Reasons Why You Shouldnt Diss Harry Potter

so i met this dude who was all, harry potter isnt literature, and it sorted of got me really agitated because he was comparing hp to lord of the rings, a piece of literature i havent read. in the person's opinion (and im paraphrasing here), harry potter is crap. here's why it's not.

1. the level of english used isnt literature.

i agree with the fact that the type of english used is quite plain and simple, but no one can say that that is what disqualifies it from being literature. firstly, HP is meant for a children's audience, and children dont have a wide-ranging vocabulary. it is another thing that it was a book and a franchise that caught on and is now equally loved by adults. if you diss the language used in HP, you diss the other classic children's authors as well- like Blyton and Dahl. are their works not considered literature? ultimately, its not about what kind of words you use. its about how well you use them, how well you weave them and as simplistically as possible, capture the imagination of a mind.

2. tolkien wrote LoR while serving as a solider in WW1, while bullets were being fired.

SO? rowling wrote the book as a penniless single mom who was pretty much at the mercy of the cafe owner, also based on her imagination. that conditions should be taken into account while writing literature are important, but again, ultimately it is the resulting piece of work that comes off it.

3. values.

unlike SO many kids' books out there, HP returns to a very old-school value that has almost vanished from our midst- the triumph of good over evil. perhaps even our children need to be trained to the world's cynical ways; maybe that's why so much of kiddie literature is deviating from the imagination to stories of real-life stuff with a bit of added personality- like the Red Bus that Can Talk or the Bag That Was a Bully. few books combine the best of 2 entities- values and imagination and blend so well to create something so unique and complete. it promotes lasting friendship, the perseverance to keep going at a relationship no matter how strained times are, companionship, loyalty, hardships, challenges, uncertainties, and the mundane life experiences, though not half as magical as at Hogwarts, to be cherished as something that one can never return again to. 

4. we grew up with it!

granted the whole line-up-at-5am to collect the first copies thing was taking it a bit too far, but we grew up with each and every book. each year there were 2 things to look forward to- how good the next book would be and how bad the next film. the excitement about the graphics, the ominous overtones in the music, the plot and where the Hoxcruxes could be, what would happen next, who would die in the next book, it was ALL so thrilling and taking. not to mention, EVERYONE was reading it, so it was a conversation starter as well. one can argue that it's a populist piece of literature, but hello, is twilight even bearable? yeah, didnt think so.

5. ron weasley

you know it. (;