ewee (24-25/26): Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix and Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, by J. K. Rowling
Well, I'm not quite up to the final book in the series (hoping to get my hands on it tonight). It's fluff. And it's not nearly as good as many books in a similar vein that came before them. And tho I once stood in line for them, I've (begrugingly) given up trying to hold on to the series, and am just borrowing them from the library and friends.
But I will say that Rowling's writing style has improved as the series has progressed. Some of the more awkward characterizations have smoothed out, and the stories have become more nuanced and engaging (my word for the day, evidently). And if you like this particular brand of fluff, there's a certain comfort in knowing that seven HUGE books exist in which you can get yourself throughly lost. When I finish devouring book seven, I fear I will be a bit bereft. Not because I'll miss the characters, but more because there's one more series I can't lose myself in.
My friend claims that it's a guy magnet. While that hasn't been my experience (possibly since I employ fairly stringent anti-magnetic forces in that realm), I did have a hilarious moment with a bespeckled kid on a razor scooter. Most mornings/evenings as I trudge past their house to/from BART, I'm worth little less than a glance as they careen past on their scooters or frantic screaming game of, well, screaming and running. (It's incredible what three kids can get up to on half a block of little skinny bit of sidewalk.) There must be tons of folks passing through the edges of Chinatown, and compared to their high pitched constant motion, we trudging adults must seem like dull-witted obstacles in their frenetic race course. But one evening, I was walking and reading Book 5 (which is all I'd wanted to do all day anyhow), and as this skinny kid careened around the sidewalk with his brothers, he zoomed up to me (but thanks to his youngster reflexes, didn't hit me) and screamed out "HARRY POTTTER!!!" at the top of his lungs. It kinda made emerging from the book worth it. But I quickly lost myself back in the book, in case this kid decided to tell me how the book (and series!) would end.
Plus, as my co-worker mentioned, any book that makes kids want to read is ok in my book.
Labels: ewee
posted by ewee at 10:53 AM
2 Comments:
Love the story about the kids on the sidewalk. And though I haven't read a one of these books nor seen a one of the movies, I wholeheartedly agree with you that they've done wonders for making people want to read. It's absolutely amazing to hear about how moved people are when they finish the series, both to giddy heights and bittersweet lows at having to bid goodbye to a longtime friend. When I was driving around this summer, two college friends I hadn't seen in years (jokingly) would only agree to meet me for lunch if it fit their Potter reading schedule. (Yes, it was the Saturday morning after the book was released.) And one of my students...well, I'll let her tell it in her own words. Hope she doesn't mind.
So, speaking of goodbyes, I met up with a good friend of mine August 1 before she goes to Soka University on tuesday. We were supposed to meet up July 31, Harry Potter's birthday [we've known each other since before I could speak english, so we don't feel half as guilty about being geeks around each other] but it was her boyfriend's last day in town, so we pushed our time back a day. However, K-- suggested that in order to make it up to Harry [shut up, I know he's a fictional character], we bake him a birthday cake. I further suggested that we recreate his seventeenth birthday cake, for a bit of a challenge. She agreed.
Enclosed is a picture. Use it for blackmail, and I'll never speak to you again.
:)
wow. that's a great cake. and a nice reminder of why this book/series, even if imperfect, is mostly a very cool thing...
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