I did take umbrage of Stein’s comparison of J.R.R. Tolkien to R.K. Rowling, suggestive of someone who probably read “The Hobbit” and then couldn’t get past Chapter II of LOTR. 

Nonetheless, I think everyone’s getting in just a bit too much of fit over a piece of criticism which was largely tongue-in-cheek as well as self deprecating, like when he says reading is hard and he only does it when he can’t evade it.

James, 47yo jeans-wearing biennial LOTR reading, HP movie-watching dude.

Hey, if reading stuff like Harry Potter and Lord Of The Rings is wrong, I dont wanna be right. Those books are some of the most creative, insightful pieces of literature that I’ve ever read, and I’m not gonna give it all up just because it seems ‘childish’. Hell, as far as ‘childish’ activities go, I’ve got that pinned down. Im 20 years old, I read Harry Potter books, I’ve read the LOTR book trilogy (and the hobbit), I own the movies to all of them, I play videogames on a constant basis and im an anime junkie to boot. To hell with what this nutbar thinks! I say we give him that one ring, tell him to wear it, then hide behind a rock as the ringwraiths chop him to bits. Sure, sauron gets the ring back, but it’d be worth it.

Have to agree withBachelon - Harry Potters good...but I drool with anticipation over “A feast of Crows"come November! George.R.R.Martin....write that name down in your notebooks!

On the topic of Harry Potter, does anybody have a definitive list of how the UK and US editions differ?

but I drool with anticipation over “A feast of Crows"come November!

I as well, Frumpa!!!  I might have to order from the UK so I can get it a couple of months early!

the difference between US and UK editions? - Well as the US publishers considered the title of the first book had too many big words in it,i’d expect the worst...(Its called Philosophers Stone through-out the rest of the world).

On the topic of Harry Potter, does anybody have a definitive list of how the UK and US editions differ?

http://www.hp-lexicon.org/help.html#british

the difference between US and UK editions? - Well as the US publishers considered the title of the first book had too many big words in it,i’d expect the worst...(Its called Philosophers Stone through-out the rest of the world).

Actually, most of the differences are simply slang or cultural translations, nothing is really dumbed down. Same with the title. “Philosopher” was an oft used term for wizard or alchemist popularized by Crowley but it never made the journey across the pond.

Let me be the first to say it here: The book was goooooood. :D

Is it nessesary though,to change an authors works on the grounds of cultural differences and slang though? - Its a British book thats doing better than ever,and some American could’nt deal with it without putting his own mark on it.

Is it nessesary though,to change an authors works on the grounds of cultural differences and slang though?

Alas, it probably is.  I’ve read a lot of C.S. Lewis, Arthur C. Clarke, and Neville Shute and just gradually got to where Anglicisms seem normal.  But to most American readers they are distracting.

I was watching the movie version of Roald Dahl’s Matilda last night (with my kids..I’m justified. :-p) and was really amused by one scene.

Matilda is sitting on a chair, reading Moby Dick, while her parents are watching a show that involves a guy in his underwear, a jar of honey, and flying dollar bills.

The father becomes incensed, becaue Matilda is reading a book, instead of participating with the family in watching the television show--and after tearing the book up, subsequently forces her to watch the show, in a style remeniscent of Clockwork Orange.

The scene encapsulated most of this discussion into a brilliant a 2 minute segement--and that it was in a children’s movie only makes it more ironic.

Is it nessesary though,to change an authors works on the grounds of cultural differences and slang though?

If the book was intended for an adult audience, probably not. This is a children’s book, however, and we can’t expect children to have the same experience with British culture and slang that adults do.

Its a British book thats doing better than ever,and some American could’nt deal with it without putting his own mark on it.

The decision to alter the books, from the very beginning, has been Rowling’s, not some American’s. And if she hadn’t made that decision, the books may never have gotten as populars as they are over here.

Another Brit with a popular series of books that made the jump over the big pond was Douglas Adams and he too changed quite a bit of material in his Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy books for the American audience. Much of it was more drastic than anything Rowling has done for her American versions.

Adams apparently felt we couldn’t handle too much profanity as words such as “fuck” were changed to “Belgium” (in the scene about an award given for the most gratuitous use of a word in a serious film or play) and “asshole” was changed to “knee biter” (in the scene where Dent is insulted by the immortal alien). You can imagine my surprise after having read the Americanized books to listen to audio books of the British versions and hearing these words. The original versions are much more funny rather than just being weird like the American versions are.

Well, what prompted my question was a short conversation I had with Terry Pratchett, occasioned by a book signing. I came away with the impression that some of his books had been edited for the U.S. market in ways he did not agree with.

I cant say I like HP but I see its worth. I am a fantasy/sci-fi reader so wand waving annoys me. I get into arguments with my brothers about the interest of HP all the time though. However any one mindlessly bashing a book that millions(maybe billions/) of people have read or at least know about is just plain stupid. Obviously people liked it or people would not have read it. But by responding to his arguement you kind of make stronger in that you aknoladge it. If you simply ignored the shit apparent in it then he might, just might, have the grace to go away, tail between legs. Although, you lot do a good job of bashing that mindless crap. His artical reminds me a bit of closed mind religious whack jobs who cant accept anything they dont agree with. And then forcing it onto other people.

Again I say I dont particularly like HP, or even think it is particularly interesting, but then again I dont find engineering/applied mathamatics particularyly intersting but look what its done… the car(that so many americans will stoop to giving a name), huge buildings, suspension bridges, planes, computers, and 80% of what makes these religious whack jobs life so much better in the twenty first century over the thirteenth century.

Not to mention any fiction book could be called childrens books due to the fiction element—the fact that they are made up. Well, where would that leave us as humans. Some of the greatest literature(or what we percieve as the greatest) is made up. What comes to mind for me is Chaucer.

People bashing books in general I think is wrong. If a book has been written it is at least worth consideration before being trashed. No matter whats in the book. Otherwise you would be as bad as the crap that may be in the book you are throwing away.

Cheers BunBun

However any one mindlessly bashing a book that millions(maybe billions/) of people have read or at least know about is just plain stupid.

Oh, I don’t know about that.  Not books, necessarily but for several years running, Baywatch was the most popular TV show on the planet.  Popularity of itself isn’t necessarily a sign of quality.

That said, HP clearly has ignited many peoples’ imaginations on a far deeper level.  It has more than just popularity going for it.

Anyone who hasn’t read the books needs to keep their pie hole shut until they do so.

Opinion based on nothing is nothing.

Opinions are valid only if you have the experience to back it up.

Which, most of us learn around age 5. “I don’t like that!--Why not?--Because....”
That whole line of thinking doesn’t fly with most adults when you’re a kid, so why would it fly now?

Whadda dumbass.

Let’s hope that great authors continue to write great books that inspire millions of people to READ!

hello, i am new to this site and wondering what the difference is between the kids version and the adult versions of the harry potter books.

hello again. i am considering bying the adult version for mi son for christmas and would like to know the difference between the harry potter adult version and the harry potter childrens version.

HEY GUESS WUT? HARRY POTTER IS STUPID!!!!!! if you think harry potter is a good fantasy then u either need to kill your self or go out and read a real book! i mean come on J.k. rolling is almost as bad as C.S. lewis. harry potter is the dumbest crap ever and anyone that thinks its good needs to die!

Same content, different cover.  The “adult” version has a cover that looks like a boring mystery novel.  You know, for people too insecure to be seen reading a “kids’ book”.

HEY GUESS WUT? . . . u either need to kill your self or go out and read a real book! i mean come on J.k. rolling

O’Rly?!?  U r Teh SToopd 1. !!!

****

[snicker]

I’m quite sure that I’ll be buying it when it comes out, and reading it to my wife at bedtime, just like every other rolling [sic] book that has been published.

Hey, I’m one of teh smartest peeple I know, and I’ll be buying it too!  Hermione rocks and roolez!

We have two copies of the next book on preorder because there’d be too much strife over three people trying to share one book in this house.

I am so smart. SMRT.

I find your title very insulting…

Harry Potter Fans ARE NOT STUPID

Harry Potter is the boy being hunted down throughout his life by Voldemort. In Voldemort’s resurrection… Harry Potter still decides to take vacations and run after the girls in his school.

Harry Potter lives in a world, where the ministry of magic is run by delusional leaders who stall in making an army to counter Voldemort, and in fact, leaves the counter-resistance of the very-feared-one-who-cannot-be-named by a secret organization numbering merely 30 people…

My Friends… it is THE HARRY POTTER PLOT THAT IS STUPID