Friday, July 13, 2007

New Books, Old Series

I am one of the few people on this planet who has not yet read any of the LOTR books. And I haven't seen any of the movies either, because, well, I tell myself that once I've read the books, I'll see the movies, but I don't want to see the movies before I've read the books. But at this point, I'm not sure when either one of them is going to happen.

People look at me strangely when I tell them this, but in all honesty, I really did try. When I was a senior in college (that was the year Return of the King was released in theatres), I sat down to read Fellowship of the Ring.

I read a couple chapters, and put it down. I just couldn't get into it. A few months later, I picked it up again and managed a few more chapters before setting it aside again. People tell me that I put it down just when it gets interesting, but I just haven't had any interest to pick it back up.

But at least I don't pretend that I know all there is to know about the trilogy. I dated this guy in college who contended that he was a big Harry Potter fan. And at first glance, I guess he was. He was familiar with many of the characters, believed that any book that got kids to read was fantastic, and found the charges against the books of witchcraft to be ridiculously ubsurd. He even gave me a book talking about religious symbolism in the books. That aside, at the time that we broke up, I don't know that he had once read a single one of the books. Everything he knew about the series, he knew from the movies.

Now, granted, at the time we were dating, The Order of the Phoenix was just about to come out, so the movies weren't that far behind the books. And I'm sure that, in the four plus years that have passed since we have gone our separate ways, he has probably read a few of the books. But still, really.

This is all prelude to my discovery this past weekend that there actually are human beings on this earth who have yet to read a few of the HP books. One of my coworkers has just begun reading the series with the intention of getting it read by the time the seventh book comes out. Hmmm.

BTW, does anyone have any cool ideas about what to do for a Harry Potter party for 8-12 year olds?

1 comment:

Marcie said...

As a fan of LOTR - the movies and the books - I can say that it's okay to watch the movies first. In fact, that's what I did.

I tried to read "The Hobbit" but had no idea what a hobbit looked like or why I should care about his quest. Then I saw the movies and it all became clear. I now know what a hobbit looks like and I now know that "The Hobbit" book can be read either on its own or as supplemental material to the trilogy.

I am more a fan of the movies, having watched them first, but I have read and do own the books. They are such a cultural phenomenon - you have my permission to watch them and read the books afterward. :)