Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings? (Books Only)

Which books do you like better, Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings?

  • Harry Potter

    Votes: 24 30.0%

  • Lord of the Rings

    Votes: 49 61.3%

  • I liked both equally

    Votes: 7 8.8%
  • Total voters
    80
I don't think that's ruthless at all. Rowling's target audience were not adults, and as her books progress, the reading levels and themes get more and more adult, but they are all the way through directed at kids. I would say you CAN enjoy Harry Potter as an adult (I choose not to for my own reasons), but it wasn't designed that way.

Further, it seems like Tolkein is more a gardener and Rowling is more an architect. While there's no real wrong way to write stories, I get this feeling that Tolkein had so much about Middle Earth and its various ages written down that he simply plucked a story from its copious history and gussied it up for sale. He could have picked (and did, in various talks and letters and other writings) any number of such stories, each which would have coherent and cognizant continuity. His worlds seem vast and deep because that's how he wrote. JK Rowlings worlds seem weird and contradictory because the moment you get past the surface layer (which was never intended), you start to see the facades.
 
I feel that many compare JK Rowlings' books with Lewis' CON books. Do anyone else feel they more match Lewis' Space trilogy, but in a children's version. Like Lewis' works they seem to be very political and stress the diabolical.
 
2/3rds thru book 4 in the Harry Potter series. I hope Sirius Black has more of a roll than just appearing the one time in the fire place. I hope Harry takes Ron's little sister to the tournament ball.
 
After reading about the Yule Ball or more accurately the Tournament Ball since it is only held when there is a tournament, I get the feeling J K Rowling understands boys very well. The stress on jealousy by the boys should have been more directed as inadequacy.
 
For Ron, it seemed to be a matter of both jealousy and inadequacy. He always felt the latter, but when it came to Krum, Ron always saw him as his Quiddich idol. When it came time to actually be in his presence, Krum had a competitive friendship with Harry while a romantic interest with Hermione. This brought out both of those traits in Ron.
 
I know that there are Christians who enjoy Harry Potter. There are Christians that are not comfortable with it due to the concept of witch craft and sorcery. Don't we live in a day and age where children are exposed to the demonic world and it's acceptable?
 
Reading The Order of the Phoenix now. Since it was written 20 years ago, even though I never watched the movies or read the books before, I still know that Sirius dies. Hard not to hear things on the internet. Well, I hope he dies well.
 
I am over half way thru The Order of the Phoenix. I find this book very simular to Lewis' That Hideous Strength. The good and bad conflict is presented simularly. Professor Umbridge is almost a copy of "Fairy" Hardcastle. Harry is much like Jane and Mark combined. The order of the Phoenix is much like the St. Ann's group. I could go on.
 
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Finally finished The Order of the Phoenix. First I will say I liked the book. But in the end I was not satisfied. There are always plot problems at the end. The plot device of the magic hand mirror I guess was to create irony, but then you ask why didn't Sirius remind Harry about the the mirror. He had the opportunity to at times when he knew using the fireplace was a risk. In CS Lewis' books he managed to end each book cleanly. I may take a break before go on to The Half-Blood Prince. I've been wanting to read Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West.
 
I have to admit that half the time when I re-read HP, I read the first three and then go to the 7th. I never could get into the Goblet of Fire, Order of the Phoenix was good, Half Blood Prince had its good points but Deathly Hallows is much better than the other older years.
 
After reading Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West I guess I should finish the last two Harry Potter book. I have been delaying it because I know the last 2 books are very dark. After Sirius Black died in book 5 I really needed a break.
 
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