Article by a Portuguese author about HP

[Ritsu]

I don't know if I said this, but most writers and so-called intelectuals around here are constantly criticizing JKR and her work. The reason? They don't give one. They just say they don't like it and that it's bad. Which leads most of us to think that they don't even bother to read it. And this one critic I tottaly hate even used the word franchising.

So this is what a Portuguese author, Alice Vieira, who writes children/teenage books - really good ones, by the way, I was a fan and we actually sent letters to each other before I turned into a lazy person - wrote on her column at Jornal de Notícias, a Portuguese newspaper.

What if we read Harry Potter?[/u]
by Alice Vieira

I know 1700 characters is something minimum to say whatever you want to say, but, even so, I'll leave here here in defense of J.K. Rowling because, as the brazilians say, my bag is filled with what's being written about her. It's not like the lady needs my defense for anything, but well, I just get deeply offended when my fellow writers truly dispise "Harry Potter", with affirmations like "didn't read it and didn't like it". I haven't found a positive critic on our newspapers about the Hogwarts adventures. Nobody's read it - but oh!, they keep saying how bad it is, how that is no interest to anyone... and the fact is, as much as it may hurt to anyone who belongs to the writing world, that stuff is really good. And it wouldn't be bad at all if they took these holidays to grab one of those enormous volumes and finally find why those stories get us, poor dumb Muggles, at the very first read.
Of course J.K. Rowling has, for now, three disadvantages that assure her a desdained look from her partners: she's blonde, pretty and makes a lot of money. Besides that, she doesn't write books to save the world, nor to win the Nobel Prize. She writes them - oh!, blasphemy! - for her amusement and the amusement of those who read her. But she writes them well, with a criativity that is - and should be - a lesson for all of us. Does she have an amazingly powerful publicitary machine behind her? Oh yes, she does, and we'd be damned if we didn't wish we had one either. Are there people out there whose works should deserve the same sort of attention? I'm sure there are, but that's not what this is about. It's about - let's be really, really honest - a huge attack of jealousy.[/color]

And there you go. *claps*

[Sarah]

lol. that's an awesome article. i can see how you like her and enjoy her writings. she's a damn funny woman. what affect did this have on the other journalists/critics? do you know?

[Ritsu]

Not that I know of

I don't think authors, critics and intellectuals really do feel affected by whatever's written about their opinions. As long as they have all the liberty in the world to go on saying whatever they want about things they don't even know about, everything's fine for them. And the column Alice Vieira writes in is a public opinion one. I don't think so-called intellectuals read public opinions. They annoy me so much. They keep saying the society's full of stereotypes, but they're the ones who make those stereotypes. What could be more conceited than criticizing something without even knowing it? And they do act like that towards Harry Potter, she's not exaggerating. It's something they assume to be for kids. And since it's for kids, it's not worth reading. So they don't read it. But they keep saying it sucks.

I want to see what film critics say now that GoF has been rated PG-13. Not that PG-13 is a big thing, but at least it means that something there is not for children anymore. I suppose the ratings will be higher and higher as the story progresses.

[Sarah]

That's true....about the stereotypes...grr, i hate 'em. and yeah, the people who normally complain about stereotypes 'cause them. i hate blonde stereotypes, but i've been known to act really ditzy and "blonde," but i do it for laughs, which i get. *sigh* what kinda world are we living in?

PG-13? What about those crazy HP fans (like us....) who's parents won't let them see movies that are rated PG-13? (that was me about 4 years ago..... ) that's insane! and you're probably right, they will get higher ratings. I suppose it's 'cause the deaths are becoming more graphic and violent. *shrugs*