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Chatterbox: Blab About Books
Harry Potter Ranting
This thread is...
This thread is for everything you dislike about Harry Potter. I saw some of this discussion on the “Terrible Books” thread, but I thought why not make a new, dedicated thread for it? Actually, I think there have been threads like this before... but those are old and this is new!
There is one rule: always, always be respectful of other peoples’ opinions.
I’ll start. Personally, I love a lot about HP, but there are a few gaping holes. For example, has anyone thought about what wizarding children do before going off to Hogwarts? Or whether/how they learn math and essay-writing and such? Or why Hogwarts is so big when there are only *counts* 10 classes? Or how the schedules of the teachers work, when each teacher teaches every year if students? Or how the Portkey spell works? Or how people keep from accidentally Apparating everywhere? Or why in book one, Harry runs at the divider between platforms 9 and 10, but in later books, he leans through to avoid suspicion? Or what ghosts do all day?
I guess that’s more than a few holes...
Anyway, enjoy ranting!
submitted by Kitten, Pondering
(July 31, 2019 - 4:17 pm)
(July 31, 2019 - 4:17 pm)
A lot of that's right, except that they didn't Avada Kedavra the Horcruxes because the Horcruxes are indestrucible except to certain things (such as Basilisk venom, Fiendfyre, etc)
And, obviously, Harry is a special case. Apparently he's not indestructible. (Rowling, your books are awesome, but sometimes...)
(November 16, 2019 - 10:01 pm)
I agree with a lot of what is being said here, but something that I think is worth pointing out is that with popular books, we should be careful not to blame the original for the flaws of its copycats. Because Harry Potter is SO popular, many aspects of its plot and characters have influenced other writers' works. So some archetypes and ideas that originated with HP become super common... and then HP is slammed as being stereotypical even though it is part of the reason why those tropes are popular in the first place.
It is cliche in some ways, obviously... it's not like JK Rowling was the first ever person to write a book with an orphan main character... but it's still something to think about!
Another example of popular books influencing new literature: The Hunger Games. You know how everyone always complains about the love triangle trope in YA lit? And often uses THG as an example of it? Even though the love triangle in THG is not nearly so overstated as everyone makes it out to be and is really a metaphor for peace vs war in society? (Also, the movie made it a big deal and in the books it, like wasn't. Anyway.) THG is an example of a GOOD love triangle in fiction and other authors tried to emulate it, and by doing so created the terrible copycat love triangle that everyone hates. So now THG gets insulted as an example of the love triangle trope even though it helped it rise to prominence.
Oops, that got longer than I meant it to.
(November 17, 2019 - 6:15 pm)
Ok, so this isn't a very big thing and it isn't even about the books, but it drives me insane and I need to let it out.
*deep inhale*
RAVENCLAW'S SYMBOL IS AN EAGLE AND ALL OF THE RAVENCLAW MERCH HAS RAVENS ON IT!!!! THAT IS INCORRECT!!! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!
sorry, it just makes me crazy. :D
i'm not even a true Ravenclaw, i'm a Slytherin. A SLYTHERCLAW!!!
(November 19, 2019 - 2:49 pm)
Rereading the books, and thinking, so wait, if Ron's broken wand backfires at every opportunity, why is Hagrid's fine when he just sticks it in an umbrella?
(December 12, 2019 - 7:15 pm)
Yes! I’ve wondered about that too.
(December 15, 2019 - 2:13 pm)
One of my friends pointed out to me that while Hagrid's wand would have been snapped cleanly, Ron's would've been fractured, so there's a small difference.
(December 15, 2019 - 5:12 pm)
Does anyone else think it's really ironic and kind of funny that this part of the Chatterbox is full of threads about Harry Potter and how great it is while this one is basically pointing out all plot holes and problems?
(December 28, 2019 - 5:15 pm)
(December 31, 2019 - 12:59 am)
If I remember correctly, that’s why I made it in the first place. :)
(December 31, 2019 - 7:21 pm)