May 11, 2003

Potter Books 3 & 4
Matt F.

Disclaimer: I haven't checked this site for a while, so I just read through some of the HP/LOTR posts. I have one thing to say, not really even about the debate itself.

A lot of people mentioned reading the first book or two of the Harry Potter series, but no more. I would say that the later books are much deeper and more involved. After reading them, it is clear that Rowling is not just firing off sequels because the first books made big bucks. The entire seven book series forms a unified set with plot and character developments that must have been planned out in pretty fine detail from the very beginning.

HP and LOTR have a lot of the same elements, but the way the stories are told is very different. HP books are mysteries; LOTR is an epic quest. But the comparisons between the care Rowling and Tolkien take with their worlds and their stories makes much more sense as you get further into the HP series.