Why do people still act as though harry potter had any levell of deep thought put into it, when the actual explanation to everything is that jk rowling is incredibly shallow and obsessed with stereotypes, and a lazy story teller.
this post was submitted on 13 Apr 2025
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Because we grew up with it and nostalgia is hell of a drug.
Because it’s a fun universe and letting that entire universe die because the author wasn’t some phenomenal writer is unfortunate
It's not deep, but it's fun (mixed with nostalgia). If you don't like it, find something else to read or watch.
No one thinks Harry Potter had any deep level of thought put into its world building. Fictional universes can just be fun to think about regardless of depth. See StarWars for example.
Well, when she thought of all these concepts for this indivual book it was still intended to be a children's book. Rowling never wrote for an audience that would question her superficial world building, she wrote to impress elementary school kids.
For a better experience, I recommend LeGuinn’s Earthsea series, and of course Tolkien’s Hobbitt Lord of the Rings series. That’s where Rowling got most of her ideas anyway.
If you prefer fantasy/magic in a more contemporary setting, Jim Butcher’s “Dresden Files” is great.
Just a warning on Dresden Files, although it's one of my most favorite book series: The main character has a very old fashioned, borderline chauvanistic sense of chivalry especially early on in the series. And the books are written from the MC's perspective, meaning some real knuckleheaded descriptions of woman through the male gaze. I'd argue that it's intentional, but it is something I've seen turn people off the series.
The writing of female characters gets better over time (imo), and the MC is intended to be flawed. He suffers regularly and often for his flaws, numerous smart and dangerous ladies take advatage of his "chivalry", and he is called out directly on it many times.
It's best to treat the first two books as kind of one singular "prologue", as the writing quality makes a jump for the third book, and things start coalescing into the overarching plot then (which is a minor background element in the first two books).
It plays with detective and noir themes, so that means femme fatales. It mixes in fantasy magic. There are succubi. But the series regularly introduces characters as surface level stereotypes and then builds significant depth to them. Never thought I'd be concerned about the series's equivalent to Kingpin.
Arg. I already have a book backlog, but I think it's time to re-read them again.
It is intentional; when Jim Butcher writes from the perspective of different men, or of the women, the misogyny is noticeably absent.
And you’re right that Harry doesn’t get a free pass, either; Butcher does show how much trouble that attitude can cause. Harry’s character development was pretty well-done over the series, I think.
The fan base has well and truly left the shitstain's opinion in the dust and moves forward on I dividual head canon like crazy these days. Basically any post you see like this is based on years of community shit, not what Joanne actually wrote. Reclaiming a world they grew up with and all that
Kinda like CODA in TES lore but way more widespread
And magic, baby, is a metaphor
Hufflepuff were JK's perspective of the 'help', and it shows
Because it's the only book they have ever read.
Announcement
If you have an interest in Harry Potter, we would appreciate your input on potentially moving instances. Please feel free to chime in on this thread: Should we consider moving to another instance?
My advice would be to avoid moving to lemmy.world, if you do plan to move. Not because there's anything wrong with lemmy.world, but because there is a mildly concerning amount of centralization towards that server, and it would be better to spread out potentially popular communities a bit more.
Out of the instances you listed on the thread, literature.cafe seems like the best fit if your community does decide to move.
Agree with literature.cafe. Would love to stay on your own instance, but if that's infeasible, a smaller topic specific would be better
Thanks for your input!
Yeah, literature.cafe is what I'm leaning towards as well.
You know they have the good weed in Hufflepuff house, too.
That's why they're so close to the kitchens
puff where?