Posted by Robert Hill on December 24, 2005 at 01:03:53 from 195.92.168.165 user eclrh.
In Reply to: Re: Approaching Ransome (was Enid Blyton beats AR hands down) posted by Peter Ceresole on December 22, 2005 at 22:00:20:
I read the first of the 'Harry Potter' books some time ago. It would be impossible to ignore Rowling's amazing, historic success as a children's author. But the main thing that struck me about the one I read (I can't remember the title but as I say it was the first one)
The first one is HP and the Philosopher's Stone (Sorceror's Stone in the USA). If you at all liked it, I suggest you may well like the later ones even more. The characters age through the series to a more marked extent than AR's do. The writing style and some of the plot elements also become gradually less childish. I don't know of another children's series in which all these things happen in parallel.
Also, of course, the books get steadily bigger (except that 6 is slightly smaller than 4 and 5). Whether that's a good or bad thing depends on how big a fan one is. I'm a big enough fan to think it a good thing. As one critic pointed out, at least it proves Rowling isn't cashing in lazily on her success.