Why no Harry Potter, eh?

[sweettalkeress.livejournal.com]

So I looked at ONTD's "Ten of the most Epidemically Overrated Books," and was incensed to find that books like On the Road and The Great Gatsby made the list but the Harry Potter series didn't (though at least the Twilight series did). I mean really, Harry Potter is the epitome of an overrated book series, given that there are people seriously making the point that it's so deep and meaningful and needs to be read in AP English classes. Never mind that it's a children's book series!

Well, these were the people who said that a bunch of authors besides Rowling disliked the idea of fanfiction without bothering to consider WHY they might feel that way (specifically, that Rowling is the only one who's all that fandom savvy because she's modern in a way that the others aren't). Maybe they just think Rowling is their darling author too, and you can't say anything bad about her.

Comments

[sunnyskywalker]

What really rankles is that she actually made a joke out of anyone trying to start up another extracurricular activity in print. Remember that anecdote about the time they tried to stage a play at Hogwarts, and not being Quidditch the mishaps were not considered something one should overlook as part of the experience, and they never ever had a drama club again? Yeah.

[nx74defiant.livejournal.com]

She said that? Good grief.

[charlottehywd.livejournal.com]

Wow, she really said that? Is everybody at Hogwarts a dumb jock or something?

[sunnyskywalker]

I think it was in one of Dumbledore's notes in Beadle the Bard. Ages ago, Professor Beery did try to stage a play, and due to love triangles and magical mishaps (not Dumbledore's, of course!), it was a disaster and they never tried it again. Ever. Beery went on to found his own little school for drama or something and it's a total failure from what I remember.

He didn't have the aside about Quidditch, but if they don't give up on Quidditch after rogue Bludgers target particular players, Dementors swarm the field, etc., I think it's fair to say they value Quidditch more and will continue no matter what the obstacles, while they think of drama (and possibly other activities) as jokes which you can just ditch with the excuse that something didn't go smoothly.

[charlottehywd.livejournal.com]

I think it's fair to say they value Quidditch more and will continue no matter what the obstacles, while they think of drama (and possibly other activities) as jokes which you can just ditch with the excuse that something didn't go smoothly.

Pretty much, this. I guess it's pretty clear where their priorities lie.