Just to clarify before a war starts in this thread, I'd like to say that, while I think that OP had lousy taste in literature, and that I don't understand why someone wouldn't like Harry Potter, I was actually joking about him deserving verbal abuse and being shined by his friend over something as trivial as a children's book. His friends sound really immature.

Anyone who berates you just because you don't have the same literary tastes, deserves to be berated

So if someone doesn't like a certain genre of books, they should be berated? Wow society today is awful.

So he deserved to get hate for having different opinion? You're a real asshole if you have that mindset and I hated Harry Potter too.

Read my follow up comment, guys. Oh, and before you point it out, *shunned

Hey every person is entitled to their own opinion. Just because he doesn't have the same interest as the rest of the world doesn't mean he should receive tons of abuse. I personally think Harry Potter was a wonderful series, but not so much as to hate someone for disliking it. It's just a book.

Everyone is taking this comment way to seriously.

10, unless OP is a child...I don't see how an adult disliking a 'children's book', as you so aptly put it, is a sign of lousy literary taste.

Personally I'm not a big fan of Harry potter in my opinion the only good book was the 5th and the only reason they're so popular is because the movies were actually pretty good.

There are plenty of children's books that are widely acclaimed classics: "Where the Wild Things Are," "Peter Rabbit," "The Chronicles of Narnia," "The Adventures of Winnie the Pooh," etc... Although they are written at an elementary shool level, they are brilliant works, and children and adults alike world wide enjoy them. I say OP has bad taste in literature because that's my opinion, and it's OP's opinion that "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" is a bad book. We are both entitled to our opinions, however neither of us deserve to be verbally abused it shunned by our friends for our different opinions, because opinions are subjective, and, (within reason) it's not wrong to have your own opinion, as unpopular add that opinion may be.

*as

71, Yes. Yes, they are. Petiole are trying to argue with me about it, even after I said I was joking. Weird...

**** Swype! *People.

It's all about the shire!!!

Harry Potter isn't even literature. It's pulp, fluff; mindless poorly-written drivel designed to entertain the young and simple-minded and bleed money from the pockets of their parents. There is nothing of literary merit there, only plot holes, cliches, deus ex machina, and wanton disregard for anything resembling good storytelling.

^ Troll

Please never say that the movies were better. Ever.

No, gracehi, NO ONE is "entitled" to their opinion.

You're all a bunch of ******* idiots! Did you not see the second comment in this thread where it explicitly states comment #1 was a joke, specially to avoid this reactions?! #139, would you rather prefer brlliant novels such as ''50 Shades of Twilight'' too add to your fine taste in litterature then?

139 - Not saying I agree or disagree with your comment, but I'd like to know what YOU consider good literature?

What you don't understand is, many people need an escape and in times of need Harry Potter was there for them. For the people who grew up with it, it's more than just a story, it reminds them of their childhood. If you don't understand people's connections to fictional characters now, you never will. It is the greatest and the worst thing in the world.

#139 has most definitely never ever read Harry Potter.

I totally agree. Think about it. Most of us were Harry Pot-heads right around 9/11 I know I buried myself in many of the books because reading was better than watching depressing tv as a kid. Videos of people dying and jumping out of a doomed burning building, adults everywhere talking about how the government this, terrorist that. HP was a sanctuary to me. I don't care want anyone else says. You can love or hate HP but you have to admit as a franchise the books were a great escape. I felt the smallest twinge of happiness and desire turning 11 and checking the mail. It gave a feeling of wonderment and happiness that kids needed. I needed. And yea there's people that don't like it. But go back to being a kid in the 2000s and tell me you didn't need something to look forward to like the Barnes and Nobles midnight book parties, finishing the book to talk with your friends, having your favorite character to dress up as for Halloween. The books were great. I respect people for hating them. But don't say they were just pop fodder. You gotta admit the books were magical to those who needed something to believe in.

The movies were shit compared to the books imo.

163- This gave me the chills because I totally understand what you mean

91... You know that they made movies BECAUSE the books were popular, right?

151, Wait, what? Oh no! I've been doing it wrong all these years! *deletes facebook account*

Not to mention The Hobbit.

******* A. I meant to add to the point about children's novels being as beautifully (and a lot of the time more beautifully) written then adults books and there is nothing wrong with enjoying them, and everything wrong with the people who refuse to read them or hate on them because they're "kids books." Case in point: The Hobbit. Harry Potter. Chronicles of Narnia. Three pieces of literature (counting Narnia and HP as individual) that are the most popular on this earth, among ALL generations. More beautifully written then every book for adult I have ever read. And the reason people fall in love with literature like this is because its the ultimate form of escapism. And who would rather have no imagination than not be able to immerse themselves in Middle Earth, Narnia or Hogwarts?

I feel like they were all berating OP jokingly. I don't believe so many people would get worked up over it.

While I agree completely with your point, 186, I don't think the LOTR series falls into the category of childrens' literature. MAYBE they could be classified as young adult books, but I'd say they're written for more mature readers.

Wow. The first book was amazing. Actually, they were all good. The movies were good too even though they left stuff out of the book. For example, the whole beginning part on the first book was left out If I remember correctly. Also, again with the spinning top thing in the 3rd book which spins when danger is near or was it someone who was not trustworthy? It is still good.

188, I didn't say the LOTR series in my comment. JRR Tolkien wrote The Hobbit for his young children, having made up the story as a bedtime story for his young (and I must stress young) children. Yes, LOTR is classified by most as an adult series but it spans multiple generations. And although they both take place in the same world, and LOTR technically is a sequel to The Hobbit, The Hobbit is technically a stand alone novel, yes parts of the book are major threads and plot points of the later book, but it wasn't supposed to be a series, most people just group them together, which is acceptable I suppose. If the criteria were Stories of Middle Earth. Although, then I suppose the series would also be a lot larger then just the two books.

Also please don't take that offensively, I'm just backing up my point.. Although I need to think of a better way to put it then backing up, because those sound like fighting words, and they're really not :p

No offense taken. I get what you're saying and it makes sense.

What a beautiful sentiment, I too recall escaping from life in literature ; whatever form possible. To journey away from the pains of life into a mystical wonderland is what the joy of reading is about.

Small candle turns into wildfire.

I agree. I grew up with HP. I imagine I have much more of a connection with the books than someone older.

The Hobbit was written for children... the others weren't.

Damn, I wish I could read.

I think you got it mixed up with Twilight

258, thank you.. For reiterating what I already said. What a waste of a comment.

Harry Potter is more than a children's book. It's some people's entire childhood, their only friends, adventures, and escapes from reality. Do not downplay something like that. And never underestimate the gargantuan fandom of Harry Potter.

OP isn't the only one who hates the book, but at least he gave it a chance. Really? "Abuse" someone for not liking a piece of literature? There are better things to read (I don't mean the Twilight series).

just saying, potter fans take that shit personally. we care. has nothing to do with taste and more to do with the fact we feel potter is life, and you're desecrating that. hahaha XP

Yeah, but what if he's just a Tolkien guy? Not bad taste, just different taste.

Well I can understand anyone saying that any book is bad, that's opinion, but you seem to be saying it was difficult to read. You do realize that it's a children's book, right? That's a bit sad.

I think what she meant was that she disliked it to the point that it was painful to continue...

#28- Your comment was a pain to read. I must be illiterate.

What is society coming to?! Harry Potter used to be the coolest thing since floppy disks!

#2 youre so pretty... i don't care how many negative votes do you have for not even finishing tbe book i still like you lol

^stalk her enough and she might become your girlfriend.

#28 I want to point out that it wasn't actually intended as a children's book. That was the marketers' decision.

Yes #37 thanks for pointing that out....

It's ok 2, I've never even read the books, and have only watched the first 15 mins of the very first part of the HP series then I stopped. I got bored. No one's forced to like anything.

I feel like there are some very uncreative, dull people on this thread.

#108, although I respect it if you don't like the series, but I don't think that watching the first fifteen minutes of every movie is going to give you a good idea what the movies are about..

131, and what are you basing your theory on? Whether we like harry potter or not? Yeah that sounds legit! 134 I totally agree. But sometimes, by watching just the beginning, you will know whether you'll enjoy the rest of the movie or not. No one knows your own taste in movies more than you do. Also, after seeing the previews of the other series, It still didn't intrigue me that much that made me want to watch it. Other movies have caught my attention within the first 5-10 minutes of it. I guess HP is just not meant for me.

me neither. I think it's all lame ass fantasy shit like those nerds who dress like & act like they're in the 1800s & "fight" each other with plastic swords. really??!! that's just as bad as pointing a wand at someone & speaking in a fictitious language. how about you people actually educate yourselves with an actually textbook.

#185 Your comment is ironic as hell. Also, nerds? What are you, in 6th grade?

185- Coming from the moron who brought to you "actually textbook". Quit being a close minded douche, it makes you smell like a hypocrite.

#185 - Perhaps you should invest in a grammar textbook. And the spells you call "fictitious language" are actually mostly derived from Latin.

I'm also not into Harry Potter, it's not my thing, but the books are written phenomenally and I don't think it's possible to diss J.K. Rowling, she is an author is amazing.... However, people do have the right to stage their opinion....This FML has started a shit storm :S

Umm... 185, you do realize that they used Latin for the spells, right? Also, you are telling us (us meaning HP fans of course) that we need to pick up a textbook? That's pretty ironic. Just look at your comment. The grammar is horrendous and you said "actually textbook."

I have to say #134, after watching 15 minutes of Twilight I knew it was bad. In that case the 15 minute rule does not apply, but I agree for most movies you should watch more than 15 minutes.

I didn't particularly enjoy the first few books, but the later installments stopped me from reading any more.

It was painful for me to read also because I just don't like Rowling's writing style

I like the movies better than the books

I think the age you are when you read them plays a part. When the books first came out I loved them but I was in 6th grade when the first book came out. I've reread them a few times since and I think if it wasn't for nostalgia I wouldn't have liked them at all.

Harry Potter is so boring though. I was never drawn in by the story at all. I read the first book and watched the films, but the whole time I was painfully aware that they WERE books and WERE films. I never got drawn in to the world like with other stuff. LOTR FOR LIFE!

50 points from you, 35!

#3, what an ironic use of the word! A lot of churchy types think Harry Potter IS blasphemy!

I'm not a fan of Harry Potter. Not because of the books itself, which are perfectly fine, but because of the elitist, pretentious nature of its fanbase and the fact that anyone who voices a different opinion that theirs is immediately bashed into oblivion. TL; DR: I like the series but dislike the fans

#128, why do you call them "elitist?" It seems that anyone can read the books and no one seems to be excluded from reading them. Also, they are written for children, so it's hard to call them pretentious. I can see why you might not like rabid fans who will tolerate no criticism of the series, but your adjectives for the fan base seem to be poor choices.

Okay...#35. I agree that LOTR is for life- but Harry Potter is still good :)

Haha, too many Harry Potter fans on the internet. It's not BAD, I just don't find it interesting. Apparently a difference of opinion with a rabid Potter fan is like a difference of opinion with a religious extremist!

#136: They are elitist because they believe that anyone who doesn't like the series has inferior taste, and they are pretentious for exactly the reason you stated: it's a children's book. A well-written children's book, but a children's book nonetheless. The fans, however, treat it as though it is the highest echelon of modern-day literature.

To be fair, the same could be said about any and all fandoms. Fans get passionate about what they love. It's just more noticeable in the Potter fandom because a lot of the fans grew up with the series and have strong emotional ties to it. Harry Potter was an escape for me during a period of time when life was hard to deal with. It made things that were fantasy seem a little real and gave me hope that whatever bad things I was dealing with, things would get better. Harry was such a relatable character for me because he felt alone and he had to struggle with a burden that was all his own, something that I felt was true for me and that I've come to realize is true for a lot of the fans.

Well yeah, a lot of fandoms are like that, but if anything that's even worse

explaining a joke is like dissecting a frog. you learn more about it but the frog dies in the process.

I think its more along the lines of time for a new boyfriend OPGF

So you're saying that vivisection is the way to go?

Or 50 shades of Grey

Or "Sweet Temptation" by Maya Banks

Yeah but then him disliking it would be understandable and no one would've shunned him.

Because a sparkling dead vampire that can get a living human pregnant is consistent.

Do you really want to sit down and point out all the things wrong with Twilight? Because after four books and five movies I can easily do that.

No, because liking Twilight gets you the same results as hating Harry Potter

Twilight does not have anywhere near the "internal logical consistency" of Harry Potter. Stephanie Meyer even wrote about the characters living on the west coast of Brazil. My grasp of geography isn't the greatest but Brazil is the fifth largest country in the world and thus you should be able to see, quite plainly, that it doesn't have a west coast.

No. The joke about hipsters is that they did it BEFORE it was cool. OP is clearly years late to the Harry Potter party so it doesn't work here...

The joke is they don't like things that are too "mainstream" which HP clearly is.

Until timeturners are introduced and the plot is torn wide open.

Owls...owls everywhere

on the bright side.... no post on Sundays

Nah, I'd shun OP too for his filthy muggle behavior.

It's actually not just a book. Wizards are re- *gets arrested by ministry*