Since I started going through the Harry Potter series, and am doing these discussion posts on each book one at at a time, I decided to go back and browse the quintessential Harry Potter post written by Kenny, that has one of the longest comment threads in thinkling history. (Surpassed only by the gatorade thread I believe.) Harry Potter Had Me At Hello

Apparently, my perspective on Harry Potter changed... like a frog in a kettle. ;-) I don't even remember writing this. It's from 2005.

But since I brought it up later in the same Polar Express, I'll elaborate here. I wrote:I recently watched the first Harry Potter, uh STARTED watching it. And I haven't finished it yet. I must admit the witchcraft weirded me out, and my wife won't watch it anymore because it creeped her out so much, so I only watch 10-15 minutes now and then after she's asleep. I'm determined to finish it, and then write more. But until I explain myself better, I'll just say that my kids won't be allowed to watch Harry Potter until they're either 18 or out of my house. (i.e. under my authority).

Now for the record, I support Kenny. If he loves HP, cool! In fact, I don't care if everybody loves HP. I am firmly with my fellow thinklings in the area of Christian liberty. So what I am about to share is STRICTLY personal. I have no expectation that anyone share my opinion.

I finally finished the first HP. Special effects were awesome. There was much about the movie to like:
-The friendship between Harry, Hermoine, and Ron.
-The clever imagery and wordplay. I liked that the head of "slitherin" house was named "snape", and that they were the villians. No one likes snakes. :)
-Hagrid. He was awesome. And very funny.
-My favorite scene: Real Wizard's chess near the end. That was just plain cool.
-Ron's self sacrifice in that same scene. He was willing to die for his friend and for the cause. It was moving.
-I liked how Harry wasn't the hero alone. His friends' strengths helped and benefitted him in his quest.
-And lots more...

What I didn't like:
I admit it. The witchcraft. I don't mind magic. I have no problem with wizards, wands, dragons, centaurs, unicorns and even talk of good v. bad magic. Actually I love this stuff. (I love the Xanth series by Piers Anthony, which is very similar to Harry Potter, and I'm inclined to think that J.K. Rowling stole...er... was inspired by those books.)

But here, more so in the beginning of the movie, there was so much that reminded me of the real-world occult (and just images of witches) that I just couldn't get it out of my mind.
-Familiars- animals that are sort-of spiritual companions to those who practice witchcraft.
-spellbooks
-pointy hats
-brooms
-potions
-curses

Anyway, they just made me uncomfortable. I'd just as soon not expose my kids to that stuff in a positive way. But that's just me. Liking Harry Potter does not make anyone a bad Christian. There's much to like about it.

As far as the books, I will quote Bill from Comment #1 in this post: I've tried reading HP - I got through the third page (no kidding - that's as far as I got). A year later I picked it up again and... got through the third page. It just didn't grab me. I know that makes me a philistine, because the people who have read it love it.

That goes ditto for me. I got to about page three and quit. Tried again, and got through first chapter and quit. Not because of aversion to magic, but just sheer boredom. I'll probably try again someday... :)

249. Quaid - 01/10/2005 8:33 am CST

Thanks Shrode . . .

What interests me is how someone can pick up a book and read only three pages into it and say "it didn't grab me." I'm not attacking here - please don't hear it that way.

Don't you think you should at least try and go through one chapter first? It really wouldn't take too long. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if you arrived at the same result - a not-read book.

I'm just wondering how three pages constitutes a go at a book. It's not too different then me watching the first three minutes of a movie and saying - "nah, not for me."

It's one thing if there's gratuitous secks or violence, but none of these things happen in the first three pages (and there is no secs later on, either - for the record)

What if I went into the Polar Express (since we're talking about that film), watched the first three minutes and walked out and asked for my money back because it didn't grab me. You'd probably think me odd, right?

250. Kenny - 01/10/2005 10:27 am CST

Interestingly, I had the same experience with HP. I Read the first three pages twelve times before buying the book and the rest is history.

251. Bill - 01/10/2005 10:33 am CST

Well, I was the first one to do the "first three pages" comment.

Basically, J.R.R. Tolkien it wasn't :-) I don't know how else to explain it. I'd prefer everyone not start piling on and say "Oh ho! But you've read [name book here] and that's not J.R.R. Tolkien! Aha!" - because I know HP are great books. I'd probably really enjoy them. But I don't have the inclination. Maybe I didn't like them because everyone else does. I dunno. It's just my personal preference.

If you walked out of Polar Express after three minutes I'd say that was your choice :-)

252. Kenny - 01/10/2005 10:46 am CST

Just for the record, I have yet to make it my mission to sway all to read HP. Unless things change and I begin to profit from it somehow, I am content to read and enjoy them and live peaceably with those who don't:)

253. Bill - 01/10/2005 10:50 am CST

Thanks Kenny - I appreciate that.

254. Bill - 01/10/2005 10:52 am CST

By the way, Kenny - it's cool to look at our front page, even though Jared and I have dropped out temporarily, and Blo is once again a fictional zephyr, and see you and Shrode carrying the load. Well done! You guys go hard.

255. Shrode - 01/10/2005 11:06 am CST

Quaid wrote:What interests me is how someone can pick up a book and read only three pages into it and say "it didn't grab me." I'm not attacking here - please don't hear it that way.Don't you think you should at least try and go through one chapter first? It really wouldn't take too long. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if you arrived at the same result - a not-read book.I'm just wondering how three pages constitutes a go at a book. It's not too different then me watching the first three minutes of a movie and saying - "nah, not for me."

You're right Quaid. First, let me say that I have no doubt that HP books are good. And I'd probably like it fine. In fact I intend to try again. I only mentioned that in an anecdotal way, not as any kind of anti-HP comment.

I went back and checked. It appears I latched onto Bill's comment and exagerated. My book mark is at end of chapter one, so I know I made it at least that far the second time. The first time I "read it", was actually me and my wife together. We read to each other, and we decided to try Harry Potter. She read it to me and we both got bored, probably because we never got past Harry living with his foster family under the stairs. I just looked at my copy of the sorcerer's stone, and we must have made it past chapter one, because I remember him living under the stairs and being mistreated. I even remember all the letters. But we never made it to hogwart's. We just sort-of gave up.

I tried on my own later, and made it at least through chapter one. I don't think I "gave up on it" akin to walking out of a theater, so much as I just never got around to picking it up again. I plan on trying again someday. Especially having read Quaid's comment number 64 today.

64. Quaid - 07/26/2003 12:16 pm CDT

As far as Harry Potter goes, I am a pretty big fan. Something that I wanted to mention that many might not be aware of, as I was not aware of until just recently (as I just finished the fourth book), is that Harry Potter has something pretty integral to the entire Fantasy World literature genre.

The Harry Potter series, in the end of Book IV, begins what appears to be an epic war of Good vs. Evil. Although the first three books are fun and extremely entertaining, there was a kind of sitcom-like aura about them.

Here is (more or less) how the first 3 books go:
You get your cast of characters, they fall into some sort of hijinx, hilarity ensues. Evil presents itself, more hijinx, more hilarity, evil is overcome (for at least the time being), no one good gets hurt too badly, everyone goes home (until the next time . . .). [This is done in a very entertaining fashion, mind you]

In Book Four, however, things begin to change DRAMATICALLY which I think will make the series incredible.

Book Four goes along, more or less, with the same formula until you get towards the end, and all of a sudden, the evil is larger than it has ever been and innocent people (quite graphically) begin to get hurt and die. The end of Book Four is quite a cliffhanger (the evil is NOT overcome), and presents the introduction to what will be a battle for the entire world.

Although Harry Potter is just easy-to-read, child's play fun, it is extremely entertaining. In addition to this, however, the books are beginning a sequence of events that may keep this series going for a very long time, not just when the fun wears off after the series ends.

Just as LOTR is still popular today even though it was written many, many years ago (the 40's, right?), Harry Potter seems to be a series that is growing into a timeless classic.

For those fighting the Harry Potter battle today, be prepared to continue fighting. Your grandkids will be wanting to read them, too.

I'm quite proud that I made good on my promise to "try again someday." I'm glad I did. Quaid was right. Though, I noticed the "big change" at the end of book 3. I just started book 4, so I can't wait to see what Quaid is talking about.

For the record, I'm planning on going back to watch all of the movies in order, after I finish all of the books first. By then, maybe the "Deathly Hallows" movie will be completed? I heard they are going to break that into two movies. I wonder what the titles will be?

Also, above I said my kids can't watch the movies til they are 18. That was probably a bit harsh. I think my 4 years ago self may have been wrong. I'm thinking now, that I'll let my kids read the books when they are in middle school. But in my opinion, they are not good for elementary age. But that's just me. My 8 year old hasn't been allowed to see "The Incredibles" or "Madagascar" or "Ice Age" yet so I'm just a curmudgeon. ;-)