/lit/ - Literature

>>4129407
the fact that people are willing to read anymore is justification in my book. just because you have 'better' taste then the masses doesnt mean anything. rethink your life, then come back for a decent discussion

>>4129414
How is reading Harry Potter as a presumably fully literate adult any more beneficial than watching a Hollywood blockbuster?

>>4129414
I read the articles in my porn mags, whooptie do

>>4129414
Can you comprehend the point of reading levels? I dont think its very beneficial as far as language and critical thinking goes to be keeping up with a series with words written for 10 year olds to understand

>>4129407
the same reason Adventure time is so popular among adults. It's not "Atlas Shrugged" but it's a fun read and Harry Potter is a series that grew up with much of its audience.

>>4129407
Different books serve different purposes. Harry Potter is pure escapism, a distraction. You approach it differently than you would, e.g., Moby-Dick, which would require a much bigger commitment of time and effort.

because people in their mid 20's were in 5th grade when the first book came out

It's so great that so many people are reading today, unlike all of those illiterate peasants from the middle ages, I guess

>>4129440
>masses finally gain literacy
>grossly undercut their ability by reading books made for children

cool

>>4129439
>>4129437
And when I was in 5th grade I spent my allowance on Pokemon cards and dollar store toys. Needless to say I dont wake up at 7 am to watch fucking cartoons anymore

>>4129449
fuck I just realized people still brag about playing pokemon past the age of 14..

fuck i loath my generation

I wrote my B.A. thesis on the representation of Eastern Europe in the Harry Potter novels, I also presented a paper on that at a conference and the contributions were published, which made me a "published scholar" (I have published something else in the meantime though).

>>4129452
I bet you only listen the the great music from the 70s and won't listen to anything made today because music today is just soooo bad

I wish you people still were confined to xanga

>>4129452
http://hydra-media.cursecdn.com/dota2.gamepedia.com/d/db/Invo_level_05.mp3

>>4129452
>I loathe my generation

*tips fedora*

>>4129460

I'm pleased for you. How much of an intention was that on Rowling's part?

>>4129464
hey sperglord, set down your highlights magazine, put your gameboy away and clean up the mess you made trying to pour cereal.

>>4129461
what? not at all.
I mean i certainly dont listen to kids bop, and for a reason. Because im an adult.

>>4129472
>L...L...L...lloook... I ca..called you a sperg... see...seee... see ho much smarter I am...

>>4129470
Well, since the representation of Eastern Europe is stereotypical and pretty much par for the course, I'd say not very intentional. Most of the cultural backdrop of Harry Potter is very much on a non-conscious level, really. The novels are supposed to be a plea for tolerance and understanding, but for reasons of genre and such, they employ a whole series of very reactionary tropes, the general role of women I would include in this (despite individual variations), the depiction of Eastern Europe, the blatant anglocentrism, and a few other things. I don't blame Rowling, and I don't "care" the way some people do.

>>4129478
>...hold on, I got more...you a-a-asspuahai, erm asspie

>>4129481
I mean for the timeline she put the novels in (whether this was just slapped on or not whatever) there would still be a lot of Cold-War/Post Cold-War sentiments towards Eastern Europe especially since she grew up during that time period.

>>4129482
>>4129478
did that really cut that deep into you? lol

>>4129481

Your writing ideas sound more interesting than the books themselves anon

>>4129418
Even the dumbest book is more complex than the average blockbuster movie.
And HP isn't dumb.

>>4129493
Also, people who read garbage may start to read non-garbage.
People who don't read at all will never touch a good book.

>>4129493

The movies are a lot worse than the books in terms of quality content.

>>4129493
>and HP isn't dumb

No shit if you're in middle school

>>4129500
that is absolutely not true

>>4129506
How so?

>>4129407
You answered your own question OP. We are living in an increasingly paperless world, which in turn has adults reading less and less. I've seen kids in their twenty-somethings hand in college papers with twitter hashtags in them. Reading comprehension isn't necessarily getting lower, but acceptance of a lack of reading comprehension is growing, as well as increased transparency of everyone's illiteracy via social media.

The Harry Potter books are popular simply because anyone who has managed to get through the 5th grade will probably understand them. The books are all several hundred pages long, but the words are printed in huge font, tricking people into thinking they've accomplished more than they have when they finish one. Rowling marketed her books ingeniously, explicitly stating that they were intended for kids while implying heavily that it is socially acceptable for adults to enjoy them as well.

While I try not to judge, I do find myself secretly let down every time I find out one of my friends reads them actively. It's not a big deal in the grand scheme of things, but still a little disappointing

Because it's good stuff. Thoroughly enjoyable, both the books and the films.

Maybe you shouldn't be such a fag?

>>4129452
Oh no, please don't start with this, "My generation sucks" bullshit. Everyone has said that about their generation. I've got news for you, buddy, you ARE your generation. If you don't fucking like it, change it.

>>4129460
>I wrote my B.A. thesis on the representation of Eastern Europe in the Harry Potter novels

And people say studying literature is a waste of time!

>>4129437
>Atlas Shrugged
Harry Potter is actually superior to that drivel.

>>4129481
>the general role of women

oh please. her male characters are just as two-dimensional as her female characters. she's just a shit writer

>>4129519

>Everyone has said that about their generation

And it's always been true.

>>4129511
I never used to read at all; now I'm the best-read and all-round smartest person on /lit/ (ask moot, he'll back me up.)

reading Enders Game at the moment and im almost convinced that cunt J.K. Rowling based Harry Potter off of it

>>4129516
>We are living in an increasingly paperless world, which in turn has adults reading less and less

statistically, more people read now (as a hobby, i mean) than at any other point in history. just saying.

>>4129520
i quite enjoyed the books, but i hated all the movies except the 3rd one. david yates fucking sucks.

>>4129534
Yes, but how much does the content of the books matter? That's the real question.

>>4129534

>statistically

>>4129407
It's a light read, and enjoyable I guess.

>>4129549
i think its more of a pop culture icon that people thumb through so they can say they read the books

>>4129534
percentage wise or population wise? Because, if the former, that's interesting. If the latter, then duh.

>>4129533
>im almost convinced that cunt J.K. Rowling based Harry Potter off of it
Kids go to a school for people with somehow special abilities? I guess David Foster Wallace is a blatant thief then, as well as the 200 other authors who have written about boarding schools. It's just a convenient setting for people who want to write about children or adolescents.

>that cunt J.K. Rowling
really, man?

Good/bad dichotomy asking for no thought on morality and youth's candor.

>>4129518
>And people say studying literature is a waste of time!

To be fair, I'm one of those people... on the other hand, I don't think writing your thesis on Jamba Juice would be less of a waste (probably even less relevant to society in general in terms of content; this deliberation is useless insofar as almost nothing written in academia reaches any outside anyway).

>>4129491
>Your writing ideas sound more interesting than the books themselves anon

Thanks. However, I don't think the description I gave offers a very good view of my interesting ideas. Nowadays I am 'working' on a half-hybernating PhD project about Stirner and post-anarchism. In terms of 'interesting' I think the best papers are the ones I ended up not writing, on Connectionism for example (and even in my Stirner studies those parts that don't fit my research area are the most valuable ones...).

>>4129407
Maybe because lots of adults grew up with it?

>>4129571
i dont read highlights anymore. do you?

>>4129573
What are highlights?

>>4129524
>her male characters are just as two-dimensional as her female characters.

That's not what I mean, though. It's more the very stereotypical stay-at-home-mum glorification of the Weasley familiy, including a scene where Fleur comes in with a tray of freshly baked cookies and Harry gets some kind of class-boner.

>>4129407
>implying adults didn't like it for the gambling payouts that came with each book release

Nobody thought Dumbledore world die. Nobody.

>>4129452
>fuck I just realized people still brag about playing pokemon past the age of 14..

Nothing wrong with that - it's a pretty well contained game series with clear directive and satisfying gameplay and goals.

>>4129407
>anti-harry potter threads in 2013
>50 posts omitted
lol lit

>>4129583
People gamble on novels?

>>4129571
It's not socially acceptable for adults to watch children's films, so why is it seen as a positive thing when adults read children's books? There's no (or very little) inherent value in the simple act of reading, you have to read something worthwhile.

>>4129437
I second this. Whenever I'm done with a long complicated book the next one I read will proably be more simple and have a more basic plot that I care less about. I find it helps so I can think over the last book I read with a new one that doesn't take much thought.

> pile of 5th grade reading level garbage

lol not insecure at all op

>>4129583
>tfw I thought he was smiling because he's holding a glass of milk
>tfw upon closer inspection, he's actually holding a wad of cash.

>>4129603
>mfw you're too proletariat to immediately recognize that as a load of dosh

>>4129592
They did for the last three at least.

>>4129576
probably the same reading level as HP

>>4129612
Do they gamble on basic facts or on style or metaphors as well?

>in book X the author will describe the situation of Y by the metaphor of Z?

>>4129600
the very fact that you could assume anyone could be insecure due to not reading HP only proves my point more

Doesn't the general public stay on entry level on almost anything?
Movies, music, video games, literature, oftentimes they don't even touch creative arts apart from "Oh that looks pretty".
Mixed with a bit nostalgia and a few adult themes it isn't surprising that these novels are still popular.
I mean twilight or 50SoG aren't much different, only more sexualized.

That being said, it's not like everyone still reads it.

>>4129614
>betting on metaphors

Now that's just silly.

>>4129632
Having money behind it might make literary discussions fun again.

>>4129407
They read it so they can talk about something with their kids and end up enjoying it because it's...pretty good. It stands a head above other works in the same genre. Compared to Harry Potter, Earthsea is sparse and lifeless with dead boring worldbuilding, 60s feminism, and anti-war propaganda.

Dense literature is beyond the grasp of most, requiring an expansive vocabulary and body of knowledge to enjoy. Literati are so jaded they can only enjoy watching someone suffer through 700 pages of torture porn and metaphor.

>>4129407
>of course, every adult should have a copy of Bleeding Edge, Le Étranger or Infinite Jest always readily available.
>There should be movies adapted from those, and they should be the most popular movies ever because I say so.

Have you ever considered that your taste is not the yardstick by which the whole world should be measured?

>>4129645
>an Infinite Jest movie
I loved Infinite Jest and I think I just threw up in my mouth a little

>(inb4 someone greentexts "I loved Infinite Jest" and makes some pseudo-witty criticism of my taste)

>>4129655
>I loved IJ

well that's your unalienable right

Because people are gay, anon.

Also it rips off pic related in a horrid way.

>>4129476
>>4129452
>I WANT TO BE AN ADULT PLEASE VALIDATE ME SOCIETY I AM AN ADULT I LIKE ADULT THINGS HAHA LOOK AT THEM CHILDREN PLAYING SILLY GAMES AND READING SILLY BOOKS LOOK HOW ADULT I AM

>>4129437
I like Adventure Time.

Does everything have to be deep and artistic?

>>4129690
No it doesn't, that's what I'm saying.

>>4129407
>Wahh wahh you can't like this because I say so wahh wahh.

Spoken like a true faggot.

>>4129677
Oh god, how I loved that series.

>>4129407
It's extremely entertaining and magical, and has great characters and a great escapist concept.

Don't be a pretentious faggot. Just because it doesn't use overly elaborate language doesn't mean it's not suitable for adults, nor does it mean that it's not a great story.

A lot of people grew up with Harry Potter and remember enjoying the idea so much as an escape from their otherwise crappy lives. That's why people love it.
I'm watching all the movies right now and just ordered a boxed set for a re-read. I forgot how much I enjoyed this universe.

>>4129407
sharpen that edge kiddo

>>4129580
>implying that's not a good thing
It's an ESCAPIST novel faggot. People enjoyed it because it allowed them to escape to a world not run by batshit insane feminists like yourself.

I think you're just mad that people love a world where women do womanly things more than they way you've got things set up. I think you'll find that we're headed for a future much like the one depicted in the books, gender roles wise, as more and more young women reject feminist thinking.

it's purely nostalgia, just like most 20 somethings look back on pokemon with fond memories and don't post angry forum threads asking why people like a show and games about kids who capture weird little monsters in laser ball things and then force them to fight for their profit and entertainment.

>>4129407
Because you're a faggot.