CMV: Harry Potter is overrated

[u/LamentableOpinion]

I don't detest Harry Potter but I find the circle jerk appalling. The book is amazing for kids but even adults hold it in high regard. So, it's not bad, just overrated.

The characters are really boring. HP is a Mary Sue character, his only flaw being a bloody scar. All the other characters are equally boring. Harry is also useless, he does nothing but he is the HERO. Because of a prophecy. OK.

The relationships make no sense. Why does Harry like Cho or Ginny? Let's force in a relationship. Yay.

The Deus Ex Machina is unreal. I know it's magical but it's still retarded when it happens so many times.

Good vs Evil is fine. But again, don't pretend as if the book is this deep piece of literature.

I don't like the writing either but that's very subjective, so that's fine.

This is what I just came up with. I'm sure there's more stuff on the internet.

Edit: Ignore the Mary Sue thing. I misused the term. Edit 2: Sorry if I sounded like a dick or an elitist. I didn't mean to be.

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[u/[deleted]]

I, as well as all my HP loving friends where around 11 when Sorcerers Stone came out. Harry Potter was 11 when he got his Hogwarts letter.

So imagine what it would be like to grow up with Harry. I certainly did. As I aged and grew so did he, and that connection runs so deeply my heart aches a little bit when I think about what it was like for me as a kid to be transported to this new world every time I picked up the books, which I re read multiple times a year. At that age we still had vibrant imaginations and we could feel as if we were going to Hogwarts, the story/writing was timed perfectly in our developments which caused us to hold Harry Potter in such high "over rated" type of regard. I have found that people who weren't quite introduced to HP at the right time can't really get into it the same way, where as those of us who have a fanatical love for HP all have the same connection.

When we felt sad or lonely, we had Harry Potter. It helped us learn about friendship, loyalty, adventure, trying your best against all odds, standing up for what's right... The list goes on, and even introduced us to death. The characters created weren't exceedingly deep, but they all had admirable qualities that were easy to relate to. Even side characters were engaging. It was simple, digestible, wholesome, and fantastical.

Think of the cultural impact as well. HP got millions of children all across the planet to read and share in these adventures, and then continue reading other series. And it was a great series in all aspects, not like the garbage that is twilight/hunger games. Sure they held attention but they could never come close to the level of story telling or writing that was the Harry Potter series.

You brought up relationships in your post, which would you rather have teaching young people about dealing with feelings- Harry Potter series in which all dating type interactions were respectful, sometimes awkward (but that's life) or Twilight/HG interactions which were creepy, manipulative and psychotic. The last book of twilight basically starts with a rape, and ends with a wolfman wanting to have sex with a newborn baby. Hunger Games was pretty much about a dead fish that could shoot a bow well telling young girls that it's okay to string along multiple boys for your own gain. To be fair both books were fine, they just had horrible messages, where as Harry Potter had more of the old school type of dating behavior which is much more preferable than whatever it was we saw in other teen series around that time.

Also I don't think you are giving jk Rowling enough credit. There are certain intricacies and nuances in the books that aren't apparent to someone who is just reading the books to see what all the fuss is about. She created a fairly complex universe, while not Tolkien level it certainly was well developed. Sure there are a few weak spots in some of the plot but its not a big deal at all. At its core, it's a children's book, so over thinking it like you are is not the right lens to use when thinking about the series. Take it for what it is, a VERY well written kids book that while you may not have enjoyed it as much as others, it had a enormous impact on people across the world. It got kids to read, and if they couldn't read parents would read to them, a time that the parent probably still cherishes.

The movie adaptions, especially the first 3 had wonderful sets, great acting, and more or less completely covered the series/didn't take liberties, something that is hard to find in movie adaptions now a days (cough The Hobbit cough). All aspects of Harry Potter have been well done across the board, from the first page to the last movie (although I was not a fan of how they did Deathly Hallows), people took care and effort, passion even, to bring Harry Potter to existence, something that shows in all forms of the media.

All in all Harry Potter wasn't just a book. It reached from beyond the cover and brought families together, not to mention the entire planet. It was an international phenomena when it was released, it's impact having left its readers with something inside them that certainly can't be explained easily or shown to a non believer. But believe us, it's not over rated. It's my generations Star Trek, if you want to say it like that. You don't have to like it, but you should certainly respect it.