Hogwarts headache
October 30th, 2003
I wish that I could say that this [via Bookslut] is the reason why I have not made it past chapter 4 of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix in the months since I purchased it. But, let’s be honest, I am chronically bookish and have read for long stretches of time, in poor light, most of my life, so I don’t think that this is my problem.Perhaps, I have Hogwarts ennui, instead. The latest Harry Potter installment actually bores me, although I devoured the other books in the series in rapid succession. Last weekend I flipped through my AACRII a couple of times before bedtime to avoid reading myself to sleep with Harry Potter. If I do not make any progress this weekend, I am moving it to my public library book sale donation box. This is sad, really; I had high hopes for the book. After all, the book is as heavy as the reference books or dictionaries that I love . . . but, sadly, not nearly as interesting.
Last Saturday, I was taking bookbinding lessons at a local rare and used bookstore, and a father and son came into the store. The owner was talking to the boy, who was fourteen, about the Harry Potter books. The boy commented that he did not enjoy the most recent book as much as he has enjoyed the others. “Well,” the owner said (and I am paraphrasing), “you’re older now. You are interested in different things.” I could not have said it better. I hope that the lucky person who gets my donated copy enjoys it more than I have.
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1. j | October 30th, 2003 at 4:40 pm
Reading that you switch from Harry Potter to the AACRII to stop yourself from going to sleep shocks me. Just thinking about opening the AACRII makes me yawn. (Watch. See?)
It’s nice to know, though, that I’m not the only one shocked by the length of the latest Harry Potter. Are we sure the doctor was writing tongue-in-cheek? I can totally understand how kids would be stressed out by reading a book that large. I started reading it on a trip home this weekend and am a little more than 1/2 way through it after about 8 hours of reading. I have to take a break to read for the Mystery Book Group meeting Wednesday. It certainly hasn’t sucked me in like the others did. I remember not wanting to put The Goblet of Fire down. Big books without pictures intimidate me. And now that I’m not commuting by subway, I’ve lost a chunk of time I used to use to ready everyday. I feel a lot of stress because I would like to finish the book, but I don’t feel like I have the time right now to read a book that big–even if I do find it to be a fast and light read.
2. Alice | October 31st, 2003 at 12:11 am
I just finished the fifth Harry Potter last week, and, yes, I agree the first half dragged on quite a bit. However, I stuck with it up to the final third of the book and then I couldn’t put it down, and it ends with a real bang. Although the book is probably unecessarily long, I still enjoyed seeing how the characters and the story have matured through the series.
3. Desultor | October 31st, 2003 at 1:44 pm
I thought it was definitely longer than it needed to be, too. I’m not sure if it was entirely worth finishing – I’ve already forgotten a lot, and one of the main things I’d been thinking of as being a plus is that I’ll now be prepared for the sixth book. Which is a pretty lame reason to read a book that long.
But altogether I think I’d do it again – I can’t remember it, but I have a vague impression of it having been fun, more or less. I guess that’s enough!