Harry Potter Discussion (spoilers)

[Ultimate Houde]

I think it's a bit wrong to be your worst fear.

 

[Captain Canuck]

:?

Am I wrong for being terrified my future child could end up mentally challenged? I think most people would be terrified by that.

I understand. All political correctness aside, the thought of that is scary; I'm not sure that it would be my greatest fear, but it is scary. I'm not saying I wouldn't love my child if he or she had downs syndrome or autism. But that would be heartbreaking news to hear.

 

[Planet-man]

Houde doesn't like kids anyway.

 

[Captain Canuck]

I picked up Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone two days ago at the airport on my way back from Nicaragua. I'd never read any of the books before. I am currently about a quarter of the way through The Prisoner of Azkaban.

They're really good.

 

[Planet-man]

Your bump just caused me to go back and read through this whole thread again. Legendary times. I get sad when I think about how those epic, once-in-a-blue-moon nights of going to the neighbourhood bookstore at midnight to get the new Harry Potter book(and running into everyone you know while there) are over, but I guess it could happen again when the HP Encyclopedia comes out.

 

[robje]

Your bump just caused me to go back and read through this whole thread again. Legendary times. I get sad when I think about how those epic, once-in-a-blue-moon nights of going to the neighbourhood bookstore at midnight to get the new Harry Potter book(and running into everyone you know while there) are over, but I guess it could happen again when the HP Encyclopedia comes out.

Rumor has it that JK is writing another HPbook. We can only hope!

 

[Captain Canuck]

I'd kind of like to read a silmarilion type tale by JK

by which i mean the legends that came before as in her take on Merlin and Morgana LaFey, etc. or even stuff from Dumbledore's past.

 

[Planet-man]

The Adventures Of Young Dumbledore would be great, but I think I'd be even more interested in a book or series about the creation of Hogwarts with the Four Founders as the protagonists and the viewpoint switching between them. As much potential as that has in general to ruin the magic and mystique of that part of the mythos, with Rowling's talent it could easily make it even better.

 

[robje]

Wow guys, I just want to hear about the further adventures of Harry Potter; Auror.
I mean, he and Ron both join the Aurors office. Many more adventures must ensue!!!

 

[Planet-man]

Captain Canuck, don't read this: Book 7 spoilerz.

I would adore to read the further adventures of Harry and Ron but I just don't see how they could be as satisfying, epic or meaningful as the original seven. The plot of the current Harry Potter saga covers one of the most important events in Wizarding history and was, in the HP universe, decades to centuries in the making. She can't just pull something equally gigantic out of the 20 years or so between Harry's graduation and adulthood as an auror, and if she could it might undermine the previous books.

Having said that, she's created one of the richest and most potential-filled worlds in the history of fiction and it would be a pity if she didn't do tons more with it. A series following Albus Potter seems like it would only cover a lot of the same character development as Harry did. Something about James Potter II, on the other hand, could avoid that because he's this completely different, immodest character and seeing him develop into someone, well, unlike the original James Potter could be pretty good. There's also Lily Potter II which could give us an interesting female perspective. A more politically focused story following the adults and their roles and observations in reshaping the Wizarding World post-Voldemort could be very different and special too, although the lack of a single central villain as compelling as the "most dangerous dark wizard of all time" is gonna be an obstacle for any of these to overcome.

There's also the possibility of any of these stories making the earthshaking step of the Wizarding world finally be revealed to the Muggle one. That's one suitably gigantic thing for another proper series, if she does one, to build to.

Either way, I'm open to the concept of stories taking place after the Second Wizarding War and would pretty much ejaculato semenum instantly at their announcement, I just have a really hard time imagining how they could work as well in saga-form as what we've got now. One-shots about previous events might be a lot easier and more satisfying to do, or in my opinion, some sort of book or series about the Four Founders.

 

[Zeek]

I quite like the one-shot idea.

 

[Captain Canuck]

The Adventures Of Young Dumbledore would be great, but I think I'd be even more interested in a book or series about the creation of Hogwarts with the Four Founders as the protagonists and the viewpoint switching between them. As much potential as that has in general to ruin the magic and mystique of that part of the mythos, with Rowling's talent it could easily make it even better.

Hogwart's: First Class

 

[Captain Canuck]

I'm reading Order of the Phoenix right now and loving it. I like that this book is pretty significantly different from the movie (or at least there is more in the book that wasn't in the movie). The first Three were almost scene for scene identical and Goblet of Fire was pretty similar as well. I like that there are things going on in this book that I haven't already seen in the movie. (the sub-plot with Percy, more detail on the stuff with the Ministry, etc).

 

[Ultimate Houde]

The third nook and third movie were so different from each other and nothing alike.

Just like the sixth book.

 

[robje]

The third nook and third movie were so different from each other and nothing alike.

E-reader detected.

Also, there were rumors floating around that JK Rowling was writing another HP book. Did that ever get confirmed?
I would love the crap out of

Spoiler

"The Further Adventures of Harry Potter, Auror"

.

 

[Planet-man]

The OOTP book is ****ing epic. I think the film did the story reasonable justice apart from the frequently lackluster direction, but didn't quite capture the coming-of-age atmosphere as well.

Azkaban on the other hand cut out virtually everything that made the story work so well, but was phenomenally directed and captured and played with the dark, Halloweeny atmosphere of the book perfectly.

I think the only film that comes close to being a true representation of the book is Philosopher's Stone.

 

[Captain Canuck]

The third nook and third movie were so different from each other and nothing alike.

Azkaban on the other hand cut out virtually everything that made the story work so well, but was phenomenally directed and captured and played with the dark, Halloweeny atmosphere of the book perfectly.

i haven't seen the third movie in a while, but i guess you're right, there was quite a bit of extra stuff in the book that wasn't in the movie. I remember not liking the movie as much as the others b/c I felt like they hadn't really gone deep enough into what was happening and I felt like I had skimmed the surface of a story instead of really knowing what was going on. I didn't feel that way about the book.

Just like the sixth book.

Haven't read it yet, but I REALLY didn't like the movie.

The OOTP book is ****ing epic. I think the film did the story reasonable justice apart from the frequently lackluster direction, but didn't quite capture the coming-of-age atmosphere as well.

yeah, it's great so far. Rowling makes me really hate Umbridge and be frustrated with Percy and be concerned that Sirius is acting reckless and laugh at the budding relationship stuff between Ron and Hermione and the confusion Harry's feeling about Cho. The character stuff is so well developed in the series, and in this book in particular.

I think the only film that comes close to being a true representation of the book is Philosopher's Stone.

Seriously. It's pretty much exact (minus Peeves)

 

[Ultimate Houde]

And several tests at the end.

 

[Planet-man]

And the whole dragon-smuggling subplot, gosh.

Like the other HP Yates films, I loved the 6th film when I first saw it but, again like the other Yates HP films, now the terrible timing and direction make it feel really mediocre to me. It also made the story seem incredibly dark and dreary, when the book felt like the first kind of cheery, fun-filled HP since Azkaban.

But my number one complaint about the last crop of HP films is the inexplicable lack of John Williams or anything spectacular in his place. I beg for - and wouldn't even rule out - remastered versions with new scores by him being released someday.

 

[Captain Canuck]

I just finished the half blood prince. I wish the movie had been as good as the book.

In the movie it's pretty painfully obvious that

Spoiler

Snape kills Dumbledore b/c Dumbledore wants him to save Malfoy from doing it.

Not so much in the book.

and the relationship stuff is handled way more subtly in the book.

and the horcrux stuff is more prevalent in the book.