[Codehead]

After resisting for a long time, I finally gave in and started read JK Rowling's books.

I was reading a chapter a night for my lad at bedtime, but got dragged into the story. I managed to pick all the books up for £2.99 each and I'm currently finishing Goblet of Fire.

I really didn't expect to enjoy these 'kids' books, but they're quite absorbing.

Anyone else still resisting, or converted?

[Sniper Ash6]

I read i think it was the Goblet of Fire on holiday after i ran out of Lee Child (or whatever i was reading at the time) books and we went home before i finished it. So a few days later on his way home from work dad picked it up for me to finish and i finished it but when i had gotten round to reading the first book before i couldnt get past the first few pages and gave up

[GasDad]

Originally Posted by Codehead

After resisting for a long time, I finally gave in and started read JK Rowling's books.

I was reading a chapter a night for my lad at bedtime, but got dragged into the story. I managed to pick all the books up for £2.99 each and I'm currently finishing Goblet of Fire.

I really didn't expect to enjoy these 'kids' books, but they're quite absorbing.

Anyone else still resisting, or converted?

I read the first two with my children (before all the fuss) - got hooked, read all the others within a day of release

I read a lot of different types of stuff, but I always find the stuff I enjoyed as a teenager, (eg Early Heinlien), or would have enjoyed had it been available (eg Orson Scott Card - Enders game), very relaxing. Harry Potter falls into that category for me.

In addition, the books are extremely well crafted, with great use of English.
Very little of the repetition you would expect from a teenagers book with lots of dialogue.

I've also enjoyed the whole experience, of queuing for the books on launch day- with my youngest two in fancy dress. For book 7, one of them was dressed as a Lemon Sherbet - a father who obviously didn't 'get it' walked into Borders at the same time as us :

Father: "Why's that boy dressed as a lemon sherbet?
His Daughter: (Dressed as Hermione) - "God dad you're so EMBARRASSING - don't you know anything."

[rickinyorkshire]

I have always wondered if the books were any good as they are at heart children's books. The fantasy settings and story lines are up my street but I have shyed away from them as I am used to adult settings and themes. I may try the first one to see. Do they take long to read?

[GasDad]

Originally Posted by rickinyorkshire

I have always wondered if the books were any good as they are at heart children's books. The fantasy settings and story lines are up my street but I have shyed away from them as I am used to adult settings and themes. I may try the first one to see. Do they take long to read?

The first two are a very quick read.

The books are peculiar, in that the reading age rises with each book - the later books are quite dark.

[Toasty]

I've read the first two and while I appreciated them for what they were, I did not see them as an adult read and was a little puzzled to why they have caught the adult mind as much as the child's. I put this down to the fact that they are well written and maybe as parents its the first chance they get to read a meaty book for some time and are just reacquainting themselves with reading again, which is a good thing

That said, I've not read any of the others and can well imagine the darker subject matters lead to a better reading experience for an older audience. Unfortunately for me, I've seen the films and apart from Prisoner of Azkaban, which I really enjoyed, I've not been that bothered about the whole Harry Potter franchise. It could be that the films have ruined it for me as I've no real desire to read the other books unless my kids want to, any thoughts?

[GasDad]

Originally Posted by Toasty

I've read the first two and while I appreciated them for what they were, I did not see them as an adult read and was a little puzzled to why they have caught the adult mind as much as the child's. I put this down to the fact that they are well written and maybe as parents its the first chance they get to read a meaty book for some time and are just reacquainting themselves with reading again, which is a good thing

That said, I've not read any of the others and can well imagine the darker subject matters lead to a better reading experience for an older audience. Unfortunately for me, I've seen the films and apart from Prisoner of Azkaban, which I really enjoyed, I've not been that bothered about the whole Harry Potter franchise. It could be that the films have ruined it for me as I've no real desire to read the other books unless my kids want to, any thoughts?

I'd try reading the Goblet of fire - the Prisoner of Azkaban was one of the best films, because the content was more adult, but the book was shorter - not a great deal was lost from the book. The other films suffer, because so much of the stuff that makes the books great was lost.

I'm very pleased to see the last book is to be spread over two films.

[Codehead]

I'm watching the films only after reading the books, (when I can find the DVDs on the rental shelf). So far, I'm pleasantly surprised that the first few films manage to capture the feel of the books quite well, even if the characters weren't quite as I imagined (Moody being the furthest from the mark so far).

[Greg]

Originally Posted by Codehead

I'm watching the films only after reading the books, (when I can find the DVDs on the rental shelf). So far, I'm pleasantly surprised that the first few films manage to capture the feel of the books quite well, even if the characters weren't quite as I imagined (Moody being the furthest from the mark so far).

I did this exactly for the first few. Due to them being shorter I think the films were more able to stay closer to the books, but later ones due to them being millions of pages long, the films had to cut parts out.

[IronGiant]

My son has grown up with Harry, as it were, we read the first one to him and he read the others avidly as they came out so the increase in reading age with each book has been perfect for him. He won a copy of Phoenix and a Harry Potter tour of Oxford for dressing up as him on its release date at Blackwells. The funniest part was seeing the Japanese tourists pointing and taking photos of him.

Dave

[UnGreat]

I noticed that as the films came out and dropped many periphery characters (the poltergeist for one) that the subsequent books were more sequels to the films than anything else as they also dropped most them.

If you are looking for good kids/teens books then I recommend Garth Nix's keys to the Kingdom or the Abhorsen books (latter is probably the best).

[kopchoir]

Not actually that bad-Pretty good actually the one thing i like about them is the escapism reminds me of reading as a child thouroughly enjoyed them

[bosque]

Being able to get hold of JK Rowling's Harry Potter books as they came out was sheer bliss. You can't hype the behaviour I witnessed when people bought Order Of The Phoenix. As soon as it hit the high-street adults and kids were queuing up to buy the book and opening it to read as soon as they left the bookshops, a white-haired guy in a pinstriped suit oblivious to the other pedestrians on Edgware Road while he devoured the latest Harry Potter. Passengers on trains grinning at each other as they pored through the 5th book. So yes it wasn't actually that bad.

[kopchoir]

Originally Posted by bosque

Being able to get hold of JK Rowling's Harry Potter books as they came out was sheer bliss. You can't hype the behaviour I witnessed when people bought Order Of The Phoenix. As soon as it hit the high-street adults and kids were queuing up to buy the book and opening it to read as soon as they left the bookshops, a white-haired guy in a pinstriped suit oblivious to the other pedestrians on Edgware Road while he devoured the latest Harry Potter. Passengers on trains grinning at each other as they pored through the 5th book. So yes it wasn't actually that bad.

Thats good, a book that can get peoples imagination thinking of all ages thats why i loved them so much it got people reading again that would not of thought to.
I have tried getting my best friend to read a book but all he does is football autobiogs on holiday

[sniffer66]

I was bought the first book as a present and devoured the rest. For the last three I was outside Tescos at midnight to get my copy

The first two are a very easy read but they do get darker and more adult. I think adults enjoy them as they are quite nostalgic - at least as far as school days go. As with any book they lose a lot in transaltion to film. We are making our son read the books before he sees each film so he can appreciate the background. He's seven and is just finishing Azkaban

[leeb-1977]

Loved the harry potter series.

I'd already watched the first two films and thought they were 'ok' when i read my first book.

To be honest i hadnt imagined me ever buying a harry potter book - but i found myself in the situation one day where id read everything i had and was trying to decide what to read next... at the time the order of the pheonix had just been released and my local Tesco petrol station had around ten books left which they were selling for a fiver each - i saw them while waiting to pay for fuel and thought 'sod it' and bought one.

The jump in style from chamber of secrets to OOTF was pretty big.... the book was a much darker affair than the first two films id watched and before i knew it i was engrossed. As soon as id finished i picked up the first four books and devoured them within days.

Never did the whole midnight wait thing outside a store - but i did pick each book up on day one after that. Great reads and HP introduced me to the fantasy genre.... which lead me to Terry Goodkind and George RR Martin, something that ill be eternally grateful for.

[Codehead]

Just finished OOTF, I found it the worst one so far. Too bogged down in niff naff and overly oppressive.

I hope the last two books are better.

[GasDad]

Originally Posted by Codehead

Just finished OOTF, I found it the worst one so far. Too bogged down in niff naff and overly oppressive.

I hope the last two books are better.

Err OOTF?

The sixth book is brilliant - as long as you remember it is at the end of the day a book written for teenagers. So pretend you've still got spots and you're worried about what kissing will actually be like etc.

OOTP and THBP are all about setting the scene for the final book. Which despite being shorter than OOTP requires two movies to cover it - simply because a lot happens.

[Codehead]

Originally Posted by GasDad

Err OOTF?

Oops. Thinking phonetically again.

[Coffin]

I managed to avoid the entire HP hype over all the years, knowing literally nothing about it.

Until..a few months ago and my little cousin (honest!) left book one over my house which I read over night and was instantly 'hooked'

I then read the following 6 books over the course of a month or so to the point it was probably a bit OTT! I've also watched the first 5 films on BluRay and (whilst they get better) are generally pants, imo.

It's a great story and I felt 'liberated' reading them without any prior knowledge or preconception.

Snape is worth reading the series for alone.

[yatesDELTA]

I kinda grew up with the books really, was 14 when the last book came out. Maybe slightly younger than most of the 'Harry Potter generation' but i did read most of them as the came out.
Was never an obsessed 'buying at midnight' fan but know the books inside out. I try to think of the films as a separate entity, otherwise you get to caught up on how they butcher the story. Although i do feel Half Blood Prince was an awful film.
Favorite book was OOTP (although it doesnt seem as popular with other fans) followed by Prizoner of Azkaban. Not sure about favorite films though.