I am a big fan of the Harry Potter movies and just tonight my ma tells me that she picked up a copy of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince for me while I was taking my GMAT test on Saturday. Naturally I was excited and felt 'special' for now owning a copy. However, that happiness quickly turned to sadness because I don't own and haven't read any of the other books. I was wondering who out there has read both the books and seen the movies and what they think of them!?

BOOKS

MOVIES

I've tried reading the first two books, but neither interested me past a few chapters. The movies were no different for me. Columbus hasn't made a decent film since Home Alone 2 and Mrs. Doubtfire IMO.

I don't think I ever made it past the first chapter of the first book, but that's just me.

I have three friends that are huge fans of Harry Potter, both the books and the movies...they're the kind that would dress up as a character to go to some fan club meeting...

Anyway, I've never really talked with them much about which they like better, but two of them bought the newest book as soon as they could, and one read it in about 1 or 2 days' time, so I guess they do enjoy the book versions.

Books


Movies

The first time I tried reading Harry Potter, it was several years ago. I read the very beginning of Sorcerer's Stone, but it made me angry because I didn't understand anything. I put it down, and picked it back up a year later actually giving it a chance. I thought it was OK, so I decided to move on to the next book, and now here I am, I just bought book six. I enjoy reading them, although I'm not much into fantasy and magical crap, J.K. Rowling keeps me interested.

Never read the books, but the movies themselves are OK but I did admit I quite enjoyed the last one. Maybe its because they actually hired a director with style, bravado, and which didn't simply aimed a camera and yelled "action". Really, it had energy that the previous movies lacked.

1 day or 2!? Geez, that kid needs to get out more Raggingbull, what didn't you like about the movies? The thing I wish they'd do is make the movies longer. I believe all of them (and possibly the 4th) will be 2 and a half hours. The 4th book is the longest out of the 4 movies and I had heard they originally were either going to make it a 3 hour movie, or split it in to 2 hour movies kinda like Kill Bill. I like that idea because you get more and can make 2 movies out of the rest instead of cutting out so much and cramming it into 2.5 hours. The reason for the time censor, children won't be able to sit through a 3 or 4 hour movie. Oh well. What are they going to do with the last 3 Potter books when they're even longer than The Goblet of Fire?

Irish, I talked to the kid who "needs to get out more" today, and I actually told her that I'd mentioned her on here and what you said, because I knew she'd get a kick out of it. Anyway, she said that (in her opinion, of course) the books are way better than the movies. I just remembered she'd said this and thought you might like to know...

Tell her thank you. The seller who I won the books from on eBay is going to send them out Saturday and they only live in Jersey, so hopefully I'll get them early next week. I'm trying to finish up on The Hobbit so when I get the Potter books I can jump right in with book 1. Tell her I'm very impressed that she read that 650-700 page book in a day or 2! I was thinking to myself last night I could never read that much in 2 days. I just couldn't concentrate on it that long, I'd have to change my routine. Watch a movie, post on this message board, lay around and do NOTHING, but I couldn't sit there hours on end reading. But that's just me.

I purchased the first four books from Wal-Mart yesterday (they sold out of book 5 and Half Blood Prince). I plan on getting those two today if they ordered somemore. I read the first three chapters of Sorcerer's Stone last night, and its very intriguing. The Goblet of Fire is intimidating me though, seeing as it's 734 pages!

I just looked up Order of the Phoenix. It's over 800 pages! Ah well, its better than playing videogames I guess. :p

How close is the movie's beginning to the book?

Just finished reading Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone today. I started it on Wednesday and am very proud that I finshed it in just 4 days. A very fun and exciting book that was hard to put down. The movie was pretty much dead on when you compare it with the book, except for a few minor changes here and there which is to be expected. I plan on starting Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets tomorrow

I read about half of the first book and highly disliked it. The films held no interest for me.

The first book that i read was number 2, them 3, 4, 5, 6 and now 1. I absolutely love them, and have really felt harry potter grow up. I really feel that it should go on. J.K Rowling has said that she is going to bring out one last book out. When i got to the end of the 6th book i was so sad it only took me 2 wks to read! (Non-stop reading of course!)The ending of IT really made me cry (nearly) My favourite would have to be the 6th one. I think that it is the biggest book as well after the 5th one.

I find the movies great but i would have to say that they are not as good as the books. The films sometimes go on a bit but now that harry is getting older he tends to make me laugh more as he is good with his jokes. The first film i found really cool but he was just so young and now he is older he is a bit more down to earth.!
So really i will keep reading the books over and over again.

TIP
Read it on holiday. Thats what i did and it only took me 2 wks to read the 6th! As you dont have to go to work/school etc.

This is the best

I thought the movies were alright. I've seen them all, but only once. I tried reading the books once but they just didn't do it for me. My wife, on the other hand, is a big fan of the books and the movies (which is why I've seen them all).

When you read the book you have to try and get past the first two chapters because sometimes they are a bit hard to undertand but you will get them after a bit!

Oh I read five or six chapters, but I never really got into it. I'm not much for fantasy though.

Im not into fantasy much either. But i love harry potter! lol

I believe length wise from biggest to smallest it goes: book 5, 4, 6, 3, 2, 1

Yeah, do you know why we can't delete our own posts anymore?

I think it would get a lot of people confused if people kept deleting

Again, never read the books, just seen the films.

SORCERER's/PHILOSIPHER'S STONE (2001) - **1/2
CHAMBER OF SECRETS (2002) - **1/2
PRISONER OF AZKABAHN (2004) - ***1/2
GOBLET OF FIRE (2005) - ****

The first two features from Chris Columbus are a representations of him as a director, for better or for worse. He is reliable in a financial sense, but thats it. His style consists of pointing a camera, shooting, then cut. If anything, I nickname him "Mr. Polaroid".

But yet Charon, almost the younger Latin version of Terry Gilliam, finally gave that massive fantasy universe some real organic energy and well, style to it. Then the veteran Mike Newell further dwelled into the rising maturity of the universe than Charon's big toe dip into the river, with promise that things aren't gonna get any better for our protagonists.

Agreed.

Although I haven't found time for the last two books, I greatly enjoyed the first few.

Mista, I'm currently reading book 5 right now and I think the hardest thing is just picking it up and getting going (if you have the time). Once you do, it'll be hard to put down. I've read 10 chapters already since last Sunday when I started and I'm going to try to finish it by the end of the month so I can read book 6 as well before I go back to Texas for school in August

Perhaps . . .

Irishman, once youv read them all we could maybe talk about them. And what you liked about them and what you didnt like.

Sure. There wasn't much difference in books 1-3 from the films but there is in book 4 since they had to cut so much out

Once youv read the book 6 you will be thinking will the film be like this the book is great.