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I find it hard to believe these books are leaps and bounds better than other novels...
They're not, but they are good. I believe there is too much hype and too much marketing for the whole thing, but at least something that has quality is being enjoyed by many many people. That is a good thing.
The reason Potter Fans like to read the books so fast is because they are so addictive - Rowling has always set up more mysteries in each book than she solves, and always makes sure the trickle of information starts very slowly in the first chapter, and speeds up as you read. They are fun to read because the characters are half realistic, half mythological archetypes, and there is a beautiful mix between modernism and ancient history that makes the story feel pertinent and timeless simultaneously. We can identify with the three main characters in some way, but we also can see that they are part of an overarching history that is unfolding before us. Like Tolkien, the world is bigger than the material, and we get only small glimpses into it.
Edit: I suppose what I'm trying to say is that Potter is good in the way Star Wars is (for the most part) good: both tap into so many universal ideas that they can't help but become hugely popular. If that makes them perhaps lacking in specificity, or having such a broad scope that nothing truly "original" is said, so be it. We need myths, modern and ancient, and narratives that remind us that we are a part of something bigger than just our own lives. That is what Harry Potter is about: a world larger than Harry Potter. I don't think it makes the books bland. And I don't think being "likable" or "popular" is bad. I do think we have an instance of marketing overload and hype machine run wild, but so long as the books are good (and they have never faltered in quality) we have no worries. The hype machine will one day die, and only the books will remain.
The great works of literature can be both subversive and traditional (sometimes at the same time). Potter lands in the traditional camp. We don't have a lot of stomach for subversive books, films, music, etc, but that is a problem that Rowling is only responsible to solve inasmuch as she desires to do so. We, as readers, should not reject Potter just because the great subversive works aren't getting as much play. We should just balance tradition with subversion; the French would hate to hear me say that, but it's true, at least in our diverse days.
Topic: The Harry Potter Thread. Discuss it here (Read 9700 times)
