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theblueboy

RoundTheBend wrote:

Common for our age group. "Stupid kids books" was kinda the initial response if you were mid-teens or older when they came out.

And yes, I'm glad my wife was a totally HP nerd and got me into it about a decade later like before about half the movies or so started coming out, so it was fun to read and then go watch for the last 5 movies or something.

Not a fan, tbh, of the new stuff though. But that initial series is gold/Tolkien level good, imo. She grafts so many linguistic and historical stuff into the books like he did... it's great.

True, young adult stuff is better for early teens and older adults. Actual young adults are too self-serious to enjoy these books Laughing

Yeah, I think the series (I’ve now finished) measures up well compared to any other classic fantasy saga. I ultimately prefer it to LOTR. There isn’t a character as good as Snape in Tolkien. Not even close. Also, Rowling somehow always sticks the landing in each book. You don’t quite get those satisfying reveals in any other fantasy I’ve read.

theblueboy

Gowi wrote:

First Harry Potter book came out when I was in 6th or 7th grade. I thought myself above them. I was right.

But I was also reading way above my reading level and was a little too smug about it at the time. I stuck to my Three Musketeers and such while kids talked about Harry Potter. In retrospect, JKR coming out as a Thatcherite conservative and transphobic bigot just makes me giggle. Gives me more validation.

I see no evidence of this.

Gowi
The Most Trusted Name in News

Gender: Female
Age: 34
Location: Detroit

theblueboy wrote:

Gowi wrote:

First Harry Potter book came out when I was in 6th or 7th grade. I thought myself above them. I was right.

But I was also reading way above my reading level and was a little too smug about it at the time. I stuck to my Three Musketeers and such while kids talked about Harry Potter. In retrospect, JKR coming out as a Thatcherite conservative and transphobic bigot just makes me giggle. Gives me more validation.

I see no evidence of this.

Then you haven't been paying attention. As a transperson I am too tired to explain all of the evidence. And there is a lot of them. But I don't expect people who this stuff doesn't effect to be informed.

theblueboy

Gowi wrote:

theblueboy wrote:

Gowi wrote:

First Harry Potter book came out when I was in 6th or 7th grade. I thought myself above them. I was right.

But I was also reading way above my reading level and was a little too smug about it at the time. I stuck to my Three Musketeers and such while kids talked about Harry Potter. In retrospect, JKR coming out as a Thatcherite conservative and transphobic bigot just makes me giggle. Gives me more validation.

I see no evidence of this.

Then you haven't been paying attention. As a transperson I am too tired to explain all of the evidence. And there is a lot of them. But I don't expect people who this stuff doesn't effect to be informed.

Well I have been paying some attention but I also still need to learn more. Thanks for those links, I will read them.

Skinny
birdman_handrub.gif

Ten Thousand Apologies is an amazing (auto)biography of a very much not amazing band.

Deffo worth checking out if you have any interest in the types of troubled characters that made up the post-Libertines London indie rock scene. I picked up the book because I used to see the Fat Whites at house parties in Hackney and Stoke Newington - and they were pretty much always the most fucked up people in the function. Never mates, nor even on nodding terms, but we have several mutual friends.

The book is far better than I could’ve anticipated.
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Skinny
birdman_handrub.gif

Also, JK Rowling deffo a transphobe. Not up for debate. The accusation of Thatcher-worship is much weaker.
_________________
2021 in full effect. Come drop me some recs. Y'all know what I like.

Applerill
Autistic Princess <3

Gender: Female
Age: 29
Location: Chicago

Gowi
The Most Trusted Name in News

Gender: Female
Age: 34
Location: Detroit

Skinny wrote:

Also, JK Rowling deffo a transphobe. Not up for debate. The accusation of Thatcher-worship is much weaker.

It is weaker, but I think there is still foundation of the argumentation based on how she keeps going further into conservative fundamentalism. It's even somewhat in her literature, though I admit it is a bit of a reach and I'm not too interested in as a writer (which I am) or as a critic dissecting Harry Potter of all things.

RoundTheBend
I miss the comfort in being sad

Location: Ground Control

Applerill wrote:

I am indeed a man child who only truthfully understands vanilla, and not for lack of trying, which makes me respect the 2-6 universe much much more.

theblueboy

theblueboy wrote:

Gowi wrote:

theblueboy wrote:

Gowi wrote:

First Harry Potter book came out when I was in 6th or 7th grade. I thought myself above them. I was right.

But I was also reading way above my reading level and was a little too smug about it at the time. I stuck to my Three Musketeers and such while kids talked about Harry Potter. In retrospect, JKR coming out as a Thatcherite conservative and transphobic bigot just makes me giggle. Gives me more validation.

I see no evidence of this.

Then you haven't been paying attention. As a transperson I am too tired to explain all of the evidence. And there is a lot of them. But I don't expect people who this stuff doesn't effect to be informed.

Well I have been paying some attention but I also still need to learn more. Thanks for those links, I will read them.

I found the article from The Week quite helpful. It mentioned a few things I wasn’t aware of but ultimately does not change my opinion at this point. I don’t want to defend Rowling’s position as she is completely one sided on a very two sided and emotive debate. However, I don’t think that there is evidence at this point of transphobia. I am happy to keep reflecting and learning about this issue though.

The twitter thread I found a bit impenetrable. It makes several pedantic points in my view and does not present a coherent argument for me.

The other article (ITM) has a headline that scans as being factually inaccurate. On that basis, I’m not going to read it.

I do respect the fact that Rowling has been completely one-sided and that this causes problems. I just see this in lots of people related to lots of issues. I don’t think that Rowling’s stance justifies the way she has been denigrated online and turned into a hate figure whatsoever.

Like I said though, I am not an authority and remain eager to learn more. I respect that you are personally effected by this issue and better informed than me about this. Though still I think the evidence points towards Rowling being a single-minded feminist rather than being transphobic.

I can’t see a single reference to Thatcherism anywhere. Seems like a non-starter.