Potter Schmotter*--Edited

I know that many of you--heck, maybe all of you--love the Harry Potter books, and have been waiting impatiently for this latest book to be released. But I must confess: I just do not understand it.

I read the first book, and I enjoyed it. But I enjoyed it in a I'm-reading-a-kid's-book kind of way. I had no real desire to purchase the second book once I finished it.

So tell me, what's the obsession all about? Is it just being part of something that so many other people enjoy? Like what fun it used to be to talk about the latest Friends episode with your buddies at work? Or is it the escapism of it? The pretending I don't have so many boring responsibilities and wanting to be a wizard for a few days?

I don't think--and maybe I'm wrong here--that it has much to do with the literary aspect of the books. Right? I mean, they I are kids' books, even if adults read them too. And I don't remember being particularly impressed with Rowlings writing style, though I really have no room to judge.

Every now and then (well, about once or twice a decade), I pull out my old favorites to re-read. "Where the Fern Grows", "Tuck Everlasting", "A Day No Pigs Would Die", "Danny, Champion of the World"--these are all books that I loved as a kid and that I still enjoy, very occasionally. But I think that I like them more for what they remind me of (being a kid) than for what the book is about. And given the choice between re-reading one of those, and reading a new book, I will always choose the new book.

Again, I reveal myself as a true dork and leave it to all of you to rescue me from my oblivion and explain Harry Potter to me!


*I swear, I had this post all written in my head long before I saw Tertia's post about the same thing!

Edit: In no way was this post meant to disparage those of you who do enjoy HP. I have nothing against the books at all and of course it's great if they make kids think reading is cool. I just honestly don't understand the attraction.