OMG! Hermione is dead and Ron has joined Voldemort (spoilers)

[OneThinkingGal and ._.]

Ignore the hype. Read the books. They're good.

[Trapezoid]

The first books started out somewhat fluffy, but I'm amazed at how it's progressed. Some might be interested to know that the latest book teaches kids not to trust the government and the media it controls
The series' strong points, in my opinion: It's addictive, has great characters, is full of lots of imaginative little nuances, and doesn't take itself particularly seriously.

[MillsJROSS]

I think you guys took my saying it was fluff as a bad thing. No, I wasn't. I was saying it's fluff, as in fun anf entertaining, but not much more. I didn't think it needed to be anything more. It's like the movie the Princes Bride, pure fluff! And I love it. The books better, though (the edited one).

-MillsJROSS

[Trapezoid]

I think there's only one Princess Bride book. It claims it's an abridge version of an old book, but it's actually original. It's a great book and movie, by the way.

[Squinky]

One of my favorites....

[DGMacphee]

Harry Potter Book-a-Minute
by DGMacphee


Harry has issues with his uncle and aunt.

Stuff happens.

Harry then goes to Hogwarts.

Ron does (or says) something stupid.

Hermonine does (or says) something obnoxious.

Harry, Ron, and Hermonie: Hmmm, something fishy is going on in Hogwarts.

They have Christmas and Harry receives something that will help him in the end.

They have a Quiditch game.

Ron does (or says) something stupid again.

Hermonine does (or says) something obnoxious again.

Harry fights the final baddie alone.

Dumbledore: This is why everything happened...

Harry goes home.



Repeat the above for sequels and more $$$!

[Squinky]

Thats pretty much the way it goes too....

[Bob The Hun]

The problem with books as successful as that is that they don't tend to have big plot twists like that in sequels (with main characters dying and such). That way there's always room for a sequel, so they can get even more money from that.
I very much doubt that there will ever be a Harry Potter book that ends with something like,
Harry knew he didn't have much time. The manual never covered this. He knew that one of those wires would defuse the bomb, but he didn't know if he wanted to risk it. He took a quick glance at the the timer, and noticed that less then 15 seconds remained. A bead of sweat dripping down his face, he extended that wire-cutters and cut the green wire.
Then the bomb blew up and now they're all dead.
The end.

[MillsJROSS]

Trapazoid, it seems you are right. I was taken for a fool! He made it seem so real, that it was written by someone else. Which explains the end...he gives us chapters to the next book and explains that Steven King had usurped the rights to write the book, therefore Goldman doesn't even have to worry about ever finishing a second book.

-MillsJROSS

[DGMacphee]

Just in case there was any doubt, and IMDB search reveals William Goldman wrote the book and wrote the film based on the book.

There was no mention of S. Morgenstern.

Although the book claims to be based on another, there are several elements and characters that are very "Goldman-esque" -- if you know much about about his previous work, you'll know what I'm talking about.

Not only that, how come I can't find the original 'S. Morgenstern' book for sale?

Also, how come most of S. Morgenstern's work was either adapted by Goldman or written with Goldman? (according to an amazon search)

S. Morgenstern seems like a pseudonym that Goldman uses -- it even sounds like the sort of name he'd use.


Although I like Goldman's work, I find the man to be a raving egomaniac most of the times.

I especially detested his article last year that practically damned Martin Scorsese and Gangs of New York -- basically, it said "Don't give Scorsese an Oscar for Gangs because it is a badly directed film!"

I found that so damn hypocritical, especially after Dreamcatcher was released -- that was a piece of shit and I thought Goldman could write so much better than that (like Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid or All The President's Men for example).

He's a self-righteous hypocrite is but he has written some great films.

[Las Naranjas]

once again concuring with Mills, fluff was meant to be entertaining without a need for mcuh beyong entertainment value. And hey, I liked the Indy films.

[DGMacphee]

Aye, and Caddyshack too!

I could see myself ending up like Carl Spackler one day.

[SSH]

I always skip the Quidditch matches: too too too dull.

Hey DG, you forgot to say that a new DADA teacher is required each book in your HP-in-a-minute summary.

Have you noticed how the bad guys always plan their evil to occur at the  end of the school year?

Have you noticed that there is always someone who you think is a good guy who turns out to be bad and someone who is a bad guy turns out to be good?
e.g.

Spoiler

Quirrel/Snape
Tom Riddle/Hagrid
can't remember now/Sirius Black
can't remmeber

Spoiler

[close]

[close]

[DGMacphee]

But the use of the DADA teacher changes from book to book -- in fact, it's probably the only big change through the whole series.

[Paranoia]

i saw this thread and thought i won't look because the missus was reading the book and i thought i'd hold on to this "useful" info in post's title, in a,"I know something you don't know" capacity, thanks SSH! didn't i look a tit now! lmao
the wife watched both movies at the cinema and fell asleep both times,  she does the same watching the DVD's, but she sez she likes them she rates the books, but felt the latest was longer than it needed to be, ive never read them, the films are ok but lack something, the ending if the first was kinda rushed, and a let down, a bit like starwars eps1, it felt like they'd ran out of money and give up! the casting is great

[Jimi]

I like the books. They are about the only book i enjoy...

but for some reason, they always seem to get me into a really bad depression. I remember after reading the 3rd book i just lay on my bed for ages. . I've forced myself to do something now that i've finished the 5th one, and i'm finding it quite hard.

[Matt Brown]

I got the book the day it came out, and finished it that weekend. I actaully liked it, although for some reason this book didnt leave me with the good feeling i got from reading the other 4. Harry was a bit less-likeible in this book, but I suppose thats to add to the whole growing up bussiness, which is good for teh series I suppose.

[Las Naranjas]

That's the risk you take when you start giving a link character...character.

[Ghostmaker]

Have you all forgoten the princible of harry potter... He is EVIL , its teh devils work, all that whitchcraft, J.K.R has sold her sole to the devil, and look at all she as gained, millions of fans, even more money, and an eternity in hell. Is it realy worth it. Gone are the days of devil worship, where people realy cared what they were doing. If jesuse was here he would smite all that read the harry potter series. now i am over that,  i realy got lost in the first 3 books, but he forth just got dull, its just teh harry potter book-a-minute thing over again.

[m0ds]

I haven't read any of the Harry Pothead books OR seen either of the movies.

I do not feel any loss.

m0ds