JK Rowling for President
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deptfordmarmoset
Full time tea drinker
- Location
- Armonmy Way
I agree that she's no stylist but on the other hand does have that infectious joy of invention which got me through the lumpier bits of the Potter books. I'm tempted by a Casual Vacancy. Interesting to see if she can carry off a bit of social realism.
[QUOTE 2072078, member: 1314"]After 4 days of reading reviews I'm very amused. Rowling's upset the Daily Mail who accused her of having a chip on her shoulder before sending a reporter to her home-town to talk to the locals..... The Daily Telegraph has just labelled her misanthropic.[/quote]
She has several years' personal evidence that journalists are turds.
I'm with you about the Harry Potter books. Overblown, derivative, stodgy - I couldn't get past ten pages. But I'm plainly missing something, because children read them in their zillions; even children who didn't read anything else. Not that I'm rushing out for A Casual Vacancy. The material is something that lots of authors already cover very capably, so I'll wait till it turns up in the hospice shop.
She has several years' personal evidence that journalists are turds.
I'm with you about the Harry Potter books. Overblown, derivative, stodgy - I couldn't get past ten pages. But I'm plainly missing something, because children read them in their zillions; even children who didn't read anything else. Not that I'm rushing out for A Casual Vacancy. The material is something that lots of authors already cover very capably, so I'll wait till it turns up in the hospice shop.
Davidc
Guru
- Location
- Somerset UK
[QUOTE 2072078, member: 1314"]......
Anyway, you all know Rowling has now written an "adult" book. (This is in itself a distinction that should not be in place - great books are loved by kids/teenagers/adults but's that's a separate debate.) ...[/quote]
Totally agree CoG, and I think she isn't a great writer in exactly the way Roald Dahl is. Take any of his children's books and almost anyone from when they learn to read to 110 will love them. Many adults (including me) have the same response as you to Rowling's ramblings.
Just wish I could churn out something as lucrative though.
Anyway, you all know Rowling has now written an "adult" book. (This is in itself a distinction that should not be in place - great books are loved by kids/teenagers/adults but's that's a separate debate.) ...[/quote]
Totally agree CoG, and I think she isn't a great writer in exactly the way Roald Dahl is. Take any of his children's books and almost anyone from when they learn to read to 110 will love them. Many adults (including me) have the same response as you to Rowling's ramblings.
Just wish I could churn out something as lucrative though.
EltonFrog
Legendary Member
[QUOTE 2072078, member: 1314"]I'm no fan of hers - I was bored stiff reading the first few turgid Potters to the kids. The more popular she became, the more she self-deludedly thought popularity equalled quality and the more she decided that length equalled quality. There were times when I just speed-mumbled whole clumps of pages as the kids tried to understand what I was saying. One poetic sentence was never enough when 2 pages of mechanical descriptions and "telling" the story, rather than letting it unfold, could make the tome heavier.
I also felt sorry for all the adults reading Harry Potter on trains - in retrospect candy-gum for adults still kids, in the same way 50 Shades of Grey is porno for those who've seen nothing stronger than Babs Windsor get her tits out.
Anyway, you all know Rowling has now written an "adult" book. (This is in itself a distinction that should not be in place - great books are loved by kids/teenagers/adults but's that's a separate debate.) Anyway - her book. God, the PR and hype, I thought. I'll just ignore it in the same way as I ignore the X Factor, Beckham, Take That - the flim-flam ephemera of shouty advertisers. On Saturday, though, I started to become quite amused as the reviews came out. "Gritty, dark, underclass, snobbery, racism...etc." Still not buying it I thought - I still haven't forgiven her for making me read the Harry Potters to the kids without entertaining me with wit, verse and soul.
After 4 days of reading reviews I'm very amused. Rowling's upset the Daily Mail who accused her of having a chip on her shoulder before sending a reporter to her home-town to talk to the locals. ("We're very nice and not snobby at all. Rowling is middle-class anyway, why is she caricaturing us.") The Daily Telegraph has just labelled her misanthropic.
Sikhs in India have been roused. Avtar Singh, head of some Sikh thing:
"If anything is written against the Sikh maryada (dignity), we will write to India's prime minister Manmohan Singh and urge him to take up the matter with the government in the United Kingdom for action against Rowling." Pompous, sanctimonious,self-righteous, self-deluded idiot.
What does he think the UK Government is going to do? Burn the book? Prosecute her for inciting racial hatred? Send her to India to stand trial? Fool.
Anyway, good on you Rowling - you've caused the Daily Mail to froth at the mouth, angered some self-important committee clerics, poked a stick into the Basingstokes of this world. Don't think I've seen as much furore since, ooh, the Pistols back in the day. So - Rowling for President.
Still not buying your book, though, as I think it'll be written with the style of poo.[/quote]
I don't agree with you but a great well written rant, I enjoyed reading that.
I also felt sorry for all the adults reading Harry Potter on trains - in retrospect candy-gum for adults still kids, in the same way 50 Shades of Grey is porno for those who've seen nothing stronger than Babs Windsor get her tits out.
Anyway, you all know Rowling has now written an "adult" book. (This is in itself a distinction that should not be in place - great books are loved by kids/teenagers/adults but's that's a separate debate.) Anyway - her book. God, the PR and hype, I thought. I'll just ignore it in the same way as I ignore the X Factor, Beckham, Take That - the flim-flam ephemera of shouty advertisers. On Saturday, though, I started to become quite amused as the reviews came out. "Gritty, dark, underclass, snobbery, racism...etc." Still not buying it I thought - I still haven't forgiven her for making me read the Harry Potters to the kids without entertaining me with wit, verse and soul.
After 4 days of reading reviews I'm very amused. Rowling's upset the Daily Mail who accused her of having a chip on her shoulder before sending a reporter to her home-town to talk to the locals. ("We're very nice and not snobby at all. Rowling is middle-class anyway, why is she caricaturing us.") The Daily Telegraph has just labelled her misanthropic.
Sikhs in India have been roused. Avtar Singh, head of some Sikh thing:
"If anything is written against the Sikh maryada (dignity), we will write to India's prime minister Manmohan Singh and urge him to take up the matter with the government in the United Kingdom for action against Rowling." Pompous, sanctimonious,self-righteous, self-deluded idiot.
What does he think the UK Government is going to do? Burn the book? Prosecute her for inciting racial hatred? Send her to India to stand trial? Fool.
Anyway, good on you Rowling - you've caused the Daily Mail to froth at the mouth, angered some self-important committee clerics, poked a stick into the Basingstokes of this world. Don't think I've seen as much furore since, ooh, the Pistols back in the day. So - Rowling for President.
Still not buying your book, though, as I think it'll be written with the style of poo.[/quote]
I don't agree with you but a great well written rant, I enjoyed reading that.
Marshmallow_Fluff
Guest
- Location
- Beds
Let's not forget that her books were intended to entertain children, and in that repsect she did a very good job!
Will I pay money to read her new book? Most certainly not, regardless the fuss.. In due time it will end up in my local second hand book store and I might indulge myself with a copy for 0.50c..
Will I pay money to read her new book? Most certainly not, regardless the fuss.. In due time it will end up in my local second hand book store and I might indulge myself with a copy for 0.50c..
swee'pea99
Squire
JKR is sort of a Jeffrey Archer for kids - pedestrian at best as a writer, but a storyteller par excellence. They just want to know What Happens Next!
I have to agree with you on virtually every count: I found the Potters unreadable and I certainly won't be reading her new one, but anyone who can wind up Sikhs, the Daily Mail and the locals in her home town has my vote.
The only thing I would add is that whatever her literary shortcomings, JKR has done the country, nay the world, an immense service, in turning a whole generation of what otherwise looked set for sludge-brained couch potato-hood into *readers*. For that, she deserves not just the Presidency, but the throne. Queen JK 1! Let's start a petition.
I have to agree with you on virtually every count: I found the Potters unreadable and I certainly won't be reading her new one, but anyone who can wind up Sikhs, the Daily Mail and the locals in her home town has my vote.
The only thing I would add is that whatever her literary shortcomings, JKR has done the country, nay the world, an immense service, in turning a whole generation of what otherwise looked set for sludge-brained couch potato-hood into *readers*. For that, she deserves not just the Presidency, but the throne. Queen JK 1! Let's start a petition.
Cheddar George
oober member
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- Location: Location
I saw a selection of quotes from different newspaper reviews, all non-commital except the Daily Mail...... so it can't be too bad.
Jimmy Doug
If you know what's good for you ...
My first son enjoyed the first three books (and I did too - although the third was getting a little tiresome); but he got so bored with the fourth that he abandonned it. Then, four years later, my second son wanted me to read the Harry Potter books to him and I had to start all over again. But despite not following the drudgery of book IV, and even falling asleep while I read it to him on one occasion, he got to the end. The book so hooked him that once we got to page 400, he was still asking questions like "Who is Karkaroff?" and "What is apparate?" - to which I replied "You couldn't have been listening - perhaps it's too hard. Shall we stop?" Maybe I was so utterly bored I went through it all too quick. Anyway, I've now just started number 5 with him 
!!! This was the last Harry Potter book I'd read myself - and I really had to force myself to get to the end. I really hope I won't have to go through 6 and 7!!
!!! This was the last Harry Potter book I'd read myself - and I really had to force myself to get to the end. I really hope I won't have to go through 6 and 7!!
I couldn't wade through the Potter books, but anything that has children staying up to midnight to queue outside Waterstones (and then insist on reading the book as we walk down the Kings Road in search of a cab) has got to be A Good Thing. Her Nibs is reading the new 'un, so I'm going to give it a go.
U
User169
Guest
Nice little rant from Stu...[RUDE WORD WARNING]
[youtube]
]View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NMjrXRgu8IU[/youtube]
[youtube]
]View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NMjrXRgu8IU[/youtube]
Archie_tect
De Skieven Architek... aka Penfold + Horace
- Location
- Northumberland
Mrs, Master and Miss A_T read the all the Harry Potter books. I read the first 2 and the last chapter of the last one... and must be honest I slept through the later films.
threebikesmcginty
Corn Fed Hick...
- Location
- ...on the slake
Harry Potter and the tree of nothing...chortle...
Yellow Fang
Legendary Member
- Location
- Reading
The Sikh chappie on Thought for the Day this morning was rather complimentary about J.K. Rowling using a Sikh character in her latest book.
BigonaBianchi
Yes I can, Yes I am, Yes I did...Repeat.
- Location
- Iskele TRNC & Mordor UK
The best thing about the films was the score as far as i was concerned.
