Guest Jake Wifebeater Posted July 25, 2007 Report Share Posted July 25, 2007 Haha, I understand that. The communist manifesto is still sitting in my book case somewhere, boring itself to death...Jesus, there's heavy going, the manifesto itself is a whopping 40 pages and possibly the simplest text I've ever read. Stick to the fucking Beano, son. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Steven Dedalus Posted July 25, 2007 Report Share Posted July 25, 2007 A defining feature of a "grown up" is the ability to leave each to their own and to not belittle the amusements of others. If someone reads books for their supposed "literary worth" rather than their quality, then that person is really wasting their time.true, true.it's like that bit in Father ted where he arranges all the books on the table to appear well-read.Personally, whilst I wouldn't bother with Harry Potter (cos I can't be arsed...) I only tend to read books that have a direct interest to me.Which is why I have no shame at having recently read "Star Trek Memories" by William Shatner.Ok, maybe I have a little shame. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Norseman Posted July 25, 2007 Report Share Posted July 25, 2007 I was given the Harry Potter box set as an xmas pressie and all the books in it were "borrowed" by family members so all I have now is a pretty display box. Might get round to reading them one day (if I ever get them back, good on JK, life is there for grabbing by the danglers. Looking forward to the forthcoming Terry Pratchett book though and David Gemmel's wife finishing off his last book for him now that he can't type being 6ft under.As some of my "friends" keep telling me, I must be a child or have limited intelligence because I read a lot of Sci-Fi and Fantasy while knocking on the door of 40. Mind you the newspapers keep telling me I am a sadistic immature pyschopath because I also like playing computer games. Even worse for the pigeon holers (is that a word??) I also like heavy metal. Some of my family think I am the saddest man alive, suits me, f*ck em all. Going back to finishing my Guinness and reading my Viz (not as good as it used to be) while listening to Nightwish blaring in the background. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skubbs Posted July 28, 2007 Report Share Posted July 28, 2007 like, you are a Goddess to me 'cos, like, you type like you speak, like, y'know what I mean.I'm looking forward to reading it but I'm not paying the 17 its going to cost. I'll wait a couple of weeks until Asda/Tesco has it for a tenner and get it then.PeteinthehillsOh Great and Wise one, I am Shamed! Forgive me, Please I beg you. Ok, it was bad grammar... I should have said almost, instead of "like". I'm not one of those twats who say "like" every 3rd word.And yes I'm old enough to use this forum. Wow, I must be the only person to read Harry Potter over the age of 10, surely? No... that's why the Harry Potter books have been printed in two covers, one for children and one for adults.I enjoyed the book, but I don't think all those deaths were necessary. Tonks and Lupin? I just don't see how JK could justify that. Granted, yes it's meant to be a big battle and there should be many losses etc... but I just didn't see the point in killing them both off.I did see the snape thing a mile off though, because she really went out of her way to build him up to be such a bastard and there was no way she'd let the books finish without redeeming him slightly.(go on, pick at the grammar, spelling or childish views in that post, I dare you) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bodast Posted July 28, 2007 Report Share Posted July 28, 2007 I think HP's great! I queued for the book at midnight but the shop didn't open so I got a taxi across Budapest to another place which should have had it but was unsuccessful. So I contented myself with sorting and resorting my HP5 film stickers and getting the book in the morning. It's a bigger effort than the books are worth, I expect, but it's pretty fun to wait for midnight and the only reason I didn't dress up was because I couldn't find the perfect stick to be a wand. Ohhh isn't it okay to be childish sometimes?Anyway, I liked the book. I was surprised more main characters didn't die. There were no big surprises but that was okay because even if some of your theories are proved boringly correct, it's good to see them all written down and integrated into the rest of the story. A couple of things about the writing style annoyed me but overall I found it pretty riveting. And now what? The time to reread, memorise, and write quizzes, fanfics and crosswords. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Metarie Posted July 28, 2007 Report Share Posted July 28, 2007 Oh Great and Wise one, I am Shamed! Forgive me, Please I beg you. Ok, it was bad grammar... I should have said almost, instead of "like". I'm not one of those twats who say "like" every 3rd word.And yes I'm old enough to use this forum. Wow, I must be the only person to read Harry Potter over the age of 10, surely? No... that's why the Harry Potter books have been printed in two covers, one for children and one for adults.I enjoyed the book, but I don't think all those deaths were necessary. Tonks and Lupin? I just don't see how JK could justify that. Granted, yes it's meant to be a big battle and there should be many losses etc... but I just didn't see the point in killing them both off.I did see the snape thing a mile off though, because she really went out of her way to build him up to be such a bastard and there was no way she'd let the books finish without redeeming him slightly.(go on, pick at the grammar, spelling or childish views in that post, I dare you)I was expecting more big deaths, although when the twin died (I forget which one), I was quite shocked. Tonks and Lupin being killed almost seemed to be to be ending the cycle the way it began. Although it was Dobby's death that moved me the most. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stripey Posted July 28, 2007 Report Share Posted July 28, 2007 I was expecting more big deaths, although when the twin died (I forget which one), I was quite shocked. Tonks and Lupin being killed almost seemed to be to be ending the cycle the way it began. Although it was Dobby's death that moved me the most.This is as sad and uninteresting as the kind of people who chat about Lost or 24 or fucking coronation street, it's pathetic. How can people have such empty lives that they have to fill their heads with such dross, and then have then nerve to act all affronted if anyone calls them out on it? It's disgusting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Jack Posted July 28, 2007 Report Share Posted July 28, 2007 This is as sad and uninteresting as the kind of people who chat about Lost or 24 or fucking coronation street, it's pathetic. How can people have such empty lives that they have to fill their heads with such dross, and then have then nerve to act all affronted if anyone calls them out on it? It's disgusting.WE. GET. YOUR. POINT. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kan' Sharuminar Posted July 29, 2007 Report Share Posted July 29, 2007 This is as sad and uninteresting as the kind of people who chat about Lost or 24 or fucking coronation street, it's pathetic. How can people have such empty lives that they have to fill their heads with such dross, and then have then nerve to act all affronted if anyone calls them out on it? It's disgusting.Agreed! Hell, I've seen people who have such empty lives that they feel they need to go onto a random anonymous internet forum and complain all day about a bit of fictional literature. It's a bit pathetic, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cloud Posted July 29, 2007 Report Share Posted July 29, 2007 So which other kids books do you people read? Or is it just this one series which happens to have a massive marketing campaign behind it?His Dark Materials (as previously mentioned) is brilliant - Pullman is a far, far better author than Rowling in my book. The fact that it's not a straightforward good vs bad storyline is brilliant too. I'm a fan of Betsy Byars's books as well - the 18th Emergency is one of the most amusing books I've ever read. Sartre? Stripey, you should be ashamed of yourself. I have an American friend who reads him, for crying out loud. You could at least be reasonably cultured and read some Voltaire instead, gloomy as he is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest b-bert Posted July 29, 2007 Report Share Posted July 29, 2007 So does harry die?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rachie Posted July 29, 2007 Report Share Posted July 29, 2007 Sort of.I think the deaths were neccessary, with such a final big battle you'd have to expect that a few main characters would end up dead, it's just a shame it had to be both Tonks and Lupin but obviously JK was making parallels to Harry through their kid ending up with no parents.I need to read it again I think, there's always so much you just skim over when you're reading a book like that for the first time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest b-bert Posted July 29, 2007 Report Share Posted July 29, 2007 Sort of? Is it a paralysing injury or something? Or is it kind of open ended to keep the little kids happy?Sorry for asking but havent read the last 2 or 3, so cant be bothered with this one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skubbs Posted July 29, 2007 Report Share Posted July 29, 2007 This is as sad and uninteresting as the kind of people who chat about Lost or 24 or fucking coronation street, it's pathetic. How can people have such empty lives that they have to fill their heads with such dross, and then have then nerve to act all affronted if anyone calls them out on it? It's disgusting.Have you got nothing else to do other than look for threads about subjects you don't like or can slag off the people who post on them? Bloody hell, you call us sad for enjoying a book and talking about it, yet you read through all our replies, criticise them and talk about how disgusting it is...If it's so uninteresting then fuck off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skubbs Posted July 29, 2007 Report Share Posted July 29, 2007 His Dark Materials (as previously mentioned) is brilliant - Pullman is a far, far better author than Rowling in my book. The fact that it's not a straightforward good vs bad storyline is brilliant too. I'm a fan of Betsy Byars's books as well - the 18th Emergency is one of the most amusing books I've ever read. And yeah, I agree that Pullman is a better author Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil Posted July 29, 2007 Report Share Posted July 29, 2007 This is as sad and uninteresting as the kind of people who chat about Lost or 24 or fucking coronation street, it's pathetic. How can people have such empty lives that they have to fill their heads with such dross, and then have then nerve to act all affronted if anyone calls them out on it? It's disgusting.Yeah, it's as pathetic as spending almost every hour of every day visiting on-line forums that you don't like. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
megatron Posted July 29, 2007 Report Share Posted July 29, 2007 I certainly consider reading childrens literature beneath me, I grew out of reading fantasy stories in my early teens. I've just finished re-reading Sartres Nausea and Will Selfs Grey Area, you know, books for grown ups that don't have pictures or massively kerned large type that makes the book look twice as long and leaves room for kids fat fingers to trace the text as they read it one syllable at a time.Just because "millions of people enjoy" the books says nothing about their literary worth.reading for fun... ever heard of it or do you just read so you can sound smart?I reckon your a pretty sad case if you've "grown out" of fantasy whatever happened to good old escapism and use of the imagination? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rachie Posted July 29, 2007 Report Share Posted July 29, 2007 Sort of? Is it a paralysing injury or something? Or is it kind of open ended to keep the little kids happy?Sorry for asking but havent read the last 2 or 3, so cant be bothered with this one.Well, he dies and he comes back... Harry "Lazarus" Potter?(I'm assuming that anyone reading this thread will either have read the book by now or has no intention of reading it in the first place) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stichman Posted July 29, 2007 Report Share Posted July 29, 2007 Well, he dies and he comes back... Harry "Lazarus" Potter?(I'm assuming that anyone reading this thread will either have read the book by now or has no intention of reading it in the first place)More like Harry "Jesus" Potter. So he dies? More importantly, does that ginge get maimed? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skubbs Posted July 29, 2007 Report Share Posted July 29, 2007 I can understand why JK would have killed off Lupin and Tonks, I just felt it was rather needless. I rather like Lupin and Tonks, with her ever-changing hair.And yeah, that last part with all the kids names, she just throws them at you! I had to reread it a couple of times to figure out which kids belonged to who.I also thought she rounded the letter off quite nicely, it was obvious it wasn't going to be what she implied it to be, but I liked how she did it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Metarie Posted July 30, 2007 Report Share Posted July 30, 2007 More like Harry "Jesus" Potter. So he dies? More importantly, does that ginge get maimed?He dies but part of his soul is in Voldemort so he can't *really* die. He comes back and the part of his soul which was in Voldemort has been destroyed, so he can now be killed. And then he is.Or something like that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rachie Posted July 30, 2007 Report Share Posted July 30, 2007 Think it's the other way around, it's the part of Voldemort's soul that was in Harry that is destroyed that allows him to finally be killed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Steven Dedalus Posted July 30, 2007 Report Share Posted July 30, 2007 He dies but part of his soul is in Voldemort so he can't *really* die. He comes back and the part of his soul which was in Voldemort has been destroyed, so he can now be killed. And then he is.Or something like that.Well, that's cleared that up then...Rather than read the damn book, I just read the summary on wikipedia. I found it to be quite satisfying. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pete_inthehills Posted July 30, 2007 Report Share Posted July 30, 2007 Two ways to summarise this book for me would be "Underwhelming" and "Deus Ex Machina". It just came across as rushed and contrived in placesI have to agree. The ending seemed a bit flat. I was expecting more death really and more folk closer to HP kicking the bucket.The books had "grown up" as the series progressed, but then I guess so had the readers. (no jokes, please). The ending worked but I still say it was contrived.Peteinthehills Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stripey Posted July 30, 2007 Report Share Posted July 30, 2007 Are you people joking? Of course it's contrived, it's a fucking kids book, what do you expect? Go and read dostoevsky or fuckin martin amis or something if you want sophisticated plot and themes. Those of you who are giving it all this "oh you just read adults books because you want to look clever and you don't even enjoy it" can fuck right off, along with the "you havent even read it how can you slag it off" and the "whats wrong with reading kids books despite the fact I'm 20-30-40 etc it's fun" crowd. These attitudes are offensive, anti-intellectual, backward and part and parcel of the xbox-playing transformers-the-movie plasma-screen watching consumerist degeneration currently affecting our society. If you want to read childrens books, watch kids films and play games consoles all day that's fine by me, but don't fucking have a go at the rest of us normally developed adults who appreciate good, diverse literature for being offended by your slavish devotion to rowlings trash. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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