What's wrong with Harry Potter?

[Jo498]

I do not remember the last book (with that wand) very well because it is probably the only one I only read once although I am not sure if I re-read #6 but I probably did. I usually re-read some of them when waiting for the next one. (But I only waited for the last three, the 4th came out very soon after I had become aware of the series and read the first three.)
The "magic dueling" is deeply flawed anyway (and one of my quibbles with the books). It' not at all clear how this is supposed to work. It seems at least as much a question of training and quickness than of ability or experience. And even then it's not really clear if fencing or throwing/shooting missiles against each other is the closer analogue, but it seems close to types of physical fighting. As shown in the books it is hardly ever shown as a contest in mental strength (this is how I would suppose a magic contest to work but something like this is only shown in the "mind-reading" scenes)
Anyway, I still think the books (especially the more modest 1-3) are very well done and create compelling atmosphere and narrative despite using lots of common tropes.
Nobody claimed that this was great literature but it's very good in its genre (actually superior to most "fantasy" aimed at adults although this is close to damning with faint praise...) and to some extent the popularity is understandable. (For me it is much easier to understand why the HP *books* are famous than why the Star wars movies are...)

[Karl Henning]

I do not remember the last book (with that wand) very well because it is probably the only one I only read once although I am not sure if I re-read #6 but I probably did. I usually re-read some of them when waiting for the next one. (But I only waited for the last three, the 4th came out very soon after I had become aware of the series and read the first three.)
The "magic dueling" is deeply flawed anyway (and one of my quibbles with the books). It' not at all clear how this is supposed to work. It seems at least as much a question of training and quickness than of ability or experience. And even then it's not really clear if fencing or throwing/shooting missiles against each other is the closer analogue, but it seems close to types of physical fighting. As shown in the books it is hardly ever shown as a contest in mental strength (this is how I would suppose a magic contest to work but something like this is only shown in the "mind-reading" scenes)
Anyway, I still think the books (especially the more modest 1-3) are very well done and create compelling atmosphere and narrative despite using lots of common tropes.
Nobody claimed that this was great literature but it's very good in its genre (actually superior to most "fantasy" aimed at adults although this is close to damning with faint praise...) and to some extent the popularity is understandable. (For me it is much easier to understand why the HP *books* are famous than why the Star wars movies are...)

Most interesting, thanks.