Harry Potter is not literature?

Question

Harry Potter can be compared with Big Brother and American Idol.
It is a fad for people that are followers.

If you believe Harry Potter is literature please stop yourself from responding. I am interested in a more open mind. Dogma is a farce when related to a fad.

Answer 1

The books are definitely overrated. According to the "books & author" category on this site, you would think that "Harry Potter" & "The DaVinci Code" were the only books in print.
People need to stop reading the "flavor of the month" books & pick up a classic piece of literature once in a while. Maybe then they would discover the difference between real literature & fluff.

Answer 2

Any literary series or an author, for that matter, can become a fad. Try Stephen King when Carrie came out. That doesn't discount from it's value as literature.

The thing with any art is that there have to be fans for it to be considered any good. If nobody likes it, well, that would discount from its value. JK Rowling obviously struck a chord with a mass of readers. That alone is testament to her work's literary value. In addition, however, if you read the books, they are written as more than just children's books. Some feel, and I would agree, that she has talent as a writer. While we commonly think of "literature" as old writings, books from before our time - Chaucer, Shakespeare, even Mark Twain - one day people will be looking back on the works of our time (and already are) and the best works will also be considered "literature". If only due to their ability to appeal to a mass crowd, I'd imagine the Harry Potter books will become "literature", if you do not already consider them as such. I would characterize "literature" as any writing that has significant impact on a certain audience, or society in general. Clearly, Harry Potter meets those criteria.

As for TV shows having any value as art, I often discount them for being designed for a lesser audience, but they, too, have significant impact on our society. Though you may think they are crap (like I do), those TV shows have managed to appeal to a mass audience and entertain people. In that way, they have value as art. The thing that I feel makes a fad less valuable is that they do not hold the attention of the people. People lose interest. For Harry Potter, those books will always hold some significance in their readers' lives. TV shows rarely hold that distinction.

People become followers of all kinds of things. That doesn't automatically mean they have no value. Take, oh, the American Revolution. It's the following without consciously evaluating why that is the problem.

Answer 3

No, the Harry Potter books are a series of novels. Popular novels, but some of the best literature of history was pop lit in its time. Not that I'm saying the HP books will be on the shelf next to Dickens and Twain, but long after those tv shows are forgotten, kids will still be reading about Hogwarts.

I think it's pretty cool that there's this much fuss over a series of books. I mean, when was the last time that happened? Anything that promotes reading is all good, plus they're actually pretty well written.

Answer 4

From the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary

Literature- writings in prose or verse; especially : writings having excellence of form or expression and expressing ideas of permanent or universal interest (2) : an example of such writings

Fad- a practice or interest followed for a time with exaggerated zeal

Technically HP is literature. It could be a type of fad, but a very long one. Usually fads die out quickly.

However, if there was a “fad” I could get behind and support, I think a good book or series of books, which are well written and tell a good story would be it.

Answer 5

Harry Potter IS literature. It's a fictional novel series, just like works from Anne Rice or Stephen King or any other currently popular author. It's NOT to be taken as a Lifestyle Manual. It's for entertainment purposes ONLY.

Big Brother and American Idol are at least "reality" based.....this ISN'T! There's NO connection.

Answer 6

The catch is that when we talk about literature we usually mean something with lasting value. It's impossible to determine the lasting value of a book while its original popularity has kept it going. the question I think you're asking is whether or not these books will have a lasting value, like "Lord of the Rings" or if they will end up losing value over time, like what happened to "The Lovely Bones" and I anticipate will happen to "the Da Vinci Code" (which I really did enjoy).
Personally, I believe that Harry Potter will survive his original popularity. The rabid fandom will diminish, but the books will outlast all of us, and there will be crazies dressing up for potter conventions for years to come.

Answer 7

It's like "music." Some music last a long time and is admired and valued widely. Some has a following for a while and then is forgotten - but that does not make it "not music."

Harry Potter books are a popular phenomenon, but hardly great writing. However, they give millions of people a lot of pleasure, and have people actually reading actual books, so there is something to be said for them.

Answer 8

Guess what, they are great books that appeal to millions of children and adults alike. Rowling produced some international best sellers that have outsold pretty much any other fiction books out there. The success took her from unemployed home maker to billionaire. By any measure what Rowling did was amazing.

Your arguement that Harry Potter is not literature, is like trying to define art.

Answer 9

It can also be compared to the works of Stephen King and Danuielle Steele, as well as the offerings of RL Stine

It is still a good book and, since it is printed, counts as literature, despite your feelings to the contrary.

Answer 10

Harry Potter is still literature because it is based on a Book.