Quote:
Originally Posted by alatar
It's taken years, but I'd finally put down my animosity towards the Harry Potter series. I've liked the movies, and the Lego video game looks cute, but the books...well...there's an ugly history there that I'd rather not revisit.
So I've started reading the series, comparing what I read to the movies, and to, of course, Lord of the Rings. What was striking to me (and possibly in a post somewhere in the billion within this thread) is how HP:The Sorcerer's/Philosopher's Stone ends much like FotR. Harry/Frodo wake up after facing the enemy, in a bed, with a wizard at his side recounting what happened just before our hero blacks out. I read the chapter with Harry lying in the Hogwart's hospital and couldn't help but see Frodo in Rivendell with Gandalf at his side.
Coincidence?
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More than that, probably: Tolkien's influenced so much of later fantasy, so why not this? That's not quite the same as saying the plot was "stolen", though. I've read things that
do copy
The Lord of the Rings directly, and there's a difference.
Also, as
this guy points out, you can draw comparisons between the HP novels and a lot of other things too.
That poster is being funny, of course, but in fact I do have a problem with the HP books being
generally a bit derivative (rather than straight rip-offs of any one thing). It's not that Rowling uses elements that appear in other stories, it's that I've never found what she does with them all that interesting. That's just my personal reaction, of course. I know they caught a lot of kids'– and even adults'– imaginations.
Btw, as I've said elsewhere, it's always fun when someone unearths one of these prehistoric threads. The Downers of the First Age certainly had quite a lively debating style:
Quote:
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Originally Posted by Aryana
This is a message for tumil about the Hogwarts moto.
BASCIALLY to stop me from screaming at you all, im gonna keep this as short as possible.
JKR did classics at A level and i think even at UNI
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Srsly? UNI?!! NOES!!!111
Quote:
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Originally Posted by Aryana
the motto means never tickle a sleeping dragon
very funny and very dumbledoreish
like the rest of them books
that has NOTHING to do with tolkien, cause im sure he would NEVER use something so humourous.
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Nope. As we all know, Tolkien never used any line remotely like that, anywhere.
Quote:
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Originally Posted by Aryana
dont get me wrong, i love LoTR and tolkien is an amazing writer, but he isnt for children so he wouldnt use that, JKR is!
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What, Tolkien write a childrens' book? The very idea!
Quote:
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Originally Posted by Aryana
and also about you all thinking that dumbledore is gandalf. why dont u realise that gandalf is merlin!
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Oh.
Quote:
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Originally Posted by Aryana
anyway im gonna go now, but u all better go home and do your homework before preaching about tolkien being the one god.
because even though his books r great, he wasnt amazing. he was a racist facist little old man. think about it. the orcs, evil and black, come from the same place that africa would be if you compared the two maps of our world and middle earth.
now u cant say thats a coincidence!
ha!
i have proved u all wrong! mwhahahahaha!
(with thanks to my equally angry friend, izzie!)
mwhahahahahahaha
byeeee
dont hate me just cause im right
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Well, how can one possibly counter such a devastating argument as that?
*sigh* Darn it, I why didn't I join the Downs eight years ago? Everyone's so staid and literate these days!
Note: seriously, most of the thread is not like that at all.