I was very intrigued by the various posts and comments this week. I can relate to some of you because I also haven't read the Harry Potter series. Growing up, my parents never told me I wasn't allowed to read these books, it’s just that fantasy and magical books just don't interest me. Flying around on broomsticks and casting spells is just too far from real for me. My grandpa is and has been a magician since before I was born, thus my strange fault with accepting such ideas in writing baffles even myself.
Being able to perform slight of hand and visual illusions has changed my definition of magic. I’ve always seen magic as a performing art, so when irrational ideas of flying, spells, dragons, three-headed dogs, and self-moving staircases arise I’m almost instantly turned off by the text. Forcing your brain to think in ways and believe things you aren’t used to can be hard, especially for a slightly stubborn person like myself.
Chapter five in the course text, “The Pleasures of Children’s Literature,” includes the topic of book selections. The books I selected in my younger days weren’t dictated by my parents beliefs, I chose them because they were things I was interested in or because my teachers made me read them for school. My mom has read and loved each of the seven Harry Potter books but never forced me to read them.
I guess I prefer to read books that are more realistic and have distinct messages that relate to life experiences. I’m not saying that if there were a place to escape to like Hogwarts in the Harry Potter series I wouldn’t be on the first train out, assuming there’s room once the die-hards are aboard. But my mind has a hard time grasping those ideas knowing that they aren’t possible.
I’ve been extremely lucky to have the parents I do, that don’t force or prohibit their ideas and values upon me. Letting me grow and make my own decisions about what to read has shaped me into the person I am and what concepts I choose to wrap my mind around. I apologize to any Harry Potter or fantasy readers I may have offended, It just doesn’t interest me at all.
You said in your post that 'flying around on broomsticks and casting spells' is just too far from real for you, which I can totally respect, but I think that is what makes the books so fun and interesting, because they are unlike anything that could happen in real life. For those minutes, hours, etc that you are reading the book you feel like you are there and experiencing the magic first hand. I have no read all of the Harry Potter books, but I can relate when it comes to the Twilight series. I realize that vampires and werewolfes aren't real, but that's my favorite part. Reading a book about mystical creatures allows me for an escape, which is exactly what I'm looking for when I settle down to read a book.
ReplyDeleteI think it makes a lot of sense that you aren't interested in Harry Potter because you don't find interest in things that just couldn't happen. I feel like for some people, especially people of a younger age group, the Harry Potter series creates a world that is so intricate, it makes readers forget that it isn't possible! That's how I felt when I read the first books around age 14 or 15. We talked a little bit in class about how fantasy usually involves magical elements and could never happen in reality, and science fiction involves events that theoretically could happen one day. Are you drawn to science fiction writing at all?
ReplyDeleteAfter reading your post I understand why the Harry Potter books do not interest you since these stories are very far from reality. I have to disagree with you though, since I find this being the appealing part of the books because you can escape from reality when you read them. I am not a huge Harry Potter fan, but I do find the stories interesting because they have created a whole world separate from reality. I am also curious if you find anything in the science fiction genre worth reading or watching. Over the past couple of years, I feel as though this genre has drastically increased in popularity through books, tv and movies, and I am curious to know if people who are not Harry Potter of science fiction fans find any interest in any of these works recently released. My parents have also never restricted me from reading something like Harry Potter and let me make my own decisions but I was somewhat drawn to this story anyways because of the science fiction story.
ReplyDeleteI understand that some people feel more comfortable reading books that they can relate to such as contemporary realism books, but I feel that if you just stick to this books you are missing out on something great. I particularly enjoy fantasy books over the contemporary realism books. This is because I feel that I live out in that world and when I want to relax and read a book I rather not read about something that I am already experiencing and stressing about in my current life. By reading fantasy books you are exercising your imagination, which I feel some adults tend to lose as they get older. It also allows you to experience things that you would never deal with in real life giving the reader extra excitement with not knowing exactly what will happen next.
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