The Harry Potter series is, essentially, a tale about the balance between good and evil. While this theme is something overdone, Rowling puts her spin on it through the eyes of an (at the start) eleven year old boy who grows through the books into a young, great wizard. What's so significant about him is that he's the Boy Who Lived. When Harry was a year old, both his parents were murdered by Lord Voldemort, the darkest wizard of all time, who then turned his wand on Harry, but could not kill him. As a result, Voldemort was defeated and went into hiding until the story picks up eleven years later.

What's really awesome is the way in which Rowling creates a world that intertwines and unravels as the series rolls on. Her characters seem real, like people you want in your life. The friendships and romances are genuine (other than one occurring in Harry's 5th year, but whatever). You root for the good guys and love to hate the bad ones.

I know I'm doing a shitty job of convincing, but I just woke up. Pick up book one and if nothing else, at least you won't be completely in the dark anymore.

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There's a little part of everyone that feels that they are different, that they are special, it's just that no one yet realizes this fact. Especially kids. Harry Potter plays into that fantasy in a similar fashion as the hobbits in Tolkein's work. He's the perfect, prototypical protagonist to reveal a new world through. As he learns, the reader learns.

The books are not literary masterworks (I've read the last two) but they aren't pulp serials, either. As stated above, the author has created seven individually rewarding stories that combine to one larger meta-story. Also, she presents enough original ideas, and unique spins on familar themes, to paint a pretty compelling universe.

The movies (which I have seen all of them) have got better and better as the themes have grown more adult, until this last one, which I think is probably one of the weaker films in the series. That still makes it better than every other summer megapic out so far.

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The series immerses you in a fully-realized world that is richly detailed, imaginative, and fun, but also has darker aspects.

Her hero does not know everything and not all of his instincts lead him to the correct conclusions. He is undergoing a learning process. (What a concept!)

Rowlings has a gift for creating interesting and creative plot twists. Further, considering the detail and richness of her series, her attention to continuity and, especially, her use of it from book to book is remarkable.

On the surface, the books are fun adventures. On a deeper level, they discuss such subjects as how evil can prosper within political systems, whether there are worse things than death, the value of friendship, and whether prejudice can be vanquished.

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I think they all have decent arguments. I don't plan on adding any thoughts towards if you should or should not get into the world, because they aren't for everyone just like all books and movies and what not. But I do have to say, if you decide to try the Potter world out, then please read the books before the movies, just for the simple fact that if I saw the first movie before I read any books then I would never have gotten past the first movie.

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I, too, have a friend who tells me (only when I ask, to be fair) that I have to read these books. When I say, "No, I have no interest in them," he says, "How do you know you have no interest in them if you won't read them." You know, I have no interest in eating chocolate covered roaches either. And, I have no interest in trying one to find out if I like it.

Although I have found myself on the other side of the coin, with LotR, convincing people to watch the series...

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The fact is that these are books, yes. However they are some very finely crafted FILMS. As an adult I have desire to read a children's book, however I do enjoy well made films. These HP movies have all been very well made. Typically, they are not "popcorn" summer movies. There is a pretty sophisticated mythology that runs throughout the series. The movies are made with great care by fine directors. What is most amazing is that Phoenix is the 5th in the series, and yet the quality of the FILMS has not dropped. These are continually some of the best films of their respective year (check out the critical acclaim if you don't believe me).

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Possibly the reason you haven't read them or watched any of the films is because people keep telling you to.
How about this then?
"Don't read or watch them. You'll probably hate them. You're not missing out on anything."

Have a Great Day

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I've read all the books and seen all the movies (save the current one). The appeal comes from the characters and their interaction. Harry Potter is a whiner and rebellious, he's not a super hero. He's not a great student, he doesn't follow the rules. He is a good friend and has natural leadership qualities, but his successes come only from his bravery and the help of his friends and allies, but not from some inherent power or cleverness. As he progresses through the books he is shown to be charismatic, unselfish, an athlete (at quidditch) and becomes something of a better student, but is known to cheat when doing homework ("half-blood Prince"), and writing papers(working with his friends Ron and Hermione).
Harry's a coddled student who gets favors from the Headmaster and the head of his house. He is also given magical gifts without which he wouldn't be able to do half the things he achieves (brooms, maps, cloaks, etc.)

I think the appeal to kids is that up until the start of book 1, he was just an ordinary kid in a bad home who turns out to have magical powers, a large inheritance, and the strong support of an entire population of grown ups.

JK Rowling follows "The Heros Journey" school of writing which is a tidy formula for exciting writing. She executes well and therefore the books are quite satisfying. Bear in mind however that the books are written for pre-teens and then teenagers. They are not high literature, but the ARE page-turners. She does generate sympathy for Harry in the reader but her stronger, deeper characters are Harry's friends and even some of his "enemies".

With each book JKR doesn't exhaust the franchise and leaves the reader wanting more. For this, her publisher should send her a muffin basket.

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I stayed away from the series for a long time, until after book 5 was out. My wife was a big-time fan and eventually I gave it a shot, and here's what reeled me in:

A) The series grows with the characters. As the books progress, the stories get older and more detailed. It paints the adult world in a more realistic way as the students come of age.

B) It deals with death. Without spoiling anything, the author dispatched a character at one point with little fanfare or any specific reason other than he was there. It's the first time I can recall a book (let alone a children's book) killing someone just because the antagonist was purely evil. No great plan, just wrong place wrong time.

C) The series has a plan. Much like my favorite sci-fi series Babylon 5, the series has always had a planned beginning/middle/end and the story flows and interconnects with itself constantly.

Those are just three of the many reasons, but those are my biggies.

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Asking what's so great about Harry Potter is like asking what's so great about Star Wars. You'll either like the story or you won't. But any skeptics who haven't bothered to read any of the books by now, it's probably too late for you to judge the story fairly. You'll undoubtedly have this reaction: "THIS is what people are going crazy over? Are you serious?"

The creativity isn't in the characters or the story; it's in the details. Rowling has created her own little universe and without her total commitment to it, the books wouldn't be half as compelling. So it's a new spin on the same old story we've been told for years. Maybe it's not original but it's well-written and fun.

Maybe if you wait until after the movies are all made and the hype has died down, you might enjoy the books. But of course, you'll have to hope that no one ruins the end for you.

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Funny, I've never cracked a Potter book and found the first two films totally vanilla. But the 3rd film won me over and I'm anxious to see the fifth. In my view, even with the vanilla first two films, it's the best film series ever. To manager to make 5 decent to damn good films in one series is phenomenal. No other film series can even claim three decent flicks in its stable. Hell, getting two is near impossible.

On the flip side, I read two of the lord of the rings books and hated them. The movies were atrocious. A bunch of people walking. Gag.

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The fact that you don't like Potter I think is my favorite thing about it.

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What is perhaps most interesting about Harry Potter, as a character, is what is also most attractive and familiar to readers. Harry is quite human - or Muggle in the terms used in the series - in that he appears quite ordinary, but is , in fact, quite the opposite. Harry is unaware - at least at first - of how unusual he really is, having survived Voldemort's attack. Nor does he realize that unlike most people - or Muggles - he is actually capable of magic. And yet, once Harry learns more about his "differences", he never ceases to be the "ordinary" person he started as. In fact he is often forced to face his limitations quite often. That is what is most attractive about the character of Harry Potter. He remains human. Or perhaps, more accurately, he remains the kind of human we would all - especially children - like to be. We feel powerless, picked upon, unfairly treated. Harry experiences all of these things - which allows the readers to identify with him and his experiences. In this regard Harry Potter is quite like any number of literary figures, including Frodo in The Lord of the Rings. Like Frodo, Harry must deal with issues and an enemy that he feels terribly inadequate to face. And yet both characters persist in tackling the tasks that ultimately are forced upon them by others. And through their determination - and with the help of others whom they befriend - they succeed. And yet such successes do not come without a cost.

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I first started with the books and the first one just blew me away, it was so fun and interesting. (Ist Movie ehh..)

Potter does what series can do, you want to be there in their universe, and you want to meet the characters. I think it would be awesome to have a teacher like Dumbledore.

And to have such a fantastic world seem so believable is quite an accomplishment. Plus the world allows for nearly anything to happen.

Believable and interesting world, plus interesting and enjoyable characters make for a great book series, and a pretty good movie series.

I prefer the books over the movies.

http://blog.mctimages.com

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I got into Potter with the publication of the 3rd book and have really enjoyed this clever and well-written take on the English public school using the world of magic and the techniques of classical literature. I've enjoyed the movies, but could live without them. I read the complete LotR dozens of times in high school and college but found the movies utterly unwatchable. I read the Amber novels in college, but did wait for all five to be out. Haven't seen a Star Wars movie since the first and don't feel as though I missed a thing.

We all have our own taste and no one but a bookseller, movie operator, or J.K. herself should have to persuade anyone to read anything. If you're not interested, fine. If you are, read the books. But to imply that the world somehow has a duty to persuade you to read the books, because you're somehow more discriminating than us chumps who like them, well, really.....

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One of the appeals of the Harry Potter series for me is the author's use of mythology, etymology, as well as little known history as an underpinning of her stories. I am frequently stepping back from the books pondering the origin of a certain name (Sirius), what culture's literature makes use of mythical creatures that appear (Fluffy), or whether a certain character is based on an actual person (Nicholas Flamel). Combine that with great story-telling and a tightly-woven plot.

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I am one of the minority who has ZERO interest in Harry Potter.

I saw the first movie - actually the first half of the first movie, could not stand the boredom of it all and left the theatre.

Perhaps I just don't enjoy science fiction, or perhaps the characters in the Harry series are just soooo bland, or the build-up of the story is so contrived ... one way or the other I much much prefer Daniel Radcliff in his Ecuus performance - at least he appears sexy there.

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I hated Harry Potter. Friends hated them, too. Only freaky kids reading them, we thought. Also, merchandising and obvious release nights with bunch of freaky kids made me hating that series, too. Then, another friend who loves this books told me, I should read the first part, because I don't even know if I would like them without even trying. So I tried and soon was convinced.

Give it a chance. It's not that children book everybody talk about. It's getting more adult through the parts, darker and deeper. Sometimes, it is very stereotype. But every stereotype person developes more corners of his mind through the parts. Try it and if you don't like it, burn it down.

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Easily one of the laziest excuses for a topic.

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Don't ask people to convince you to see the series...just see one, for goodness sake. Why trust other people's opinions? Because the movies move along in chronological sequence, the one to watch is the first one. So go borrow it from your local library, and take 2 hours out of your day to watch it...rather than howsoever many hours reading up on other's opinions.

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