H.P. And The Philosopher's Stone

[poliphilo]

It turns out to be rather well-constructed too. Up until about 7/8ths of the way through you think you're just getting a series of episodes, but then everything you've learned about people, places and things is pulled together in a thrilling denouement that works a lot better on the page than it does in the film. 

In the film Voldemort seems sort of tacked on. You''ve got this metaphysical terror lurking at the edges of what is basically a spiffing school adventure. In the book he's more integral. I think it's got something to do with pacing and the way- in CGI movies- story gets bowed down under the weight of the special effects. 

So I'm going to carry right on with The Chamber of Secrets. I'm warned I may start to feel Potter-fatigue in the course of this one, but that I need to keep going and the heaviness will lift.

Comments

[sorenr.livejournal.com]

Rowlings might not be a "great" writer in the conventional sense, but I find her to be an adept story-teller. I think it's quite deserved that she's had success with the H.P. books, since she tells a story that is both well-crafted and eeriely suited for the time of publishing. It reminds me of Tolkien's Lord Of The Rings that also gained an immense amount of additional meaning and importance, simply because it was first published around the onset of WWII.

I hope you enjoy the read!

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

I've just finished The Chamber of Secrets.

In some ways it's an advance on the first book. The prose is better and the plotting more confident.

I think she's a "good enough" writer and a brilliant story-teller.

[shewhomust.livejournal.com]

I read the first three one-a-day for three days, when I was off work poorly, with pauses for throwing up. And found them, as you say, very readable, though there were individual things that grated.

Then they stated getting big and heavy - still readable, but it took more doing just because there's so much more book. I've read number 4, but not 5 or 6 - I'd quite like to read them all eventually, but there's so much better stuff that takes priority.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

I've just read the Chamber of Secrets in a day. I'd say- at this point in the sequence- that she's getting better...

[methodius.livejournal.com]

Well, now you know why Rowling is so popular, and how she has managed to get a whole generation of kids to discover reading.

For about a decade before Rowling, the only kids books I could find in bookshops were ones by R.L. Stine. I read one, and wasn't tempted again. It was deadly dull, banal and boring. Rowling arrived at just the right moment with stories that were readable, when nothing else was available.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

When I was last buying children's books on a regular basis the top of the range model was Roald Dahl.

I'm impressed by Rowling. More so than I thought I would be.

[halfmoon-mollie.livejournal.com]

If I didn't have so much else to read, I'd read them right along with you. I LOVE the H.P. books, I think they are great escapist entertainment (for us 'older' folks!).

So, tell me what you think of my Born Again friend who will not let her nearly 15 year old read the books because 'there's wizardly in them, and black magic'.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

That's just silly, isn't it? Does your Born-Again friend also veto the Wizard of Oz and Mary Poppins? They have magic in them too.

[halfmoon-mollie.livejournal.com]

Hm, that's a good question!

(quite honestly, I'm tempted to give the kid a copy of the first HP book but...his mother would get upset with me.)

I always thought that the most magic of the magic is the actual reading. Magical to be transported to another place by the words of someone with a wonderful story to tell.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

I think your friend might have a change of heart if she were actually to read the books herself.

[methodius.livejournal.com]

Well now you know why they are so popular, and have got a whole generation of kids to read.

Before Rowling came on the scene, the only kids books I could find in bookshops were by R.L. Stine. I bought one once, and could see why they might turn kids off reading.

Rowling came along at just the righht time, when there was a dearth of readable kids books.

[four-thorns.livejournal.com]

chamber of secrets is the weakest of them all, i think-- it seems like she didn't decide until the third book that the storylines would carry over from book to book, and so in many ways it just seems to me like a repeat of the philosopher's stone but with a new adventure, although it's redeemed somewhat (and integrated into the overall storyline) by the sixth book. the third is still my favorite, and (i think) worth slogging through chamber of secrets to get to.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Well, I don't yet know what's to come, but in some ways I think CoS represents an advance. The writing is better and the plotting more confident.

PS is a joyous amateur performance. CoS is darker and fully professional.

Anyway, I'm going to be making a start on Prisoner of Azkaban tonight.

[four-thorns.livejournal.com]

i'll be looking forward to your thoughts on it. happy reading...