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Forum -> Parenting our children -> School age children
I can't figure out the obsession with Harry Potter
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southernbubby




 
 
    
 

Post Wed, May 05 2021, 11:09 pm
These kids practically memorized every volume and I read part of one book because the child wanted me to. It's entertaining and well written but do kids identify with the characters? Doesn't every kid want to charm a snake or be on a quidditch team?
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little neshamala




 
 
    
 

Post Wed, May 05 2021, 11:10 pm
southernbubby wrote:
These kids practically memorized every volume and I read part of one book because the child wanted me to. It's entertaining and well written but do kids identify with the characters? Doesn't every kid want to charm a snake or be on a quidditch team?


I am not mekabel.
(Hands clamped firmly over ears)

Im no longer a child and I still love it enough to reread it from time to time
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amother
Black


 

Post Wed, May 05 2021, 11:13 pm
It’s weird. I don’t get it.
I don’t get the obsessions with celebrities or fictional characters at all.
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wiki




 
 
    
 

Post Wed, May 05 2021, 11:15 pm
amother [ Black ] wrote:
It’s weird. I don’t get it.
I don’t get the obsessions with celebrities or fictional characters at all.


I think obsessing over a literary work is really different from obsessing over a celebrity.
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hodeez




 
 
    
 

Post Wed, May 05 2021, 11:17 pm
The series is just so engaging, interesting, multi-faceted. Every time you read it you discover something you missed the time before.

Last edited by hodeez on Wed, May 05 2021, 11:17 pm; edited 1 time in total
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amother
Black


 

Post Wed, May 05 2021, 11:17 pm
wiki wrote:
I think obsessing over a literary work is really different from obsessing over a celebrity.



I don’t think it’s much different. Both are there to entertain us. That’s their purpose. They did their purpose and move onto something else that’s entertaining. Or enjoy the same entertainment. But it’s still weird to obsess over nonsense. As a kid I obsessed over a certain character. But I turned 6 and moved on with my life and never obsessed again.
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amother
Indigo


 

Post Wed, May 05 2021, 11:18 pm
Isn't there some theory in psychology that children commonly go through a phase of fantasizing that, while they might be underappreciated currently, they will turn out to be some supernatural super-capable hero, and everyone will be in awe and admire them when the secret is revealed? I don't remember exactly what it's called.

I think a lot of successful children's stories follow this trajectory and HP definitely does.
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small bean




 
 
    
 

Post Wed, May 05 2021, 11:18 pm
I dont get it either but my husband and daughters can talk about it for hours and they reread it.

My daughter uses ideas from it all the time in conversation on tests etc. Funny part is her teachers always laugh at it. Like they also get the joke. I'm the only one who has no idea what she's talking about.
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wiki




 
 
    
 

Post Wed, May 05 2021, 11:18 pm
southernbubby wrote:
These kids practically memorized every volume and I read part of one book because the child wanted me to. It's entertaining and well written but do kids identify with the characters? Doesn't every kid want to charm a snake or be on a quidditch team?


A lot of kids have their first real, deep, passionate connection to a book with Harry Potter. It's not because of the magic or the quidditch; those parts are totally incidental.

It's about the combination of well-written mystery, the development of the characters, the complexity of the plot, and the humor. For most people, the fantasy world-building is really not the main draw.

Another thing that makes Harry Potter particularly obsess-able is that they're masterfully complex in their foreshadowing, which makes rereading a particularly rewarding experience, more than you'd find with other fiction.
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wiki




 
 
    
 

Post Wed, May 05 2021, 11:19 pm
amother [ Black ] wrote:
I don’t think it’s much different. Both are there to entertain us. That’s their purpose. They did their purpose and move onto something else that’s entertaining. Or enjoy the same entertainment. But it’s still weird to obsess over nonsense. As a kid I obsessed over a certain character. But I turned 6 and moved on with my life and never obsessed again.


I recommend you forget about the celebrities, and give literature another chance. You might find as an adult that there is more depth there. Cool
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hodeez




 
 
    
 

Post Wed, May 05 2021, 11:21 pm
I wish it didn't get so relationship heavy after the first few books, I would love to read these books with my kids in a few years :/
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little neshamala




 
 
    
 

Post Wed, May 05 2021, 11:21 pm
wiki wrote:
I recommend you forget about the celebrities, and give literature another chance. You might find as an adult that there is more depth there. Cool


Took the words right out of my mouth Very Happy
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enneamom




 
 
    
 

Post Wed, May 05 2021, 11:22 pm
I sense a misinformation about HP fans thread coming on...
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healthymom1




 
 
    
 

Post Wed, May 05 2021, 11:38 pm
wiki wrote:
I recommend you forget about the celebrities, and give literature another chance. You might find as an adult that there is more depth there. Cool


I’ve read books. I just don’t get the obsession. It’s fiction. What’s there to think about after the fact?? It doesn’t improve my life or view on life... it’s make believe. It’s entertainment for the moment. Then it passes.
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amother
Plum


 

Post Wed, May 05 2021, 11:40 pm
wiki wrote:
A lot of kids have their first real, deep, passionate connection to a book with Harry Potter. It's not because of the magic or the quidditch; those parts are totally incidental.

It's about the combination of well-written mystery, the development of the characters, the complexity of the plot, and the humor. For most people, the fantasy world-building is really not the main draw.

Another thing that makes Harry Potter particularly obsess-able is that they're masterfully complex in their foreshadowing, which makes rereading a particularly rewarding experience, more than you'd find with other fiction.


This. Harry Potter was my series as a kid. I grew up with the books (I was 12 when the 7th came out). I couldn't have articulated what drew me in as well as you just did, but that's it. I reread them over and over again, as well. Most of my family are big Harry Potter fans.

The fact that we love the books and not the movies indicates that it's the writing that captures the imagination more than just the world.
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amother
Plum


 

Post Wed, May 05 2021, 11:42 pm
hodeez wrote:
I wish it didn't get so relationship heavy after the first few books, I would love to read these books with my kids in a few years :/


It's funny - the romance totally flew over my head as a kid. I was so confused by the whole Cho-Cedric-Harry thing, the whole Harry-Ginny thing and Ron's reaction, Ron-Hermione... but yeah, I agree that this part of it is frustrating starting from about the 4th book.
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singleagain




 
 
    
 

Post Thu, May 06 2021, 12:00 am
There was something that just sparked creation...

Although it's kinda funny.. I was in 7th grade when the first book came out.. And I was in a very... Anti whatever is popular mindset back then. I refused.. And I mean refused to read it. Until, I got annoyed with my best friends sisters bothering us that I told them, if they left me and my friend alone. I'd read the book.

I remember thinking that vernon and petunia were going to be the minority (and in a way I was right) and by the time Dumbledore was saying "Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak!" I was just enthralled...

But also I mean who didn't imagine being taken away to a magical world full of possiblity. And to go from a place where you never fit in to being the most famous person ever.

I remember being bummed when one of the books arrived on shabbat sand in couldn't open it. And I read another in the car on a long drive, and I had to finish in like to days bc I was going to camp and wasn't allowed to take it with me bc we only had the one copy.

In college I even joined a harry Potter role playing site. And there is where I met my best friend.

Although... I've fallen out of it recently... And honestly, it's bc of a really bad few misunderstanding from other handlers on that site.. that makes it a bit painful. But in still follow some news and I'll go to the new movies

Most importantly I have my best friend... Who I chat with throughout the day.

Although... I gotta admit .. I think I like twilight more. .... I've definitely reread them more in the last few years.. can't even remember the last time I reread potter ....
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Scotty




 
 
    
 

Post Thu, May 06 2021, 12:19 am
healthymom1 wrote:
I’ve read books. I just don’t get the obsession. It’s fiction. What’s there to think about after the fact?? It doesn’t improve my life or view on life... it’s make believe. It’s entertainment for the moment. Then it passes.


Maybe that’s just your personality. Contrary to what you feel, for many people fiction is a safe place to try new ideas: to mentally experiment with new thoughts, or challenge old thoughts in a way that’s less frightening because it’s “not real” (a concept Dumbledore himself mentions, IMO in the most masterful quote of the series: “just because it’s in your head, does it make it any less real?”) in fact Bilbliotherapy (and its modern counterpart, cinema-based therapy) was created because therapists discovered that using books and characters as springboards for real-life discussion made tackling challenging topics with their clients simpler and more successful. If we want to take it a step further, the entire concept of “visualization” could even be argued to be an offshoot of “fictional storytelling”, in which we therapeutically “tell ourselves a story” in which we experience success/act better/are wiser, and then with work and focus can make this fictional visualization become actualized reality. Personally, I find fiction to be both an escape and my most potent learning tool for change and growth, and keep fictional ideas and characters with me in my brain like portable old friends that are always available to offer support or challenge me on my weaknesses. If that sounds weird, well, we’re all different! there are plenty of people who, like you, neither enjoy fiction nor find any lasting value or meaning in it, the same way many people do not find the visualization process intuitive or helpful. That’s not bad, just an aspect of a different (and equally wonderful) personality. Perhaps you enjoy biographies or historically true accounts instead. Or not! Everyone is different. You like chocolate, I like vanilla. (Well, actually, peanut butter or bitter coffee, but you get the drift.)
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mommy3b2c




 
 
    
 

Post Thu, May 06 2021, 12:22 am
wiki wrote:
A lot of kids have their first real, deep, passionate connection to a book with Harry Potter. It's not because of the magic or the quidditch; those parts are totally incidental.

It's about the combination of well-written mystery, the development of the characters, the complexity of the plot, and the humor. For most people, the fantasy world-building is really not the main draw.

Another thing that makes Harry Potter particularly obsess-able is that they're masterfully complex in their foreshadowing, which makes rereading a particularly rewarding experience, more than you'd find with other fiction.


All of this. The magic of Harry Potter, ironically, has nothing to do with the fact that it’s magical fantasy. It’s the brilliant plot, and the brilliant themes and life lessons that can be learned.

I get offended by people who don’t like Harry Potter. I started when I was 12 shortly after the first book came out, and finished the seventh book at around 6:30 am (after reading through the whole night) when I was 21 years old and already had a baby.
My oldest son loves Harry Potter , but he will never know the joy of opening the seventh book the day it came out.
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amother
Azure


 

Post Thu, May 06 2021, 1:11 am
I didn't get it either. Until my kids begged me to read it for so long. Over a 3 day y"t I ran out of reading material. I read the first book which was very short, it was blah, meh, ok. But I was still without what to read, so I began the second book. Within the first few chapters I was hooked. Finished the entire series before the second days.

It is just that good. It captures your imagination and brings you on a trip with awesome plots and characters. I do not care for the genre at all. But you have got to read it to believe it.
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