Alternatives to Harry Potter

[Anonymous No.11470856]

I loved Harry Potter in my teens, but when I went back to read it again this year for nostalgia purposes I found it rather dull and couldn’t finish the series.

What are some works of literature that provide the essential elements of Harry Potter—whimsy, magic, humor, interesting world—without the dull prose, implausible story, and poorly developed characters?

[Anonymous No.11471226]

>>11470856
skulduggery pleasant
sabriel

[Anonymous No.11471261]

>found it rather dull
Of course you did. This is, after all, the book series that spawned one of the dullest franchises in the history of movie franchises. Seriously each episode following the boy wizard and his pals from Hogwarts Academy as they fight assorted villains has been indistinguishable from the others. Aside from the gloomy imagery, the series’ only consistency has been its lack of excitement and ineffective use of special effects, all to make magic unmagical, to make action seem inert.

Perhaps the die was cast when Rowling vetoed the idea of Spielberg directing the series; she made sure the series would never be mistaken for a work of art that meant anything to anybody, just ridiculously profitable cross-promotion for her books. The Harry Potter series might be anti-Christian (or not), but it’s certainly the anti-James Bond series in its refusal of wonder, beauty and excitement. No one wants to face that fact. Now, thankfully, they no longer have to.

>a-at least the books were good though
"No!"
The writing is dreadful; the book was terrible. As I read, I noticed that every time a character went for a walk, the author wrote instead that the character "stretched his legs."

I began marking on the back of an envelope every time that phrase was repeated. I stopped only after I had marked the envelope several dozen times. I was incredulous. Rowling's mind is so governed by cliches and dead metaphors that she has no other style of writing. Later I read a lavish, loving review of Harry Potter by the same Stephen King. He wrote something to the effect of, "If these kids are reading Harry Potter at 11 or 12, then when they get older they will go on to read Stephen King." And he was quite right. He was not being ironic. When you read "Harry Potter" you are, in fact, trained to read Stephen King.

[Anonymous No.11471468]

>alternatives to Harry Potter

>masturbating with a glove full of sand as you wait to be struck by a train

[Anonymous No.11472458]

>>11471261
3/10, ok intro but you forgot the image

[Anonymous No.11472461]

>>11470856

Read Le Guin's Earthsea books

[Anonymous No.11472477]

>>11472461
this desu

[Anonymous No.11472692]

Have you read LOTR yet?

[Anonymous No.11472701]

>>11470856

The name of the wind

[Anonymous No.11472721]

[Anonymous No.11472837]