Tuesday, May 23, 2006

Apparently, dragons did exist...

The skull of Draco-Rex Hogwartsia was unveiled recently.
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3 comments:

d-wain said...

Have you read all of the Potter books? I read the first one and was less than impressed, so I haven't tried the others yet. They certainly will be in my future at some point, but I may wait until they're all out to read them. Of course, there's also the inconvenience of their popularity which makes it nearly impossible to not have the book spoiled. Personally, I would have loved to have the shirt that read "Snape killed Dumbledore," but it would have been a momentary thrill.

My complaint with the Potter books is the same as my complaint with the Narnia books and the Hobbit: too childish in narration. Now, I know that they're all brilliant in their own way (including the narrative style), but I think of the Dark is Rising series and the Prydain Chronicles and can't help but be amazed by how "adult" they can be.

My opinion, and I give it freely and often.

7:10 AM
Laura said...

I am an enthusiastic Potter-fan, though I definitely understand the childish narration. People will point out that these books have a way of drawing kids into a fantasy world like no other and I think this childish narration might be part of the reason for this spell.
While Rowling might not have the kind of writing style we would prefer, she certainly has a knack for creating characters that either stick with you, or that remind you of people that you know--another thing that accounts for the Pottermania gripping the kids, this sense of being part of a family and group of friends.
Her later books are a drastic improvement over the first, both in writing style (you can literally see her style mature with each book) and depth of plot. The books get darker and darker, and many wonder if Harry Potter will survive the seventh and final book. Kids might not notice how Rowling develops Potter's character and subtly points out here and there that Potter isn't so much a fated, chosen One, but one whose circumstances have plopped him in the middle of the bruha and whose choices determine his fate (rather than the other way around), hence the normal, scared little boy that everyone can identify with and live through vicariously as he battles Voldemort and manages to win each time through sheer luck.
I have read the Dark is Rising series, and the Prydain Chronicles. The Dark is Rising series impacted me deeply, in the gut, in the same way that mythology and folklore affects me. My only complaint with it was the sheer bleakness of the story, the sense of being trapped in that dark, drafty Great Hall with Will and two old people (however powerful they were) with the forces of evil or chaos or whatever howling at the door. I'm a sucker for hope, however small and grain-like it may be...

7:45 PM
Laura said...

My all-time favorite "adult" kids' books are LeGuin's Earthsea trilogy.

7:47 PM

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