Meet the newest Harry Potter fan

[MrCoffee]

it's me. i resisted reading the Harry Potter books for a long time, because i thought that something that popular couldn't be any good (Titanic, the DaVinci Code, Stephen King)...

boy was i wrong. J.K. Rowling can write one captivating tale.

[jpgray]

1. I'm guessing it must be kind of like Watership Down in that way. Could something so silly be good?

In some cases, yeah. It can. Still haven't read any Potter, though.

[tigereye]

2. the books are actually better than you would think

it ain't Proust or Marquez, but she's an excellent plotter.

She's left me totally surprised by her plot twists quite a few times, and that's usually hard to do.

[MrCoffee]

3. the first one wasn't all *that* silly...

it's solid fantasy writing, and an astonishingly good premise. it has it's funny bits, sure, but there's a tautness to her storytelling that's really captivating.

i can see why it was (and is) so popular. shame on me for scoffing.

[MonkeyFunk]

4. Good for you

I've enjoyed them all, and didn't expect to.

I don't think she's a great writer, but she's a good storyteller.

[MrCoffee]

5. MrsCoffee and i were talking about good writers v. good storytellers

there's something to be said for being able to maintain a good story through 300 pages. and her writing has it's moments.