Is it just me?

[simon_says]

Or are the Harry Potter books ( especially the later ones ) a darn good read? Is this because 'children's' books don't try to be too clever, and rely on a good narrative instead of disappearing up their own backside's?

[woodpam]

Have you read Philip Pullman's Dark Materials trilogy? Northern Lights, The Subtle Knife and The Golden Compass. I don't know anyone who liked Harry Potter who didn't love these. To answer your question, yes they are a good read and anything that gets millions of children sitting quietly with their noses in books is worth whatever JK Rowling gets for them

[simon_says]

I have only just recently heard of the Dark Materials trilogy and will be purchasing them ( for my own enjoyment ) very soon.

[sft42]

No It's just you.....unless you really like the idea of Plagarism that is!

[beenee]

Its definitely not just you, judging from the huge fuss being made over them. I'm frankly too stuck up to even try reading one. I dont think I could go through it.. and anyway: I hated the first movie.

[sddsddean]

In my opinion beenee, movies of books are normally cr*p. So much is left out. I think I am pretty well read (currently re-reading Brave New World), and I think the HP books are brilliant. They have that quality of 'unputdownableness'; you can't wait to see what happens next.

[beenee]

sddsddean: ure definitely right about books into movies, and maybe even right about Harry Potter in print, but honestly, Im too much of a snob to be reading something that 8 year olds are going ga-ga over. I think I'll stick to autobiographies and uhh.. Nick Hornby (hehe).

[Cathy]

I've only just got into these books, somehow they've managed to pass me by, but I haven't been able to put them down. They're deceptively simple, and very easy to read, and I love the way they get darker as they go along. It gives you a real sense of the characters maturing, and bad things ahead. I think a lot of people are missing out because of these books being labeled as children's books.

[Moonhead]

Cathy, I absolutely agree with you. I have just read all four books again, for the second time, and find them amazing. The fact that they are labelled as kids books, means so many people are missing out. I've seen both the films, which of course missed out so much detail, and, I think, that they only help to increase the idea that they're for 8 year olds.