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Not helpful, dude, not helpful at all...
So this guy at the "New York Times" has opinions about adults reading books written for young adults.
To him I say this: you should spend less time worrying about what people are reading and more time concerned that hardly anyone is reading at all (and those that do should be applauded, not made to feel embarrassed for their choices, you unmitigated douche).
As you can probably tell, this article got me a bit fired up. ;)
I remember when the novel "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" was released people were positively shocked that a book had a higher opening weekend then the blockbuster movie at the time... and that I find just sad. Not that HP out sold the movies, oh no, that made me ecstatic, but that people were so shocked that it did.
If there is one thing I would wish for my daughter, it's that she finds the joy in reading. That she feels that delight in finding something that captivates her, sets her imagination free, and that her relationship with books becomes a life-long partnership.
When I read nonfiction, I do it to learn something. When I read fiction? I do it for fun. Reading is my escape. And reading the Harry Potter novels was the most fun I'd had reading in a long time at the time they came out. I enjoyed them, they engaged me, I consider every hour spent reading them an hour well spent... I was already an adult when the first book was released.
I wouldn't suggest reading the "Twilight" series for the simple fact that they are horrible story-telling and set a terrible precedent for young girls, not because of the demographic for which they were written. But that's besides the point. My point is this, some of the greatest books out there were written for young adults. "Huck Finn", "To Kill a Mockingbird", "Call of the Wild", "Catcher in the Rye", "Anne of Green Gables", and yes, very much the "Harry Potter" series. Very much.
So, yes, this is for you, Joel Stein (this macro had me busting up when I saw someone else use it for the same article and was a good relief from some of the anger the article inspired)...
To him I say this: you should spend less time worrying about what people are reading and more time concerned that hardly anyone is reading at all (and those that do should be applauded, not made to feel embarrassed for their choices, you unmitigated douche).
As you can probably tell, this article got me a bit fired up. ;)
I remember when the novel "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" was released people were positively shocked that a book had a higher opening weekend then the blockbuster movie at the time... and that I find just sad. Not that HP out sold the movies, oh no, that made me ecstatic, but that people were so shocked that it did.
If there is one thing I would wish for my daughter, it's that she finds the joy in reading. That she feels that delight in finding something that captivates her, sets her imagination free, and that her relationship with books becomes a life-long partnership.
When I read nonfiction, I do it to learn something. When I read fiction? I do it for fun. Reading is my escape. And reading the Harry Potter novels was the most fun I'd had reading in a long time at the time they came out. I enjoyed them, they engaged me, I consider every hour spent reading them an hour well spent... I was already an adult when the first book was released.
I wouldn't suggest reading the "Twilight" series for the simple fact that they are horrible story-telling and set a terrible precedent for young girls, not because of the demographic for which they were written. But that's besides the point. My point is this, some of the greatest books out there were written for young adults. "Huck Finn", "To Kill a Mockingbird", "Call of the Wild", "Catcher in the Rye", "Anne of Green Gables", and yes, very much the "Harry Potter" series. Very much.
So, yes, this is for you, Joel Stein (this macro had me busting up when I saw someone else use it for the same article and was a good relief from some of the anger the article inspired)...