I'm a late bloomer. At least where fads are concerned. :) Harry Potter
books first took my peers by storm in 8th or 9th grade. For the past eleven years, I have firmly opposed even the idea of of reading these widely popular books.
books first took my peers by storm in 8th or 9th grade. For the past eleven years, I have firmly opposed even the idea of of reading these widely popular books. I think most of my hesitancy lied in the subject matter. I want to take every thought captive, to avoid any circumstances that detract from or dishonor my great God. I still hold firmly to that conviction. My attitude towards these books have changed, however. I started reading book one
on Wednesday and finished book two
on Friday. Yeah, they're THAT good.
on Wednesday and finished book two on Friday. Yeah, they're THAT good. I love that they're easy reads. If I'm reading for enjoyment, I'm not looking for a challenge. JK Rowling
writes with a fairly simple vocabulary, yet includes excitement, real life emotion and lots of laugh-out-loud character remarks to keep the reader totally engaged. The stories are fun yet totally fictional. It doesn't feel like Rowling is trying to force this reality on me as I read, but rather take me along to this imaginary world of Harry Potter.
writes with a fairly simple vocabulary, yet includes excitement, real life emotion and lots of laugh-out-loud character remarks to keep the reader totally engaged. The stories are fun yet totally fictional. It doesn't feel like Rowling is trying to force this reality on me as I read, but rather take me along to this imaginary world of Harry Potter. Why are they ok to read after dealing with my convictions? I feel like this topic of reading material is only appropriate if the reader is a mature, firm in their faith, reading only for enjoyment. Young readers should be closely monitored if they're allowed to read these fiction novels in order to carefully monitor their understanding of reality. If an individual (specifically a teen or adult) has a solid filter of faith in place that can sort through incoming fact and fiction, evil and good, I believe the parents and other educators have done their job. We can't govern what others watch or read forever. We can only teach them how to filter through the reading of God's Word.
All of that said, I will honestly say, I'm loving the Harry Potter series
and look forward to owning the hard covers soon. :)
and look forward to owning the hard covers soon. :) What about you? Are you a Potter fan or would you rather steer clear?
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Mel,
ReplyDeleteI have never read a Harry Potter book. I always felt very firm in my convictions about not reading them. Maybe I will pick one up soon.Glad you are enjoying them for enjoyment purposes .
Hey Mel,
ReplyDeleteI was never a fan of fads when I was growing up.. like Pokemon, or Harry Potter, etc. Just because I though that they were just plain stupid.
Not growing up as a Christian I didn't have any convictions against them. I just thought fantasy was a silly genre that wasn't interesting.
Now, reading them as a Christian with an open mind I actually see some Christian themes in them. Most obviously is the good vs. evil. I kind of take the series as a modern day walk for a Christian. Jesus died for us and has given us this amazing amount of protection against evil (Harry's Mom died for him allowing him to have protection against Voldemort). Being a Christian and knowing God allows us to always have a way out, even if the situation is bad. (Harry is always given outrageous things, like the Griffendor sword, to help him out of bad situations).
I like to read and come of with obscure, possibly far-fetching, parallels between Christianity and Harry Potter. lol
This post made me laugh out loud, because I could copy and paste this to my blog and it would be nearly 100% accurate. As a kid, I always thought they were evil heathen books and wouldn't go anywhere near them. Recently, a good friend had been encouraging me to give them a try. I prayed about it and was surprised to hear a "yes" from God. I started reading just this Valentine's Day, right before turning 16, and fell completely in love with the series from page one. After finishing the last book, my only regret was that it had taken me just 10 days - yes, 10 - to read all 7 books. It makes me sad that I can't even mention the boks to most of my friends because they are thoroughly convinced of their evil. Personally, I found the themes of sacrificial love, justice, and defeating lies with the truth to be the most prevalent. And trust me, every book is better than the one before.
ReplyDeleteMel I am reading the HP series as well! I got them as a gift for christmas. not the hard covers though. I am currently reading the goblet of fire. And Jake just bought me the Harry Potter Lego xbox game. its so fun! haha
ReplyDeleteI'm a late potter fan too!
ReplyDeleteGIGANTIC FAN ....... I love them. I hopped on the bandwagon late, but then took off running. I've stayed up all night before, reading the HP books, because I couldn't put them down.
ReplyDeleteYou're going to love them!