I am aware that the amount and quality of my writing has dipped recently. I would like to apologize, and announce that the reason why is the imminent posting of a very, very long essay containing my reactions to the Harry Potter phenomenon. This is the most necessary thing I have ever written, I know. Because not enough has been said about Harry Potter.
Screw y’all. It’s my culture blog, and I’ll write what I want to.
But, to give you a taste of what should hopefully be online within 24 hours, some samples:
on Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone:
“Consciously designed as ‘James and the Giant Peach at a wizard’s school,’ to such a degree that I really don’t think I would have noticed if Harry started talking to a giant centipede at some point.”
on Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets:
“The result is a numbing exchange of gimmicky setpieces with leaden hunks of prose. The good news is, Rowling had finally found her voice.
on Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban:
“Lupin. Lupine. Werewolf. Come the fuck on.”
on Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire:
“I felt all of the distaste for Harry that I would feel for a real 14 year-old boy, which I mean to be more of a compliment than it sounds.”
on Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix:
“There’s nothing wrong with Order of the Phoenix really, nothing that cutting about 60% out of it couldn’t cure.”
on Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince:
“If it’s not as good as Goblet of Fire, that’s because it clearly serves as the prelude to Harry Potter and the Cryptic MacGuffin, or whatever she titles it.”