Quote:
Originally Posted by Boomer
I have it on good authority that librarians got hate mail (well, I guess it was semi-polite hate mail) when Harry Potter was first published. I knew of one mailing that contained a clipping from an "authoritative" publication. At the center of so many completely wrong statements was a glaringly wrong statement that said that Harry Potter "worshiped the Dementors." Yep. That's what it said. Right there in that "authoritative" publication delivered to the librarian.
But the librarian restrained herself admirably and did not say back to that self-righteous letter-writer, "WHY IN THE  DON'T YOU AT LEAST READ THE BOOK YOU BEFORE YOU START SENDING THIS TO A LIBRARIAN???"
There is a common denominator with those people. The biggest percentage have not read the book.
I have a long-time friend who thinks quite differently from me on a lot of things. That's OK. There are just certain things that we have a tacit understanding not to discuss. But I could not stand the Harry Potter thing anymore and so I asked her what the issue was. Why should wizardry be such an issue, I wanted to know. Kids know better. They just liked the books. Adults, too. The chance to totally suspend reality for a while. A good and evil struggle. All that stuff.
Her answer to me was a surprise. She told me that because kids were so mesmerized by the books and often read them more than once and were so completely immersed in them, taken in, so to speak, that could cause their minds to possibly be opened to being taken in by other things, all kinds of bad things. Cults. Satan worshipers. (and I had to wonder if maybe even Democrats  )
...... I thought that cause and effect processing was a real leap. Gee. And to think that I had just thought that J.K. was a phenomenal writer. Who knew???!
Anyway, I said I did not agree and then changed the subject. We are still friends. But like I said, some things -- no point in even trying to discuss. They are so convinced that they are absolutely right on this stuff. Oh well.
And Munc and Kate, I am not worried about those little crushes of yours. Harry Potter takes us all back to being kids for a while. And the ones you mention are the ones that your kid-self would have liked and hoped to sit next to in class and whose pencil you would have tried to work up the courage to borrow, hoping for a little conversation. Harry Potter makes us all kids again.
Boomer |
HiJacking alert.
Boomer.
ONE of the reasons that I like you so much is for your wisdom. IF only everyone would take a page from your book and change the subject when things get into an area when agreement is not possible. (I find I do that when some of my friends say they have the smartest and best grandchildren) However most people just keep beating a dead horse and than get all annoyed and...that is when the fight happens.
I know this is off the subject, but I had to say that.
I haven't read all of Harry Potter books because I keep getting sidetracked into mystery novels and biographies. In fact, I have been known to be reading three books at a time. They are my nerve pills when the economy goes to ..... in a handbasket.
Sorry. Back to the negativity of some people/Harry Potter.
Flash. BOOMER. You are not only an English Major but YOU are a Librarian!!