myself found the 2nd & 3rd books very dull. They all follow a "who do it?" scooby doo sort of theme. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest areacode212 Report post Posted December 29, 2002 I read all of them within a 3-week period shortly after the second movie came out , so they kinda blur together for me, but yeah, they were a lot of fun and I like the characters a lot. I'll have to re-read them all at a more leisurely pace sometime. True, most of the characters aren't especially complex, but I don't really expect that from what are basically modern fairy tales. I'm happy with Draco = evil little bastard, Dumbledore = wise old dude, Dursleys = mean step-parents, etc... Last I heard, the 5th one is supposed to be out next summer. I agree that the whole mystery/whodunit?/"who's the bad guy at Hogwarts this year?" theme has gotten really old and I hope she does away with it. Also, I'd like to see more of Hermione's parents. I'm a little tired of Those Wacky Weasleys and the stupid Dursleys, and it would be interesting to see things from the perspective of Muggle parents whose daughter is a witch. What do you all think of the movies? I only saw the first one, and I pretty much agree with everyone who said that it was too much of a carbon copy of the book. I didn't feel like I got anything new out of it, except that it was kind of fun to see how the actors played the roles. I'm not sure what I would have done differently though. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Mad Dog Report post Posted December 29, 2002 The 2nd movie was a lot better than the first. But then I think the 2nd book translated into a movie better. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Renegade Report post Posted December 29, 2002 I think Daniel Radcliffe's acting was much worse in the second film. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Mad Dog Report post Posted December 29, 2002 It was. I just found that the 2nd movie had much better pacing and I didn't find myself falling asleep. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
