just curious, really...

[karenor]

you HP fans crack me up. Now, I won't begrudge anyone their fandom. I certainly have a tendency to go way overboard when it comes to things I love.

But when it comes to Harry Potter? I just don't. get. it.

Maybe I have bad associations with the book (I only read the first one) because it was given to me while I was in the hospital. Every nurse or doctor or orderly or whatever that came in told me how much i was going to love it and get sucked in and will have to read them all and stuff (i think three or four were out by this time, 2000?). Anyway, I really disliked the book. And therefore haven't read the rest. I saw the first, second, and fourth movies. I find them pretty to look at.

But I am slightly fascinated by things that captivate so many people but hold no joy whatsoever for me. Especially when it's people I know and respect and whose tastes in entertainment run close to mine. So I'm genuinely curious, not bashing or anything. What is it about the series that grabs you, particularly?

Am I missing like a gene or an enzyme or something?

Comments

[katesutton.livejournal.com]

Well me, I *heart* children's literature. It's mostly what I read. I also love scifi/fantasy(but more fantasy), so it's really geared toward my preferences. I don't think it's the best thing EVER, nor am I in anyway part of fandom(thank goodness, from all reports), but I do enjoy the books.

But I totally understand your bafflement. I LOATHE Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials books and they are, like, religion to some people(yes, I used religion as a comparison ON PURPOSE, Mr. Pullman, NYAH).

[missperkigoth.livejournal.com]

That's all I have to say about HP.

But seriously, I don't get it. My real peeps flist is going bonkers because of the leaks. Like their eyes are going to burn out, or the apocalypse will happen if they know anything ahead of time. I don't get it.

Plus, I am also part of that whole LOTR trumps HP anytime bitches mindset.

[cheesygirl.livejournal.com]

I've enjoyed the books and the movies, but I don't fangirl over HP. I am being cautious about spoilers for the book because I hate knowing how something ends beforehand.

I'm not sure what about it I like, other than the world that JKR has created is interesting (I love the names she comes up with for things), and the characters likeable, and they're just fun (and at times wonderfully dark, which I love to see in children's fiction).

[awhiteshimmer.livejournal.com]

i still need to, ahem, actually read the books.

[starlightmoonla.livejournal.com]

I think what I really enjoy most about the book is the world that is associated with it. I mean the characters are great but for me, just the thought of having this whole other world that's magical is what I really love about the series.

The movies themselves have steadily become better and better. The first two, for example, I can't really watch anymore because the acting sort of grates on my nerves but that's just me. And yes there are times when their acting in the other movies do get on my nerves but not as much as during the first two.

I'm not much of a OMG HP fan in the boards because of the meltdown that occurred after Half Blood Prince release. It was just horrible and took away from the book as a whole.

I definitely don't want to be spoiled for this final book because it has been so long that I've known/read these books. And just because it's the FINAL book I'm trying to make somewhat of an attempt to stay away from spoilers. To an extreme, this would include staying in my room with the doors locked and the TV shut off (at least that's my worst case scenario). Now will I go ballistic if I hear of something from the new book? Doubtful but I will be very disappointed because I won't get to have that experience of finding out what happens while reading it.

*too much thought went into this response* Sorry about that ^_^"

[larielromeniel.livejournal.com]

I only got into HP about two years ago, and I was also sucked in by the world JKR created. I've always loved fantasy anyway. LotR stands as my favorite book, followed by Anne McCaffrey's Pern books and C.S. Lewis' Narnia books.

Each of these has one thing in common...the author created an alternate universe so real that you cannot believe it doesn't truly exist.