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Author Topic:   The Half Blood Prince
Tusko
Member (Idle past 102 days)
Posts: 615
From: London, UK
Joined: 10-01-2004


Message 46 of 55 (225401)
07-22-2005 4:15 AM
Reply to: Message 44 by crashfrog
07-21-2005 3:13 PM


Re: To All You Harry Potter Killjoys
I think you're right, I think that Pullman does deal in archetypes, but I'm also pretty sure that Rowling does too - and they are VERY familiar. Reluctant hero, his loyal friend, boffiny friend, spoilt brat enemy, evil enemy, unfair teacher, merliny/obi-wannish headmaster, etc...
Something that seperates them for me is that there is a lot of repetition in the Potter. If everyone things that Harry's being arrogant when he isn't ONE MORE TIME I think I'm going to push a cotton-bud so far up my ear I kill my brain. Perhaps its in the nature of a series of books which are tied to a location and the structure of a school year, I don't know. But the unfolding of the plot feels more mechanical than HDM. It feels like there is less at stake somehow.
I also prefered the unfamiliar quality of Pullman's world. Rowling has cross fertilized a fun, ripping school yarn with familiar fantasy and traditional magical elements. Pullman has made something darker, more unfamiliar, but equally as well thought out. Give me an alethiometer over an invisibility cloak (what... a cloak that... makes you invisible?Ye gads!) every time.
I'm totally cool with you liking Potter, because many of my friends do, and its obviously just a matter of taste. Its just that so far (now more than half way through book 4) I'm still prefering Pullman. But I guess the very fact that I'm reading Potter still suggests that I'm enjoying them, and I am.
Cheers

This message is a reply to:
 Message 44 by crashfrog, posted 07-21-2005 3:13 PM crashfrog has not replied

  
Percy
Member
Posts: 22394
From: New Hampshire
Joined: 12-23-2000
Member Rating: 5.2


Message 47 of 55 (225584)
07-22-2005 6:07 PM
Reply to: Message 45 by arachnophilia
07-21-2005 8:45 PM


Re: uh, not again percy!
arachnophilia writes:
So who died?
looks like jar's gonna have to ban you again, percy.... you just won't learn will you! lol.
Oops, I should have read the OP more carefully! Ah, well, banned again.
Actually, maybe here's another interpretation that will save me. I wasn't really violating the constraints set down by the OP, I was just encouraging other people to do it. Is contributing to the delinquency of a member against the guidelines?
--Percy

This message is a reply to:
 Message 45 by arachnophilia, posted 07-21-2005 8:45 PM arachnophilia has replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 48 by arachnophilia, posted 07-22-2005 6:25 PM Percy has not replied

  
arachnophilia
Member (Idle past 1344 days)
Posts: 9069
From: god's waiting room
Joined: 05-21-2004


Message 48 of 55 (225587)
07-22-2005 6:25 PM
Reply to: Message 47 by Percy
07-22-2005 6:07 PM


Re: uh, not again percy!
Is contributing to the delinquency of a member against the guidelines?
no, not technically, but you must be made an example of!

אָרַח

This message is a reply to:
 Message 47 by Percy, posted 07-22-2005 6:07 PM Percy has not replied

  
Ooook!
Member (Idle past 5816 days)
Posts: 340
From: London, UK
Joined: 09-29-2003


Message 49 of 55 (225631)
07-23-2005 5:46 AM
Reply to: Message 42 by Tusko
07-21-2005 5:47 AM


They're a hell of a lot more involving than Potter, as far as I can ascertain
I agree, I enjoyed Pullman's stuff more than the Potter series. I also suspect that (as I think Andya has pointed out) this is because the concepts and stories were more adult. Although I do see what Crash means about the characters, I think this is true whenever you have a book that tries to describe a 'Foreign' world in such depth - Dune, Lord of the Rings etc. But it was the uniqueness of Pullman's world that really hooked be, with things like the armoured bears and Daemons.
though maybe the Amber Spyglass wasn't the brilliant finale it could have been?
I quite liked the ending, but I won't make any other comments in case I spoil it for anyone.
I'm reading the Potters at the moment (halfway through 4) because a friend's lent them to me
Ah!
That means you've still got the over-long (and generally unispiring) Order of the Phoenix to get through. Stick with it though, I thought this last one was back to form, and very entertaining.

Si hoc signum legere potes, operis boni in rebus Latinis alacribus et fructuosis potiri potes!

This message is a reply to:
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Replies to this message:
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Andya Primanda
Inactive Member


Message 50 of 55 (225644)
07-23-2005 10:00 AM
Reply to: Message 49 by Ooook!
07-23-2005 5:46 AM


About His Dark Materials...
...I wonder if it is popular outside the UK? I mean, I only know it after I moved here. But the series has been around for some time then. Although I suspect it would've been less popular in the US, given the anti-theistic theme.
This message has been edited by Andya Primanda, 07-23-2005 10:05 AM

This message is a reply to:
 Message 49 by Ooook!, posted 07-23-2005 5:46 AM Ooook! has replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 51 by Chiroptera, posted 07-24-2005 5:46 PM Andya Primanda has not replied
 Message 52 by Ooook!, posted 07-24-2005 6:47 PM Andya Primanda has not replied
 Message 53 by crashfrog, posted 07-25-2005 5:07 PM Andya Primanda has replied
 Message 55 by Modulous, posted 07-27-2005 9:17 AM Andya Primanda has not replied

  
Chiroptera
Inactive Member


Message 51 of 55 (226012)
07-24-2005 5:46 PM
Reply to: Message 50 by Andya Primanda
07-23-2005 10:00 AM


Re: About His Dark Materials...
quote:
Although I suspect it would've been less popular in the US, given the anti-theistic theme.
I doubt that would have an effect on its popularity in the U.S. Here, science fiction (at least in print) is a genre-type of fiction that general appeals to a certain demographic group, and that group tends to by either anti-theistic or doesn't mind if the literature is anti-theistic.

This message is a reply to:
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Ooook!
Member (Idle past 5816 days)
Posts: 340
From: London, UK
Joined: 09-29-2003


Message 52 of 55 (226021)
07-24-2005 6:47 PM
Reply to: Message 50 by Andya Primanda
07-23-2005 10:00 AM


Re: About His Dark Materials...
...I wonder if it is popular outside the UK? I mean, I only know it after I moved here. But the series has been around for some time then. Although I suspect it would've been less popular in the US, given the anti-theistic theme.
Yeah. I've wondered about that too. I'm also intrigued why more of fuss hasn't been made by some on the Christian Right who seem to be working themselves up about the evil witchcraft and satanism in JK Rowlings stuff.
Again, I don't want to leave spoliers but:
  1. Pullman makes no secret of his atheism
  2. The books are not entirely complimentary about organised religion
  3. God and the Metatron!!!!

This message is a reply to:
 Message 50 by Andya Primanda, posted 07-23-2005 10:00 AM Andya Primanda has not replied

  
crashfrog
Member (Idle past 1467 days)
Posts: 19762
From: Silver Spring, MD
Joined: 03-20-2003


Message 53 of 55 (226295)
07-25-2005 5:07 PM
Reply to: Message 50 by Andya Primanda
07-23-2005 10:00 AM


Re: About His Dark Materials...
...I wonder if it is popular outside the UK?
It's had several reprintings in the US, some audiobook versions, and I know it's being dramatized for the screen. It's all fairly under-the-radar but I don't believe the book itself is that unpopular.

This message is a reply to:
 Message 50 by Andya Primanda, posted 07-23-2005 10:00 AM Andya Primanda has replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 54 by Andya Primanda, posted 07-27-2005 8:58 AM crashfrog has not replied

  
Andya Primanda
Inactive Member


Message 54 of 55 (226701)
07-27-2005 8:58 AM
Reply to: Message 53 by crashfrog
07-25-2005 5:07 PM


Re: About His Dark Materials...
Well, you can't compare it with the HP fandom, and all those scary fanfics that they produce...
I'm looking forward to the HDM movie.

This message is a reply to:
 Message 53 by crashfrog, posted 07-25-2005 5:07 PM crashfrog has not replied

  
Modulous
Member
Posts: 7801
From: Manchester, UK
Joined: 05-01-2005


Message 55 of 55 (226709)
07-27-2005 9:17 AM
Reply to: Message 50 by Andya Primanda
07-23-2005 10:00 AM


Re: About His Dark Materials...
What wierds me out is the name change for the books over in the States. They call 'Northern Lights', 'The Golden Compass' - I understand why, it keeps it consistent and all but I prefer the first title to the latter anyway.

This message is a reply to:
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