Because in literary value - not the thing that matters, I know - LotR is far, far, far better. In amusement value, well, I much prefer LotR, but Potter isn't bad either.[/quote]

There's still nothing cheeky about it. Yet ironically there is cheek in putting your own opinion forward as an indisputable fact. Fact is if your friends believe the Potter universe is better than that's their right; there's no cheek about it.

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There's still nothing cheeky about it. Yet ironically there is cheek in putting your own opinion forward as an indisputable fact. Fact is if your friends believe the Potter universe is better than that's their right; there's no cheek about it.[/quote]

No, in terms of literary value Lord of the Rings is factually a more worthwhile set of books than Harry Potter, it's like comparing Romeo and Juliet to Twilight, you can think Romeo and Juliet is stupid and prefer Twilight, but Romeo and Juliet holds more literary worth, it isn't a matter of opinion.

While I agree that LotR is better in all aspects than HP, it is still someone's opinion that LotR holds more literary value. Just because a bunch of "academics" say something doesn't mean it is a fact.

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Literary value is not really a matter of opinion, there is no official list of canonical texts, nor are there academic scholars who choose what is and what isn't, it is based on common sense and objective analysis of the text more than anything. I doubt anyone would ever actually make an argument that a run-of-the-mill coming of age story written in the late 90's/early noughties, like Harry Potter, holds more literary value than any of Tolkein's work.

Yes, but it is still their opinion. Doesn't matter if the vast majority of people say something holds more literary value than something else, it's still an opinion.

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"Leave Sauron to me."
If you're in the Raleigh, NC area, let me know.

I always think that certain books or series of books are for certain times and very few stand the generational test. The true test of Harry Potter might be what the next generation think if it perhaps ?

Considering when Tokien did his writing it has obviously stood the test of time and is probably more popular now than it was in the past. For the generation that grew up with Harry Potter then this series of books might have been magical and even introduced them to reading. As such they have a value just for that reason alone.

I personally enjoyed the Harry Potter series but I have really enjoyed several books and series hat were supposedly written for children or teenagers. As a case in point I really loved the Edge Chronicles by Paul Stewart and Chris Riddell. I picked them up off my sons bookcase and really enjoyed them. I must have been 38 /39 at the time back in 1998. I liked them because they seemed very different to the norm.

At then end of the day, if you can lose yourself in a story then I feel that it doesn't really matter if it is derivative provided that for you, it's a good read.

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Azog

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