Karl and I have enjoyed the Harry Potter books. We jumped on this wagon very late in the game, though. Last year we borrowed all of them from the library and it was the first time either of us had read any of the books!
Last night I realized the seventh book is due out in one week. So, I asked Karl, “Do you want me to go ahead and put our names on the list at the library? It’s going to be crazy-long.”
His reply: “I know we decided that we didn’t want to own the books…but this time around…with all the hype, I realized I’d hear the ending before I got to read it myself. So, Ipreordereditanditwillbeherenextweek.”
Oh.
He read my mind. I really am relieved to know that I will have the book at my doorstep the same time as everyone else. As silly as it is, I was a bit concerned about having the story spoiled for me.
About the movies…we have been fairly disappointed with the movies. We haven’t seen the latest one yet, either. But I did read an excellent review of it in our local paper.
I want to share a snippet it here because the author conveys my sentiments exactly regarding books and movies. He writes,
So many people come out of movies such as “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix” saying they loved it, but: “They left out so much!”
These are people who wish for a different type of cinema than the one we have, something more akin to dream projection than filmmaking.
It’s a medium circumscribed by the limits of three dimensions: Height, width and time. To squeeze every facet, every subplot, every little twist and turn of a 700-page Potter book onto film would require 14 or 20 hours of film, which no one is willing to make (yet) and fewer still would sit through, except maybe as a boxed set of DVDS.
Perhaps down the road, when film economy differs, we’ll see epic versions of epic books more akin to TV miniseries, which are closer in scope and scale to the pages of a fat book.
But until then, we’ll have two and a half hour versions inspired by and adapted from the books. They’re not films of the books. They’re films, based on books.
I am so guilty of that. No movie ever lives up to my dreams of the book.
There is a lot of controversy surrounding the Potter books and whether or not Christians should read them. What do you think? Have you read them? Love ’em or hate ’em? Why?
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Leslie Wiggins 
18 responses to “Potter Madness”
I came late to the party, too. Avoided them like crazy until last summer, when I devoured them, one right after another.I put them in the same category as Wizard of Oz, Alice in Wonderland, Mary Poppins, etc–not up to the level of Tolkien, but still good reads.I understand others’ reluctance to allow their children to read the books–my son was 15 before we allowed him to read them and I think it is a matter of conscience.
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Oh, and I love them, but not as much as LOTR.
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How funny, Kim, we did the same thing. We read all six within about a month’s time! Do you know how difficult it is to share a book with your husband? I’m not sure when we’ll let the children read them…that’s part of the reason why we don’t own any of the books. We didn’t want one of them to pick one up and start reading it…just yet. I’m sure they’ll read them sometime, though. We are very different about LOTR, though. We’ve read The Hobbit to the kids. We’ve read part of Fellowship to them. And they’ve seen the movies (gasp!). LOTR is a very clear story of good vs. evil, while Potter uses evil to do “good-evil”. Does that make sense? They are great stories, but I wouldn’t put them on the same shelf as LOTR, either.
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We have not read them and will not. Our thinking on them is that there is much better things out there with better content to think on. I know there are many believers who do read them and that is I guess a christian liberty. I don’t think badly of those who do…it is just not something we have done. I think the thing that gets us the most is the sorcery and witchcraft themes. None of our children will read them.We do have the Lord of the Rings books and my husband has watched the movies with the older 2 girls.I am not a big movie person, so I have not seen them.Kim
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I like them and have no problem with them. I won’t let my kids read them until they are older, though. Too scary. Plus, what Kim said about “good-evil” rings very true for me too. I think they are too young to distinguish.
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I read the first two and liked them. I haven’t seen any of the movies. If we let our kids read them, it would definitely be when they are older.
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I read the first couple, but got completely lost with it and gave up. I’m more of a non-fiction reader anyway.When people at church or homeschool group get all upset about the HP stuff, I usually just sit quietly. You can’t argue with people like that anyway—you’re not going to change their mind and they aren’t going to change yours. So for the sake of contentment and less strife I just keep quiet.In our house, we think of books as a gateway to IMAGINATION. Just as someone above said, Wizard of Oz, Alice In Wonderland and other classics aren’t exactly “morally pure” but they are good reading and serve a child well in the end for reading them. We read all sorts of things. I have homeschool friends that only allow their kids to read 100% “Christian” stuff. I’ve had homeschool moms chastize me for letting my kids read the Berenstein Bears because occasionally they make fun of Papa in them and that Mama isn’t submissive enough. (seriously) I wonder what happens to these kids one day when they cannot “park their brain” and leave it aside in the real world. It is definately a personal choice, and one not to be taken lightly, either way. I don’t look down on those who don’t allow the HP stuff, but let’s agree not to make it some sort of measuring stick of holiness in the homeschool/church community, okay? 🙂 I also think the AGE and SPIRITUAL maturity of the child are very important to consider.
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Our family loves them. Well the 3 of us that read voraciously. We’ve brought many a friend into the camp late in the game. There was that tension that some tried to create to make it “not right” to read them. We have one being delivered to our door (but we need 2) so on Saturday at 8:00 am when target opens, I’ll be there getting our 2nd copy!
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My girls were small when they came out, so there was no question that they weren’t appropriate for them, and I wasn’t an avid fiction reader so I never even considered them for myself. I can’t say that I would *never* consider reading them. If my kids were older and they were really curious about them, then I would feel compelled to read them first. I have so many friends who I consider *deliberate* and *discerning* parents who have read them with their older kids that I would use them as a resource as well.I have formed the majority of my opinions on second-hand information so I would have to read them myself and make a truly informed decision. Honestly….if I could finish a book…..any book, then maybe I would be a more informed commentor on a subject that requires READING :)Your passion for reading is inspiring….like my passion for eating donuts.One problem at a time.
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I would be with Kim on this one. There is so much other stuff to read. Like you said Leslie…it has always been the good-evil thing that bothers us. It is not distinct good vs. evil. Our kids are still 7 and under. Also I wouldn’t read them because they aren’t my favorite type of literature. I have seen one of the movies but it wasn’t that appealing to me. I haven’t read LOTR either and not sure I ever will (don’t throw tomatoes :o). I am sure my kids will because their father loves them. He is reading the Hobbit to them now….good thing one of us is into Tolkien…hehe!
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I’m an accidental fan. I didn’t intend to read Harry Potter but my mom picked up the first two at a book fair (not knowing about the controversy). I left them on my bookshelf for awhile and inwardly struggled with “should I” or “shouldn’t I”. I decided to read them and I was hooked!They are excellent stories (fiction!) that are beautifully written. My kids won’t read them until they are older because of how scary they are but that’s true of many books. I don’t usually get involved in HP arguments because I’m not willing to “die on that hill.” I read them, I like them…and my preordered book is coming on Saturday for the same as reason as Karl! I have my week planned out so that Saturday afternoon I can read, read, read…and I’m not turning on the news or the computer until I’m finished for fear someone will give away the ending! : )PS- Leslie, I was thinking of you this morning because of this very topic! I was going to email you this afternoon to see if you excited about the new book 🙂
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I have not read them but know many who have. I think I would read them before I would let our kiddos and they would be much older. I love great fiction, though, so I may have to add it to my list!
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Interesting topic. I have so much to say that I think I’ll start working on a post with my thoughts…
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I’ve read them all–twice! To me, and this is just my very humble opinion, these too are stories of good versus evil. The evil guys are definitively evil and the good guys are good. Harry’s magical abilities are inherent to who he is, and he takes great risks to use his abilities in order to defend what is right and good. Very similar to the magical abilities of characters in Tolkein and Lewis. It is as others have posted before me a matter of personal conviction. I however cannot wait to read #7! And I think Snape will prove good, do you?
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I haven’t read the books or seen the movies. At first, it was a matter of principle–I listened to the people who thought the occult aspects of the books were disturbing, would seduce Christians into witchcraft, etc.Then I began hearing from Christians who I really respect, who say that the Potter magic is no more malevolent than that in The Lord of the Rings books or the Chronicles of Narnia. So now, it’s just a matter of me not really being that interested…or at least not interested enough to hop on the bandwagon at this late date.
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Oh…I meant to write “would seduce children into witchcraft,” not “Christians.”
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Oh I love the Harry Potter books. I really do. I am rereading #6 now in preparation for next week, where I also, for the first time, preordered it. I don’t really care for the movies, but like most book junkies, I rarely care for movies created from books. I do think they are pretty dark books in general though and should be saved for older children. I know lots of my friends who all love Jesus, differ on their opinions of this, and I usually stay out of it. It’s not a battle I choose to fight.
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Hi again, Leslie,I hope you don’t mind me answering Lisa in your comments.I just had to say that I, too, hope that Snape will prove to be good. There are a lot of reasons that, for me, he really must be good for the books to “work” for me as I understand them.I am quite nervous to find out, actually. I’m not going to read 7 until I finish reading the first 6 (I’m in Goblet of Fire now and absolutely will not get them done before 7 is on my front steps.)
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