Monday, July 16, 2007
Harry Potter
I have almost nothing to say about Harry Potter. I conscientiously read the first book some time ago as research for a report I wrote from the set of the first film. I thought it okay, if rather heavily influenced by E. Nesbit. I read Nesbit's The Complete History of the Bastable Family about a dozen times when I was a child and, therefore, see all children's books as variously half-hearted attempts to aspire to the condition of the Bastables. Now, of course, one can't be seen reading Harry Potter, the name is so heavily branded that it would be like browsing a Burger King menu. If you must, however, a solution is at hand - these quite brilliant covers intended to camouflage the book. I particularly like Terry Normal by Salman Rushdie - 'The land of absolutely no wizards or anything like that.'
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A blog about, among other things, imaginary ideas - What ifs? and Imagine thats. What if photographs looked nothing like what we see with our eyes? Imagine that the Berlin Wall had never come down. What if we were the punchline of an interminable joke? All contributions welcome.
well you're more of an aficionado than me. the only exposure I've had to HP is on a cheap flight to Greece. We wouldn't pay the extra for headphones so was only partially distracted by leaping wizardry and other puzzling CGI every occasion I looked up from reading Terry Normal by Sir Salman of Rushdie.
ReplyDeleteThe only good thing about flying cheap is you get to eat your own sandwiches. I've heard easyJet may follow the Virgin lead and introduce areas where passengers can lay a blanket on the floor - is it true?! Apparently you have to provide your own wasps...
I am a sad addict. Of Harry Potter that is, not sandwiches, my own or anyone else's.
ReplyDeleteGee, your comments are a bit quick off the mark. That person up there is me. (The HP addict confessing).
ReplyDeleteCan I take the opportunity to add, not only should one not judge a book by its cover, but also one should not judge it by the movie that Warner Brothers hath made of it.
Those covers are indeed brilliant - particularly like A Man's Guide To Penis Reduction Surgery. Look forward to seeing that one on the Tube any day...
ReplyDeleteLorena Bobbit already made a video, Nige -- a mere poster couldn't do justice to her speedy approach to penis removal, er, reduction.....
ReplyDeleteI like HP, too. I'm finally finishing the last book (#6), which I'd dropped because it has a truly terribly written beginning. Idiot dialogue presented three different ways for the benefit of readers who are only just picking up "Half-Blood Prince" and are too lazy to read the first five. But, after that, it begins to move along very well.
You Brits really write about school days very well. I feel an essay coming on...From "Tom Brown's Schooldays" to Harry Potter at Hogwarts, or some such.
I believe school is your most powerful, permeating institution. It just keeps coming up: "To Sir With Love," "The History Boys," and on and on.
I have never read a word of any HP book. Does it matter? Have I missed anything?
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