"Harry Potter" & "A Painted House" - Writers Forum

Hakeem · 10-14-2004, 11:24 AM

Hey people..

You should really read John Grisham's "A Painted House". it's in the 1950's american style, it's so good..

Also, I think you'd be surprised, people who didn't read HARRY POTTER, you should really get a start on it, it's one of the best, and it's not for just children, it's for everybody! And people who read it, what do you think about the last book, and when do you reckon the next book "HP & The Half-Blood Prince" would be published?

Rayhi · 10-14-2004, 01:19 PM

I read "A Painted House" this summer and really enjoyed it. It's completely different from the usual John Grisham style and I was leary at first but he pulled it off nicely. The story is heartwarming and family-value oriented. It would make a great Christmas gift for readers on your list!

Chris · 10-14-2004, 02:18 PM

Quote:

And people who read it [Harry Potter], what do you think about the last book

I enjoyed it, but damn I really don't like those last chapters between Harry and Dumbledore where Dumbledore explains everything.

I hope Harry loosens up in the next book, a whiny hero (as justifiable as it may be) is still not fun to follow for 500+ pages.

I still enjoyed Order of the Phoenix. Probably my favourite one, that or Azakaban (or Chamber of Secrets).

Shadeslayer · 10-14-2004, 03:42 PM

Its okay, the Harry Potter series aren't that bad, really. However, they are not the most greatest fantasy books out there, in truth, they were meant for children. JK Rowlings is a good author, but I feel that the book tries to hard to sound a little more serious than needed too. I mean, sure, the book held unxepected happenings and interesting plotlines, but compare to the books I've read by George RR Martin, JRR Tolkien, and Robert Jordan, with a slight taster of Robin Hobb, they don't seem to fit in the lead and almost look like a ball of puffcakes compared to the real world of fantasy. In fact, I like Dan Brown much more than I enjoy JK Rowlings. But the books are addictive, but to me, George RR Martin is a much better author..

I've just started a new book by Robin Hobb:

The Assasin's Aprentice (The Farseer Trilogy) and so far, its really good. I congradulate Lady Hobb!

Hakeem · 10-15-2004, 02:44 PM

Mm... Let me start by saying thanks for replying back. Anyway Rayhi, my friends actually brought me the book "A Painted House" for my birthday and so far (am still reading it) it seems really nice and shows the bond within the family lines, and the style is amazing also, am surly buying a John Grisham's again. As for Chris, I really liked the last chapters and the talk between Harry and Dumbledore; you know it explains alot and the prophecy in specific. And finally, Shadeslayer, I agree that the HP books are not the greatest in the fantasy books, but still as posted in "Book & Authors". It caused a lot of mania and I personally think than they deserved it. I'm planning to read THE LORD OF THE RINGS as soon as I finish A Painted House, do you recommend it?

Pendulum · 10-15-2004, 07:56 PM

I find it hard to understand how the HP series became so incredibly popular for everyone. It's an excellent series, I agree, but there's not a lot that differs it from other fantasy books, so why did it do so well? I mean, it's fairly well written, decent plotlines and good fantastical (?) roots, but no more so than some other books and, as ShadeSlayer said, not as good as many others. I love the series as much as anyone else, but my only theory on how it became so popular is that it allowed the reader to identify so well with the characters. I can't see many other reasons that it would soar so high above other fantasy books.

Shadeslayer · 10-15-2004, 08:26 PM

Do I recommend Lord Of The Rings? Course I do! If you are willing to read long discriptions and is patient with the beauty of Tolkien's writing, then yeah, have a go at it. To me, that is one of the most famous Fantasy books there are. (No surprises there, heheh) I love his unusual plotline of Aragorn's internal conflict of whether or not he wants to be king, and how the whole of middle earth is suppose to depend their life on the most unlikeliest creature of all: Frodo! A hobbit! They are small, but were grown with a courage that surprises man today. Lord of The Rings compared to Harry Potter makes the whole series seems like a very light book. But yes, I do enjoy the Harry Potter series, yet I was a bit disappointed with the fith book.

bobothegoat · 10-15-2004, 08:39 PM

Having Harry whining the whole time was really getting on my nerves. I liked the earlier ones much more.

Shadeslayer · 10-15-2004, 11:11 PM

I agree with you, bobothegoat. The fifth book wasn't really my all time favorite. It seemed to me as if JK was trying to make the book sound really interesting, but the plotline was slow and long, and lagged a lot. So all in one, it was quite dull to read through the whole thing. Two things I hated very much about the fifth book:

Sirius Black dies
Harry is like a little child (he needs to grow up)

However, it was slightly enjoyable, but maybe not worth my whole life. But I did like it, and is looking eager to Harry Potter And The Half Blood Prince.

A_MacLaren · 10-16-2004, 05:53 AM

Book five is definitely the worst one. Rowling needs an editor who isn't afraid to touch her manuscript.

Hakeem · 10-16-2004, 06:26 AM

Hey all... To me book five was one of the best, I agree about Harry out wining the evil all the time, but remember, Voldie is still at large and recruiting more deatheaters, however am being slightly convinced that there is some fantasy stuff out there that is worth reading, and about Lord Of The Rings, I still don't know yet, I mean I despise long descriptions and if I lay may hands upon one of the books that stretch things alot I might as well flush the book down the toilet! Still, so many people advised me to read the book (there is 3 parts I guess, right?) because it contains a lot of interesting stuff and takes a stunning track in netting the plot whereas the reader keeps reading through the book, anyway I'm considering the idea and there is 73% (to be accurate) that I might get the book. Thanks Shadslayer! What else do like?

You may want to open at J.K Rowling's site, it contains a lot of stuff explaining book five, and I dunno about you guys but it's my favorite! And maybe Harry dies at the end not Volie, who knows??

P.S: I agree, Harry was really a baby in the book, if I were him, I would give Voldie a real kick!

Shadeslayer · 10-16-2004, 10:07 AM

Well...everyone does have their own opinion's about Harry Potter. For me, I didn't start reading till that till fifth grade. I was amazingly excited and was always talking about it nonstop (I was a kid, right?), but then, my stepfather is a major fantasy reader, and being a man who has read Harry Potter and has always (to my disappointment then) murmured, "Its okay," whenever I bring up the topic of Harry. So at last, when he was tired of my excitement, he loaned me The Lord of The Rings series and The Wheel Of Time of series by what he says as, "Real Authors."

At first, I was a bit confused of why he could enjoyed these books better than he liked Harry Potter. So, wanting to find out, I propped against a chair and began reading the Lord Of The Rings.

It pratically blew me away.

Hobbits? Rangers? Wizards? Elves? The One Ring Of Power?! I was amazingly speechless. My mind was fogged over completely. Never, in my life in that time had I read such an amazing book that could atain so much discription and such a complex world of beauty. I mean, Tolkien designed his very own world, and Middle Earth, I came to love when I had finished the trilogy.

And then I read the Wheel Of Time series and was amazed at how close Jordan's writing was to Tolkien's. They say on his website:

"If there is a living heir today of Tolkien, Jordan is sure to be the one." There was no absolute way were they wrong. No way at all.

So, that in conclusion is why realized at my young age, at the time, was why Harry Potter was just a fun book to read. The characters are overly simple and their not complicated in any way. Sure, I enjoy Harry Potter, but so far in my highschool life as a freshman, I have been living in libraries and have been grabbing furiously at real fantasy books with a much better and complex concept that deserve the notice of the world.

And A_MacLaren, where can I find Steven Erickson? I heard you mention him, but I'm curious about wanting to read his books....

Hakeem · 10-18-2004, 01:08 PM

Shadeslayer, you seem the type of person who really reads alot and I totally respect that, and as a matter of fact, you convinced me to read Lord of the Rings, but ofcource after I finish "A Painted House", you know it's so good and the way Grisham tells the story through a seven year old boy and the conflicts inside him having to bear up with the curiosity about the town and it's people and also to obey his endless family's orders.

Anyway I am going to buy Lord of the Rings but please if you don't mind Shadeslayer, would you tell me the titles of the series? (There are 3, right??)
Thank you again.

Shadeslayer · 10-18-2004, 03:32 PM

I'd be happy to tell you the title of the series! I'm really glad you've decided to read Lord of the Rings. They are my favorite, but I tend to enjoy fantasy books by Robin Hob and George RR Martin. Both are excellent authors. Try them also, if you want real, good fantasy that is the real thing in the world.

Lord Of The Rings:

The Fellowship of the Ring

The Two Towers

The Return of the King

There you go, and I hope you enjoy it. Send me a message if you want to read more fantasy books, I'll be happy to tell you some great series!

Hope you enjoy, Hakeem

D4rk_3|f · 10-18-2004, 05:28 PM

I need to read a painted house as It sounds good from what you all say