A pillar collapses on Harry Potter

After I read The Da Vinci Code in order to steel myself against the "you can't criticise something you haven't read" argument, I decided that I wouldn't waste my time again. After I read The Slap, I'd decided I was not going to read books that caused me to argue with myself about why I didn't like something and whether I had reasonable opinions or not. None-the-less, after a few such Harry Potter conversations in a row, I decided I may as well read it. I think I've never really thought it would be terrible, just as I found the Da Vinci Code exciting enough as a read. My main opposition to it has been the craze with which people revere it, and my impression of JKR from interviews. It always seems to me that she felt herself more original and intelligent than I believe her to be - but of course, again, I'm just going around projecting, right?

Anyway, so I read it. The story has all the classical elements that my dad would talk about - main character, disturbance, goal, complications, potential disaster, wisdom figures, time-out, failure and recovery etc. I've often felt that the family situation of Harry was pretty reminiscent of Roald Dahl's Matilda, and the English country-side and school-boy interactions similar to Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe - but it was pointed out to me that the idea of a magic school was reasonably original. In terms of fantastical aesthetic, I do prefer something more like X-Men, with different characters and different powers, which makes there less of a need to indulge in stereotypes like the goody-school-girl Hermione - although I do quite like her as a character.

The thing that Rowling does very sensibly is include plenty of nonsense. I think this is key to Children's fiction and it's something we easily forget as adults. Perhaps my favourite description in the book is that of the Uncle every now and again looking up from his paper only to say "you need a haircut".

So I am not inclined to read the rest - I can probably continue to say that I don't really like Harry Potter, but can probably more clearly say now that, although it's reasonably enjoyable, it just doesn't quite have the depth and complexity that I like (yes, x-men does have this level of complexity, because they have 30 years of storyline!)- and this is merely due to it being YA which caters to a bracket in which I do not fit. I don't think I've ever held it against people to like this? or have I? My whole family always liked it so how could I hold it against anyone?

But oh well, it seems i'm less anti-the-world now.