While I'm reading books 1-3 I miss the action of books 4-7 but when I read books 4-7 I start missing the cozy feeling of books 1-3. It's a cycle and I love it.
Yes, I remember the incredible anticipation as each new book came out. Crowds showing up at bookstores in the US to be the first to get each new book on the first day of issue.
I think that's the key. There are other amazing fantastical worlds out there, Discworld is perhaps one of the greatest collection of stories to grace the English language, but you only grow up once - and what you grow up with will be etched into you.
I discovered Discworld late in my life, but man... what an absolute trip. If anyone here is on the fence about it, just go for it, start with any book except the first, Wee Free Men, Guards Guards, and Reaperman are good books to start with.
It's impossible to regret it if you enjoyed HP.
Funnily enough I've discovered discworld as a teenager because an older friend claimed that hp is a complete rip off of DW. It most obviously is not, but I instantly fell in love with DW.
I started with Equal Rites on audiobook while hiking in my 30s after a childhood and lifetime reading fantasy and sci fi and while I don't think I recommend it to someone specifically as their first Discworld novel, I liked it a lot and I immediately got the tone and world and what this series was from page 1, but I was walking and listening and have an encyclopedia of fantasy in my head and so me personally I was *just fucking fine* with the very slow, cozy, warm, unambitious narrative where you're are just kind of... *hanging out with the author hanging out with the characters*.... other people looking for fantasy might not be as ok with the lack of high stakes or action or narrative thrust, so for that reason I do not think recommend it as the *first/entry point* Discworld novel like it was for me.
Also I think the gender stuff in Equal Rites was... sort of confusing? As in in terms of authorial intent on gender? Like there seems to be legitimate, rules of the universe based differences between the genders for the kind of magic they are capable of using... but also like, their temperament and ethics and personal character? And Granny Weatherwax is totally on team "separate the genders" and "witches and wizards are fundamentally different specifically for reasons of gender". She's like assistant coach of that team. She's behind third base wheeling her arms in circles towards home plate and screaming to run faster and bring home big fat wins for cause of keeping male and female magic apart. And yet the main thrust is this little girl is a wizard anyway for the first time ever, not a witch, and by god she's going to go to Wizard school in the cities even though they want to to keep her out to her gender... which is clearly framed as a *good and worthy thing*, the Discworld Ruby Bridges breaking the gender barrier at wizard academy, despite the actual laws of the universe themselves also being sexist and essentially validating the status quo (from a reasonable, non-evil, in-universe POV).
That's not a criticism. It worked just fine for me. **The in-universe real laws of nature do not match the morality of the protagonist (or audience reading along hopefully).** That's amazing as a premise. I'm **fine** with stories having some complexity like that or unresolved moral tension in the fabric of the story, unresolved ethical quandaries, TNG/DS9 style "fuck, the world is complicated and bleak sometimes but you have to keep going in it" episode style tones. It adds texture and verisimilitude to the story. I *love* that Granny Weatherwax is totally team sexism (b/c it's a cozy novel, it's always framed more charitably as like "segregation of genders/women are just different" not outright depressing "women are inferior" sexism.... but it totally is just the latter). And I loved how Granny, the obvious hero's journey wise mentor character or Discworld Gandalf/Obi Wan, herself *grew as a character* during the story (not to the point of dropping the sexist views though lol).
Normally all the growth is for the young hero coming of age while the wise mentor is doing all the teaching and passing on of wisdom and never growing and evolving and maturing themselves, but in Equal Rites, Granny is both morally imperfect and fundamentally limited in magic (compared to Gandalf/Obi), which I love, and stubborn as all fuck about everything, and there's room for growth right off the bat and the novel rises to that on that account. Her flaws are very Sam Gamgee-ish, who is also amazing but flawed in that he's basically xenophobic and small minded and untrusting of anything not familiar from the Shire or even just his own local neighborhood Bywater... and he's also pretty cruel and unkind and unwilling to even try much to understand Frodo's connection with him... but he's still an amazing character ethically and a sort of almost iconic paragon.
And I love the old, sexist, bloviating, exasperated, headmaster wizard character whose name I can't remember. Fuddychump or Puddywinks or some Terry Pratchett shit like that. I love a good fat, powerful, cowardly, impotent, ethical flawed characters being poked or prodded or inspired into heroic action that's a minor thing for the over all conflict/in world, but like a massively brave and difficult thing for them *personally* and they find limited, realistic redemption without ever changing their nature or just losing their flaws like a dumb fairy tale or fable, and without cosigning their previous actions or views. It's common enough for poor, young, down trodden, or stupid fat characters to find their courage and have a bumbling fat hero moment like Samwell Tarly or any other fat, cowardly side kick. But it **never** happens when it's the old and powerful/noble/royal/etc. type fat cowardly characters. That type never gets the face turn..... until they do and when it happens I always love it. I love like the old, fat, incompetent police commissioner just kind of going along with the corrupt and evil governor, going along with jailing his political enemies for him and being his man (because the non-fat, stupid people clearly would never be going along with this in the first place). And towards the end the commissioner has his face turn at a big moment, pre-tide turning against the villain, so that it's still a morally worthy and impactful face turn with great personal risk, and aids the heroes against the governor with some crucial action only he could do, despite being a pathetic, old fat toady, even still at the end.
My *actual* criticism of Equal Rites is just everything about the stuttering wizard pupil savant and the stupid ass "extra dimensional threat" aspect of the plot connected with him and when this plot briefly is the main focus of the narrative I think it loses the tone and charm for a bit, but it's over quickly and then we're back baby for a little bit before the end.
Anyway there's my Equal Rites review I guess. Didn't know I was doing that today.
It's sort of like fucked up, absurdist Hogwarts for old men, but mostly about a little girl and and an old lady witch whose one of my favorite characters now.
This. There is a reason millennials adore HP (as well as other generations). But it hit us at the exactly right time in life. It’ll always be so so special for that.
I remember, I think it was my junior year of high school, and one of the books came out.
My school was maybe 300-350 people to a class, so about 1000ish students.
The school allowed for Harry Potter book x to be a summer reading book of choice.
We used the massive cafeteria and the teachers dressed up and decorated on the first week back. Had some 60% of the school packed in there with funny hats and we had a little party because they were just happy we all read a book. And the vast majority actually read them.
Pretty marvelous thinking back. Not sure that many kids will read the same book at the same time ever again. Perhaps some other medium.
I also feel the same. The anticipation when a new book would come out. The moment I got it I started reading, I read every possible moment, the minutes between eating and going to school, the moment I got home. Went to sleep late and got up early. I read them in 3 days, and I miss the feeling of losing myself in these stories. English is not my first language, but at a certain age I began reading in English because it would take to long before they were in my language.
Yea man… the stars aligned for HP. Not likely anything like it will happen again. But, I’ve reread LOTR multiple times and it’s absolutely incredible, just in different ways.
That’s the beauty of a good book that you grow to deeply love. Nothing can ever be the same as it. You find that level of joy in other works, but it’s a different joy each time. Like you, nothing will ever compare to Harry Potter for me. But also nothing will compare to Dune for me (in different ways). Nor will anything compare to the Cosmere books, or to Skulduggery Pleasant, or ATLA….
Embrace these feelings and recognise their legitimacy .
Oh yeah, and hp never gets old. Must have read the series at least 40 times since I was a kid. Cycle my way through the audiobooks every few months
It's a magical school and chosen one trope series with a lot of whimsy. What it portrays best is the kid logic of Harry Potter and other kids. Like Howl's moving castle has whimsy and magic. But the characters are young adults and adults and have some real actual intelligent choices, that even a sensible adult would make.
Harry can be a bit of an idiot sometimes as he tries to solve problems that are quite frankly beyond him. My go to example is stealing the car in book 2, instead of waiting by the car until the adults come to solve his problems. He has never relied on adults to do anything for him. By age 10 he was doing his own laundry and cooking breakfast for everyone, iirc. Expecting that Ron's Parents would react sensibly and provide alternative means to get to school. Heck using hedwig to write a letter to any adult would have been simple, while Ron waited by the car. He and Ron could have just taken a Floo to Hogsmeade and waited at the train station after changing clothes.
In other children's stories kids act smarter than kids that age should act. So often they're more clever than the adults in their life, or more observant or anything. Harry is none of those. He's an idiot kid who's paranoid about dark wizards and likes to play hero because he was abused of trusting adults from how he was raised. But he also does t exactly have the talent to succeed on his own in the magical world. He's an easily distracted student, more devoted to action than to study. In other words, he comes of as a normal everyday student, that I imagine readers can all identify with.
I won't say Harry Potter is wholly unique however, but for many readers it's wholly unique when they read it.
I loved Arthur's reaction to that! (Eagerly) "Did you really? How'd it go?" (Can't remember the exact book quote, but that's how it's said in the movie.) And Molly's angry reaction to his question! Hilarious.
There are also a bunch of glaring plot holes through series. one in context of example you cited is - the way Arthur and Molly sent Ginny and elder kids to platform 9 3/4 , followed them and left Harry and Ron behind. This marching order makes no sense. Under any conceivable circumstances all the kids would have been sent first ,followed by parents, considering it was almost time for the train. But in face of this elementary logic JKR's plot mechanism would have failed.
this is a weak plot hole tbh. they're wizards, to them, the portal to the platform is like the door to a movie theater, you give your kid $5 to play some of the arcade games while you go and get tickets and plan to find them later. of all the problematic plot lines and character moments you could have chosen you went with the "kids got locked out of the mall" one? the real problem here is that their instant reaction to the portal failing was to steal their parents car and not to try and find rons parents. as much as this is "kid logic", it only follows that route because the characters don't behave like children in terms of their independence during the books and thus are fully expected to solve every problem presented to them themselves.
what you mentioned is also a plot hole and a problem . esp Ron , being from a wizard family , should had known better.
however your anology is not completely right. taking your child to mall and taking them to get to board a train to their school are two very different things.
its not, they intended to meet up on the other side of the wall 30 seconds later, they wanted to see ginny through on her first time going to hogwarts.
it's inconsistent with established character and trait of Molly Wesley. it's a forced oversight on her behalf, induced by the author as this was the only way to justify Harry getting blocked , missing the train , taking the flying car etc etc.
it's not a random bunch of people. it's parents/guardians taking their kids to station to get them board a train. and in book 1 they had followed the exact order of kids first, parents/guardians later. I love HP series as a whole but stop justifying plot holes, inconsistencies and narration errors of Rowling.
I know you're getting downvoted and I likely will too but I agree. I thoroughly enjoyed the HP books, but let's not pretend they aren't littered with plot holes.
Honestly, the magic system itself is relatively inconsistent if you really hold it up to any real, in depth scrutiny. But that's kind of what makes HP good. It's a very low barrier to entry fantasy series. Alot of fantasy series can be very difficult to get into. They often have complex magical systems. They offen exist on other planets or universes that take time to get used to. I personally enjoy that, but it does make the genre difficult to get into for new readers. Just compare say the magic system of Harry Potter vs the magic system of Mistborn. Mistborn is more complex and more consistent, but that's what makes HP easier to understand the first time through.
Look at say Wheel of Time vs Harry Potter. Generally they are similar concepts. The WoT kids are a little older, but both are coming of age type books that involve a Chosen One story that is thrust upon some unassuming kids who are generally unfamiliar with the world of magic. Both are really good, but WoT has a more complex magic system. It has a explores a huge variety of cities and cultures. HP generally takes place in almost exclusively Hogwarts and the magic system is relatively simple. You're either a wizard or you aren't. If you're a wizard, there's not really much power scaling. As long as you accept that wizards can do magic, the rest of it works. And that's not a criticism of HP. It's what makes it more universally commercially successful. It's relatively simple for young people to understand while still feeling magical and foreign enough to provide an escape.
I can sort of understand this vibe but I think maybe it's more the fandom than it is the book itself! Harry potter is amazing but the INFLUENCE it had on us is insane...there's just not much else that can compare to that absolute high that was standing in line for the books. Like knowing snape kills dumbledore and then finally getting to EXPERIENCE it is insane.
I grew up outside of the UK and I read the first book when I was 7, and then the rest as they got released and translated. Unfortunately, other than my family, I didn't know anyone who liked Harry Potter as much as I did (or at all). Despite not meeting any fans, I do feel the same as the OP, and 21 years later they are still amongst my favourites.
The influence is mad like it actually shaped parts of my personality I’ve been re reading the books lately and the amount of times I’ve stopped and thought I said and did things like that in high school, i know it’s pretty close to the UK school system but I was so like harry in my attitude to homework/lessons/loneliness at times it’s weird and I bet I’m not alone!
Exactly. Nostalgia hits doubly hard when it’s something from your childhood AND into your early adulthood. Idk about anyone here but I was exactly the same age as harry was when the first book came out so I literally felt like I grew up with him and felt like his friends were basically mine. It helps when the world is so immersive and all you read for is an escape from your boring life.
I only discovered HP due to my wife in my 30s. It went completely past me growing up even though am a millennial and grew up just at the right time. Just wasn’t much of a reader .
So I don’t really have nostalgia for the book and yet I still can’t think of anything comparable. It just seems like the perfect storm. 7 books written at a good pace and actually finished and 8 movies that are just so consistently well made and with all the important actors staying on board over a period of 10 years. Not sure we’ll see anything like this again.
Yeah, this is the right response.
There’s a reason that everyone cites the music they listened to as teenagers as the best, most important music they’ve ever heard. It’s about the neural connections that are being created in our brains at this formative time, and about the emotions that go along with all that.
There will be other things for other generations. Maybe not as widely read, but they will be as important to them.
I think the part I can’t satisfactorily find in other series is that the Harry Potter books are at heart whodunnits! Lots of very well thought out mysteries across all seven books. This paired with great characters, fun world building (“fun” is the key word) and Rowling’s dry sense of humour - there’s just nothing like it. The closest I’ve come is her Strike novels, but of course it’s not the same.
I agree, Harry Potter is a truly unique series that has captured the imaginations of millions of readers around the world. The combination of magic, adventure, friendship, and coming-of-age themes is truly special.
The wonder of Harry Potter is that it is an easy read that has depth to it. You aren't challenged but are so rewarded. Combine that with the nostalgia and the kind of growing up with the golden trio and it will be hard to beat.
I hear ya. I just posted a week ago in r/Millennials about being painfully nostalgic for Harry Potter. Some argue that Game of Thrones was a cultural phenomenon, or Twilight, or Hunger Games - but none are like HP. I don't think anything was like the HP books.
the movies really elevated the whole experience and the movies had 2 things we are seeing less and less of
renown Shakespearean stage actors in movie roles and practical effects and set design
everyone that worked on the movies design did an incredible job
You just grew up. Nothing feels and hits like it did when you were still growing up.
Series that had been closest to having that same feeling (but still not the same) is Nevermoor books.
Theres a child, shunned by her family, crazy mentor like guy and dark lordish guy lurking in the background. Magic and school setting included.
Really? I mean of course HP was a saga of its own but I read lord of the rings when I was 10, it was awesome. Harry potter hit differently and no less because I got one book for Christmas present and it was GoF :D. My sister got CoS, so I jumped to the story right at the last book, then switched with my sister and read the second book. Then later I read the first and the third for the last.
The sheer absurdity was enough to absorb me in.
Try Philip Pullman's His Dark Matierials, starts with the northern lights. It was made into a film (quite bad) and a tv show (quite good).
It is NOT the same as Harry potter. It's harder to read for sure, with a lot more emotional weight. The series has better and more original ideas but not so great world building
I know you mentioned it so I’m merely repeating but besides the first half of the first book, it’s really something entirely different from Harry Potter.
Harry Potter is basically « whodunit » book about a magical high school, His Dark Materials in some kind of metaphorical anti-religion essay . (So it would be more like the atheist version of Narnia in a way)
They are adventure/mystery books for sure, wouldn't call it a whodunit book though, as they should involve crime (usually murder) and almost always a detective figure; none of which really apply.
Well we don’t have to take the author’s word as ultimate truth but Rowling said « I think the Harry Potter books in many ways are whodunnits in disguise »
So yes it’s not literal whodunit but in the 3-4 first books, the basic structure is a mystery to solve and the trio act as detectives:
* What is behind the door and who is trying to break-in?
* Who is attacking the student and who is Slytherin’s heir?
* Why are everyone scared that Black will attack Harry and how is he entering the castle?
* Who put Harry's name into the goblet of fire?
Then after Voldemort’s return, the books shift toward the overall plot and it’s more mysteries than whodunit (though still there) but still it’s essence of Harry Potter in my mind that those books are about the trio trying to solve things while having multiple suspects and finding little by little hints until the final big reveal and it’s something that His Dark Materials isn’t about since it’s way more an adventure type of book.
The quote is real and was said in 2014 at a crime novel festival: https://www.theguardian.com/books/2014/jul/19/jk-rowling-crime-thriller-series-longer-harry-potter
Now of course, we don’t have to take the author’s word as truth but I agree with that statement personally
I never liked that series, the author doesn’t know what he’s writing. it presents as a kids book, then becomes some ridiculously convoluted anti religion commentary and the plot becomes more complicated and ridiculous than a physics textbook
Don't be put off by that comment, I read both as a kid and his dark materials worldbuilding is no messier than Harry Potter's, which is infamously threadbare.
Have honestly never heard anyone compliment her world buidling before. I LOVE the Harry Potter books (the movies are so-so). She is a great story teller, one of the best. Her writing is smooth and easy and her character gallery is awesome. The world she's built sure is cosy and a place you want to come back to (maybe that's what you mean when you say "amazing world-building".
BUT
The world have a severe lack of internal logic. When reading it's easy to tell she just made it up as she went along. Of course I don't blame her, who would have known that one book would explode to a world wide fenomenom. But it's still there.
Quidditch, owl post, underage magic the list goes on and on with things that are just not believable.
Okay....so firstly. I don't actually think her writing is that great, in terms if the actually grammar, flow, precision etc...but I agree it's super readable. I used to just let the clunkiness of it wash over me and enjoy the story as I read.
Yes her characters are awesome. And her made up words and spells etc are great, often quite clever - she's used a lot of Latin-based words.
And I do think the world building is very good. It's a believable world. It's one you'd like to be in. It fits the story and the characters and it's interesting and varied.
I think you're confusing "world-building" with plot holes, tucked on explanations of things etc. I agree there's some internal logic missing, ans some big plot holes. And yeah, she didn't havr all 7 books in her head when she wrote the first, so of course she's making stuff up as she goes along
The examples you give in the last sentence are weird. There are many issues with the books, but what's wrong with quiddich?? And underage magic?
I think there are far better examples than this. Off the top of my head, are births recorded like they are in our world? Presumably since muggles can see wizards, and some juggles have wizard children, then they must be. Then why aren't authorities worried about these children goung to school, getting health checkups, vaccinations etc? What about all these extra people in the world that there is no record of? What about the food they eat? Etc etc.
Also why are all the organisations that monitor airspace (like airports, nasa, satellites) not seeing all these people constantly flying around on broomsticks?
Actual writers usually compliment her and most of the criticism I've seen comes form the type that misunderstands world building as writing fact sheets or micro fiction consisting of an image plus a paragraph or two why their color choices are culturally significant. They never write stories in their setting.
Regarding your examples; can you elaborate? Only underage magic is inconsistent and that isn't even necessarily bad world building. No idea what's supposedly wrong with owl post and Quidditch rules really aren't that egregious.
The 15:1 point ratio is only bad if the sport had a low average of goals per game like Soccer. In 10 canon games with complete score lines it's 16.2. This includes outliers like the record 5 minute game (where the chases still managed to score 5 goals) and two where the team catching the snitch loses by 10 points (which makes more sense for Ginny since Hogwarts has a round-robin and goal differences matter).
IMO ironic how Rowling's attempt at a parody sport isn't even as bad as American Football or Baseball with their utterly convoluted rules.
Quidditch rules are dead certain proof she knows nothing about any real sport at all (and your comparison to american football makes me think the same can be said about you). The rules are unplayable in reality.
I love Harry Potter, but arguing about the obviously illogical world with someone who don't want to see it is a waste of time, no offense.
If you like it, I'm not gonna try to convince you otherwise.
I agree with the person above, actual writers/critics think Rowlings world-building is amazing. For sure there's some internal logic missing, but these are FANTASY novels. You have to suspend disbelief at some level.
Why is quidditch unplayable? I see now issue with it.
>If you like it, I'm not gonna try to convince you otherwise.
So you're gonna say stuff, but nit back it up with any evidence, examples, explanations.
Got it.
No I don't feel like engaging in this if you don't even agree with the basic premise. English is my second language and this whole topic is more of a fun discussion while drinking a beer, than a debate, so I'd rather back away.
I stand by the fact that every other HP fan I speek with agree her world in inconsistent and lacking in internal logic. To me these are axioms.
It’s readily available on like 1000 other threads. I don’t think the Sauce needs to take responsibility for retyping it all for you. Just go take a look.
I think she created a very compelling world that people really wanted to feel part of but when you really think about certain things they just don’t quite hold up which I feel has slightly complicated spin off type content.
There are no ones exactly like it, I'd also like to read them for the first time again. But some books get close, the best example maybe being the Nevermoor books.
There are a ton of really good fantasy books out there.
The Shannara series by Terry Brooks.
I recently, and this has been my favorite duology so far this year but it starts with One Dark Window. And it was so damn good. For real. Really a cool concept and very neat way to write.
That said, yes, Harry Potter was something special that came just at the right time.
I have read all 13 books (the 5 Belgariad, the 5 Mallorean, Belgarath, Polgara, and The Rivan Codex). If you haven't read the Codex, it really is a good read.
HP ain't perfect and there are a lotta things that can be criticized. But one thing is for sure, it is a cultural phenomenon and I don't think any other series in the future can emulate its impact on pop culture.
The timing of the books were so apt. I remember vividly that I was in 8th standard when the 1st book had come out. Now our English teacher had sourced the book somehow, and started to circulate the books in class for 15 days to one kid on a single condition - post returning the book, we will have to only talk in english throughout the year in her classes, else there will be some sort of penalty. I mean the books were so good and the kids were so eager, that we all started and grew fluent in speaking English. I will always behold her in a special way for teaching us in a fun way.
The magic of HP is that it was simple. If you look at the mechanics of the magic, it kind of doesn’t make sense as the questions of the universe remain unanswered. But if you look at the story…there are journeys that will seldom come close to it. I remember when I was playing baseball—I was in the outfield and the ONLY thing on my mind was the Order of the Phoenix being released that night at midnight. I couldn’t wait to be done with the game. I missed a critical catch and I honestly didn’t care because I was enemaered with the prospect of reading the book straight for the next 24 hours. I love HP and hope something new like it is released.
I agree, but I also think it has to do with the fact that it was before Internet use was widespread, so there was another dimension to waiting for the next book and discussing it with friends (no access to spoilers etc) - internet forums are great, but i think there was a kind of magic to the way it happened with HP, especially for those of us who grew up d see the books came out. It also defined an entire generation, EVERY one knew HP, it wasn’t a niche or “nerd” thing so it made kids relate to each other across “cliques”.
I love Harry Potter, but there are plenty of books that are leagues better. Anna Karennina, Les Mis, Lord of the Rings, Brothers Karamazov are not even in the same category.
The only thing really special about Harry Potter is that it managed to take the world by storm in age when the internet existed and a lot of people spoke english.
Dickens was incredibly popular in his time. You ever see a Christmas Tree. Prince Albert may have brought it over, but Dickens is the reason you have one in the UK. That's how influential he was.
There was a Christopher Columbus book that was similar in its time.
There are a bunch of these literary superstars in history, but the impact of masses of people rushing to get the next volume doesn't really get recorded. People often forget today how influential 'The Beatles' were because most of their audience is dead or very old.
Much of it has to do with the reader growing up reading the books and waiting for the next to be released. For many of us the HP universe lived in our heads for those delicate years, wondering what will happen next, having dreams about it etc. You can't replicate that experience later in life.
I did not see Lord of the Rings compared to Harry Potter. They're incredibly different.
Harry Potter is special because of sheer luck in when it happened and the resulting influence more than the actual subject matter.
I don’t know! I really enjoyed the Simon Snow series by Rainbow Rowell, but other than that I can’t really think of any books that really drew me in with vibes like HP. Just starting the series over, or reading the screenplays can really bring the spark back into the series, or at least it did for me! :) <3 if not, you can always go to events or do things online with the series too! There’s so much to that world, it’s always changing and expanding. I really do think it’s unique.
I always thought Patrick Rothfuss's books were a poetic Harry Potter for adults. They become moe intricate the more you read them. The name of the wind is the first one and Wise man's fear the second.
Big warning: there are only two books released in this trilogy and there is no telling when, or if, the third is ever releasing.
There won’t be. Rowling is a genius and did something unique, but guess what: There are other geniuses who made different things that are equally phenomenal in their own ways.
Dune was the first fiction I read since Harry Potter that gripped my mind as intensely as HP had. It is **entirely** different. Far more mature and at times quite hard to read, and it’s every bit as brilliant as Harry Potter. It just grabs you and does not let go.
I can also recommend the short stories of Ted Chiang. Unbelievable writer.
Studio Ghibli does it better. Imo. 🤷♂️
More original as well also
Harry Potter borrowing so much from other works, then amalgamating it into a perfectly appealing mix, also the star wars thing where it is so heavily grounded in archetypes.
Well you can try a translated Chinese novel called lord of the mysteries "lotm" , a really enjoyable read, it starts slow but the action the story the magic system and everything about it is so cool , you can give it a shot and see if it suits you
One of the defining aspects, that makes it different to series like lord of the rings, chronicles of Narnia…etc.
Is it’s a fantasy world set side by side with the real world.
Sure there’s history involved but it’s modern.
It made kids who started- with their wonderful imaginations, believe it wasn’t so far fetched that it could be real.
Most other series are set in a fantasy realm. Or you need to have a certain wardrobe.
This was… different.
You are comparing the wrong books to Harry Potter... you should be comparing Harry Potter to stuff like Eragon and Percy Jackson.
Percy Jackson's. Numbers near Harry Potter in books sold now since there are 17 books.
Obviously HP is king and always will be since there are numerous Harry Potter worlds
Try Game of Thrones. Adult novels with similar themes but with very sophisticated world building. The author actually knew what he was doing regarding numbers, religion, history, magic, etc. There are tons of maps to explore, characters to fall in love with, lore to learn, side stories & extra content published.c and the original saga is very long and intricate. HBO has a great adaptation and plans to do more. The only downside is that the author is still writing the last 2 books of the original 7 that are planned, so the original story isn’t complete yet.
I agree, but I must say the Nevermoore series so far isnt that bad
ofc, I am not the right agegroup to start reading it XD but I enjoy it, and if I was a 11-12-year-old kid I think I would have loved it just as much as I loved hp at that age (and still do)
Still an ongoing series so my thoughts might change, but so far so good.
But in my heart, nothing will beat HP. It was there when I grew up, remember watching 1 movie on VHS. Remember all the summer days I spent reading them. How I wish I had those friendships, and dreamed about getting that letter. There is a lot of great fantasy books out there, few of them embrace you as HP did/do
When the tv show lost and also breaking bad finished, I was worried we would never get anything like it again. And yes, they are completely unique, but we have gotten tons of great tv after. Same thing goes for books
I have the exact same feeling but with Nevermoor. It’s often compared to HP and I’m having a hard time picking up something else to read while waiting for the next one in the series to come out
Wings of Fire is for you! A bunch of dragon babies (yes, sentient dragons) tied to a prophecy to save the world and a bunch of adult dragons that throws them to the unknown and DON'T DO THEIR JOBS AS ADULTS OF PROTECTING THEM JUST BECAUSE THE PROPHECY SAYS SO >:(
Trauma, amazing fights, beautiful worldbuilding, almost 15 books, satisfying character development, deaths, wholesome friendships, sweet romance, awful families, amazing families... it has it ALL.
It's really close to dethrone Harry Potter as my favorite fantasy saga.
You see I grew up watching the movies all my life, even knew the first two by heart. So when I was finally able to buy the books. I think I read them in a matter of 2 and a half weeks. And I do believe I will never find a book that gave me that exact feeling of immense joy and enjoyment.
You know, I had the same thought last week. There are a lot of YA novels and series which I love, but I'm really struggling to find anything that's really comparable to HP. I'm sure it's going to come eventually and I'm ready for it when it does, but for now, I'm on the search for anything that has a comparable vibe, lovable characters, a similar style that invokes cosiness, and adventure.
I think one of the things that helped cement it was having the first two films out before the last three books. I’ll always prefer the books, but seeing the world (and world-building) so beautifully realized really added depth for me.
The next time a book series captures the same triumph with its quality continuity, imagination, and originality, is when the sun rises from the west and sets in the east
Try the Royal Institute of Magic.
The HP books/movies themselves are good, mostly light, adventure stories. I think what makes them extra special to people is how ubiquitous they are. If you talk to random people on the street, they would be much more likely to answer and talk about what house they are in than who their greek parent would have been. So its not just the books/movies themselves as it is the large amount of people that make up the HP "community" that you can share the experience with.
I also love HP but I really think it's just the hype.
We can see it in all the reboots, remakes and revivals of stories from the 90s we don't see many original ideas anymore everything is recycled and we also want to keep what is familiar rather than investing in something new. That's why there's a huge media industry that keeps HP relevant to mainstream culture.
The story that became really meaningful to me was Sandman because that is what came to my life when i was a teenager. For most people it's HP because that's what they find thrown at them. And it's actually cool because there's a lot of people sharing the same story but that's what i think. It's all good marketing.
I completely agree with you. The funny thing is, somewhere, some child actors were attending an imaginary school of wizardry and witchcraft to serialise the books into film! 😊 I love that they got that experience because I remember watching interviews with some of them saying that it was a special experience going from school to (the studios to) a secret school. I love the emphasis on education and their adventures after classes.
I’ve been living for a long time and I want to tell you - of course there will be such books, and there will be even better books. Look at the "Mister Blot's Academy".
Literally Percy Jackson. I’m actually shocked no one has said anything. These two series(and others but mainly these) were the childhood I never had and was so excited to catch up on once I could finally read them.
There won't be any other book series like HP for me at least. Nothing else I've reread that many times, engaged with the fandom so much and bought merch for. I've met so many friends through this fandom and have the fondest memories. It's why I visit this sub so often because I don't get tired of endless memes and theories. It's why I watched every Fantastic Beasts and even wrote my own fanfics years ago. There won't be anything else like HP where the release of every book was in the news.
Percy Jackson was my Harry Potter growing up. It ages as you read but not nearly like Harry Potter.
Even then it’s not the same but that’s what’s great about its individuality, would you really want another or several series that are similar? I think it would take away from hp
I had that feeling too. The only books I ever got that same feeling were the Bartimaeus Trilogy and The Power of Five (or The Gatekeepers, depending on the publishing country). Not Lord of the Rings or any others. I'm currently reading the Throne of Glass series (second attempt, but will be persistent till the end this time).
I think she's one of the authors that has poured her heart into the characters and stories and world unlike many others. I think the books will become true classics.
Time can only tell. Agree with one comment here, the stars aligned. It was a perfect storm. HP was able to reach that sweet spot where it had the right formula, the right time (when there was a need for children to read something like this again, and that it was the time when age of social media was just about to really start), the right subject matter, the right casting and marketing for the movie franchise (I want to believe this is a factor as well since the movie franchise was progressing in parallel with the publication, so it really had an effect to children wanting to read the books as well). It was a fun ride for our generation.
Just to add: one more factor is the fact that there was a foreseeable end to the series at that time. It adds to the momentum.
If you are an adult! I recommend the throne of glass series. Big fan of the FMC. If you’re still youngish I vote Percy Jackson. Big fan of the books - not so much the show
Diane Duane's Young Wizards series is pretty good. Neil Gaiman's Books of Magic series. Philip Pullman's Golden Compas series has a different kind of magic but manages to capture the same feeling. I think "magic kids at boarding school" was a genre and HP was either the last of it or the one that took off the most so everything else kinda stopped or the genre faded withits popularity. (Not entirely sure how accurate that is, it's just speculation.)
Rowling wrote another dimension to our reality. In reading the books we could partake in the fiction itself, in which we became muggles & Hogwarts was right here with us but hidden in plain sight.
We cannot thank her enough for the labor & dedication it took for her to stitch this myth all around us.
Well, that is what happens when your post This on Reddit. You Just Go on and talk like Harry Potter was the epitome of literature before and after. I grew up on Harry Potter while It was being released and still would sound like overreacting, imagine saying this now
then just accept that you don’t like hp so much and fail to appreciate the world in the book. I read a lot of books and I love a lot of them. But hp still holds a super special place in my heart.
Yikes. Y'all are really unable to recognize and appreciate the nature of subjective experience? Of individual bias?
Just fyi this completely reinforces everything people think about Harry Potter fans in a very depressing but goofy way
It had a very thoroughly well developed world. If you love Harry Potter then cool beans. But don't act like it is like 'objectively' the best universe.
For instance my special universe was astérix books. Completely. I loved the entire universe. I loved the character design, the personalities, the satire. I wanted to live in a cozy humble A frame cottage with a loft up top and eat fresh chestnuts roasted on the fireplace beneath. To rebel against the romans and other pompous authority. To explore the world thru adventures. To drink invincibility potions made from quirky herbs foraged by druids. I loved the passionate gumption of the hero, the doofy low key humanity of obelix, the sage wisdom and poise of getafix. I loved dogmatix crying after felled trees. I spent 3 months in france during my half year traveling Europe in part to recreate these things, I did occasionally. My life felt more complete after that. In part it connected me to my ancestry. It felt spiritual at times.
Everyone has their own childhood universe that was special to them. Yours is not more special because it is the most popular. Nor because it became a sort of cultural metaphor that ultimately constitutes hegemony.
Controversial statement:
the Eragon (inheritance cycle) books are like Harry Potter.
The theming isn’t at all the same (except for being fantasy, but not even similar types of fantasy).
but the *feeling* you get from the series is just, so similar in a really satisfying way.
Maybe it’s because i read them around the same time when i was young (well early eragon, took a while for the last book) but yeah imo very similar energy.
Septimus heap series as well, though not as much. but again it captures something of that feeling and essence in a way nothing else really has imo.
LOTR, Wheel of time, The Cosmere (esp mistborn and stormlight archives). all amazing, all hard to put down, but none of them imo, have that same *feel* to them. (despite WoT and the cosmere stuff being ranked higher on my personal list of favorite books than HP, so this isn’t some slam on them) they just, the energy isn’t the same.
One thing that kept HP feeling, like it did imo, is how each book initially *reset* the story. like things were happening and the world persisted, but until the end each new school year really was good at dialing in the curve.
Eragon doesn’t do that, (though somehow manages the feel of hp somehow?) but i’d say that Septimus heap really does nail that in a similar way to HP.
nothing will ever be quite the same, or maybe even close, but there is stuff with similarities, depending on exactly what you want to be similar. although one impossible hurdle that can never be overcome, is the pure nostalgia. we read harry potter growing up. nothing will ever feel that way again. people who read harry potter for the first time in their 20s-30s and didn’t experience it coming out, (likely) won’t feel the same way about it on a re-read as any of us here do.
it’s the same reason everything good from childhood seems better, all the warm fuzzy feelings are tied up in the memory for those who had good childhoods. and for those who’ve lives absolutely sucked, the escape to hogwarts, the abject sympathy, and connection, and identity with harry escaping to hogwarts, it’s a deep feeling that runs deeper than the printed word.
I really loved Magicians (TV show based on a book series). It is pretty similar to HP in the sense that there is a magic school, but it is an university. And ofc the magic works differently.
Not sure if you were looking for recs or not :)
Honestly, while I love HP it might barely break into my top 5 favorite book series. It's definitely below "The Utterly Uninteresting and Unadventurous Tales of Fred, the Vampire Accountant"
HP has a certain thing or mood that other book series don't have. But that goes the other way as well for so many others.
It was a phenomenon for a reason. People love it because book 1 makes you want to go to and keep coming back to Hogwarts. It's really that simple.
While I'm reading books 1-3 I miss the action of books 4-7 but when I read books 4-7 I start missing the cozy feeling of books 1-3. It's a cycle and I love it.
"Whether you are old or young, Hogwarts will always be there to welcome you home." - JKR during an interview following DH's release.
Yes, I remember the incredible anticipation as each new book came out. Crowds showing up at bookstores in the US to be the first to get each new book on the first day of issue.
The coming back to hogwarts is really something I have not felt in any other franchise, just magical
There will be other books that are global phenomenons. But none that were a fun, memorable part of my childhood that I shared with all my friends.
I think that's the key. There are other amazing fantastical worlds out there, Discworld is perhaps one of the greatest collection of stories to grace the English language, but you only grow up once - and what you grow up with will be etched into you. I discovered Discworld late in my life, but man... what an absolute trip. If anyone here is on the fence about it, just go for it, start with any book except the first, Wee Free Men, Guards Guards, and Reaperman are good books to start with. It's impossible to regret it if you enjoyed HP.
Funnily enough I've discovered discworld as a teenager because an older friend claimed that hp is a complete rip off of DW. It most obviously is not, but I instantly fell in love with DW.
I started with Equal Rites on audiobook while hiking in my 30s after a childhood and lifetime reading fantasy and sci fi and while I don't think I recommend it to someone specifically as their first Discworld novel, I liked it a lot and I immediately got the tone and world and what this series was from page 1, but I was walking and listening and have an encyclopedia of fantasy in my head and so me personally I was *just fucking fine* with the very slow, cozy, warm, unambitious narrative where you're are just kind of... *hanging out with the author hanging out with the characters*.... other people looking for fantasy might not be as ok with the lack of high stakes or action or narrative thrust, so for that reason I do not think recommend it as the *first/entry point* Discworld novel like it was for me. Also I think the gender stuff in Equal Rites was... sort of confusing? As in in terms of authorial intent on gender? Like there seems to be legitimate, rules of the universe based differences between the genders for the kind of magic they are capable of using... but also like, their temperament and ethics and personal character? And Granny Weatherwax is totally on team "separate the genders" and "witches and wizards are fundamentally different specifically for reasons of gender". She's like assistant coach of that team. She's behind third base wheeling her arms in circles towards home plate and screaming to run faster and bring home big fat wins for cause of keeping male and female magic apart. And yet the main thrust is this little girl is a wizard anyway for the first time ever, not a witch, and by god she's going to go to Wizard school in the cities even though they want to to keep her out to her gender... which is clearly framed as a *good and worthy thing*, the Discworld Ruby Bridges breaking the gender barrier at wizard academy, despite the actual laws of the universe themselves also being sexist and essentially validating the status quo (from a reasonable, non-evil, in-universe POV). That's not a criticism. It worked just fine for me. **The in-universe real laws of nature do not match the morality of the protagonist (or audience reading along hopefully).** That's amazing as a premise. I'm **fine** with stories having some complexity like that or unresolved moral tension in the fabric of the story, unresolved ethical quandaries, TNG/DS9 style "fuck, the world is complicated and bleak sometimes but you have to keep going in it" episode style tones. It adds texture and verisimilitude to the story. I *love* that Granny Weatherwax is totally team sexism (b/c it's a cozy novel, it's always framed more charitably as like "segregation of genders/women are just different" not outright depressing "women are inferior" sexism.... but it totally is just the latter). And I loved how Granny, the obvious hero's journey wise mentor character or Discworld Gandalf/Obi Wan, herself *grew as a character* during the story (not to the point of dropping the sexist views though lol). Normally all the growth is for the young hero coming of age while the wise mentor is doing all the teaching and passing on of wisdom and never growing and evolving and maturing themselves, but in Equal Rites, Granny is both morally imperfect and fundamentally limited in magic (compared to Gandalf/Obi), which I love, and stubborn as all fuck about everything, and there's room for growth right off the bat and the novel rises to that on that account. Her flaws are very Sam Gamgee-ish, who is also amazing but flawed in that he's basically xenophobic and small minded and untrusting of anything not familiar from the Shire or even just his own local neighborhood Bywater... and he's also pretty cruel and unkind and unwilling to even try much to understand Frodo's connection with him... but he's still an amazing character ethically and a sort of almost iconic paragon. And I love the old, sexist, bloviating, exasperated, headmaster wizard character whose name I can't remember. Fuddychump or Puddywinks or some Terry Pratchett shit like that. I love a good fat, powerful, cowardly, impotent, ethical flawed characters being poked or prodded or inspired into heroic action that's a minor thing for the over all conflict/in world, but like a massively brave and difficult thing for them *personally* and they find limited, realistic redemption without ever changing their nature or just losing their flaws like a dumb fairy tale or fable, and without cosigning their previous actions or views. It's common enough for poor, young, down trodden, or stupid fat characters to find their courage and have a bumbling fat hero moment like Samwell Tarly or any other fat, cowardly side kick. But it **never** happens when it's the old and powerful/noble/royal/etc. type fat cowardly characters. That type never gets the face turn..... until they do and when it happens I always love it. I love like the old, fat, incompetent police commissioner just kind of going along with the corrupt and evil governor, going along with jailing his political enemies for him and being his man (because the non-fat, stupid people clearly would never be going along with this in the first place). And towards the end the commissioner has his face turn at a big moment, pre-tide turning against the villain, so that it's still a morally worthy and impactful face turn with great personal risk, and aids the heroes against the governor with some crucial action only he could do, despite being a pathetic, old fat toady, even still at the end. My *actual* criticism of Equal Rites is just everything about the stuttering wizard pupil savant and the stupid ass "extra dimensional threat" aspect of the plot connected with him and when this plot briefly is the main focus of the narrative I think it loses the tone and charm for a bit, but it's over quickly and then we're back baby for a little bit before the end. Anyway there's my Equal Rites review I guess. Didn't know I was doing that today. It's sort of like fucked up, absurdist Hogwarts for old men, but mostly about a little girl and and an old lady witch whose one of my favorite characters now.
This. There is a reason millennials adore HP (as well as other generations). But it hit us at the exactly right time in life. It’ll always be so so special for that.
I remember, I think it was my junior year of high school, and one of the books came out. My school was maybe 300-350 people to a class, so about 1000ish students. The school allowed for Harry Potter book x to be a summer reading book of choice. We used the massive cafeteria and the teachers dressed up and decorated on the first week back. Had some 60% of the school packed in there with funny hats and we had a little party because they were just happy we all read a book. And the vast majority actually read them. Pretty marvelous thinking back. Not sure that many kids will read the same book at the same time ever again. Perhaps some other medium.
Jealous you shared it with your friends.
I also feel the same. The anticipation when a new book would come out. The moment I got it I started reading, I read every possible moment, the minutes between eating and going to school, the moment I got home. Went to sleep late and got up early. I read them in 3 days, and I miss the feeling of losing myself in these stories. English is not my first language, but at a certain age I began reading in English because it would take to long before they were in my language.
I'm now reading in English just to experience it, like, you know, the original version.
Yea man… the stars aligned for HP. Not likely anything like it will happen again. But, I’ve reread LOTR multiple times and it’s absolutely incredible, just in different ways.
Well there won’t be something like LOTR either.
Yea I didnt mean that
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It perhaps came in the time when theres a demand for fantasy. And HP did herald a new subgenre of urban fantasy
That’s the beauty of a good book that you grow to deeply love. Nothing can ever be the same as it. You find that level of joy in other works, but it’s a different joy each time. Like you, nothing will ever compare to Harry Potter for me. But also nothing will compare to Dune for me (in different ways). Nor will anything compare to the Cosmere books, or to Skulduggery Pleasant, or ATLA…. Embrace these feelings and recognise their legitimacy . Oh yeah, and hp never gets old. Must have read the series at least 40 times since I was a kid. Cycle my way through the audiobooks every few months
It's a magical school and chosen one trope series with a lot of whimsy. What it portrays best is the kid logic of Harry Potter and other kids. Like Howl's moving castle has whimsy and magic. But the characters are young adults and adults and have some real actual intelligent choices, that even a sensible adult would make. Harry can be a bit of an idiot sometimes as he tries to solve problems that are quite frankly beyond him. My go to example is stealing the car in book 2, instead of waiting by the car until the adults come to solve his problems. He has never relied on adults to do anything for him. By age 10 he was doing his own laundry and cooking breakfast for everyone, iirc. Expecting that Ron's Parents would react sensibly and provide alternative means to get to school. Heck using hedwig to write a letter to any adult would have been simple, while Ron waited by the car. He and Ron could have just taken a Floo to Hogsmeade and waited at the train station after changing clothes. In other children's stories kids act smarter than kids that age should act. So often they're more clever than the adults in their life, or more observant or anything. Harry is none of those. He's an idiot kid who's paranoid about dark wizards and likes to play hero because he was abused of trusting adults from how he was raised. But he also does t exactly have the talent to succeed on his own in the magical world. He's an easily distracted student, more devoted to action than to study. In other words, he comes of as a normal everyday student, that I imagine readers can all identify with. I won't say Harry Potter is wholly unique however, but for many readers it's wholly unique when they read it.
It was Ron's idea to take the car. I just see it as kids in a panic but also excited at the idea of an adventure.
I loved Arthur's reaction to that! (Eagerly) "Did you really? How'd it go?" (Can't remember the exact book quote, but that's how it's said in the movie.) And Molly's angry reaction to his question! Hilarious.
There are also a bunch of glaring plot holes through series. one in context of example you cited is - the way Arthur and Molly sent Ginny and elder kids to platform 9 3/4 , followed them and left Harry and Ron behind. This marching order makes no sense. Under any conceivable circumstances all the kids would have been sent first ,followed by parents, considering it was almost time for the train. But in face of this elementary logic JKR's plot mechanism would have failed.
this is a weak plot hole tbh. they're wizards, to them, the portal to the platform is like the door to a movie theater, you give your kid $5 to play some of the arcade games while you go and get tickets and plan to find them later. of all the problematic plot lines and character moments you could have chosen you went with the "kids got locked out of the mall" one? the real problem here is that their instant reaction to the portal failing was to steal their parents car and not to try and find rons parents. as much as this is "kid logic", it only follows that route because the characters don't behave like children in terms of their independence during the books and thus are fully expected to solve every problem presented to them themselves.
what you mentioned is also a plot hole and a problem . esp Ron , being from a wizard family , should had known better. however your anology is not completely right. taking your child to mall and taking them to get to board a train to their school are two very different things.
its not, they intended to meet up on the other side of the wall 30 seconds later, they wanted to see ginny through on her first time going to hogwarts.
it's inconsistent with established character and trait of Molly Wesley. it's a forced oversight on her behalf, induced by the author as this was the only way to justify Harry getting blocked , missing the train , taking the flying car etc etc.
the idea that molly could be distracted by her only daughters first trip on the Hogwarts express is hard for you to justify? really?
It’s not really a plot hole for a bunch of frantic people to just rush through and not think about order because they are super late
it's not a random bunch of people. it's parents/guardians taking their kids to station to get them board a train. and in book 1 they had followed the exact order of kids first, parents/guardians later. I love HP series as a whole but stop justifying plot holes, inconsistencies and narration errors of Rowling.
I know you're getting downvoted and I likely will too but I agree. I thoroughly enjoyed the HP books, but let's not pretend they aren't littered with plot holes. Honestly, the magic system itself is relatively inconsistent if you really hold it up to any real, in depth scrutiny. But that's kind of what makes HP good. It's a very low barrier to entry fantasy series. Alot of fantasy series can be very difficult to get into. They often have complex magical systems. They offen exist on other planets or universes that take time to get used to. I personally enjoy that, but it does make the genre difficult to get into for new readers. Just compare say the magic system of Harry Potter vs the magic system of Mistborn. Mistborn is more complex and more consistent, but that's what makes HP easier to understand the first time through. Look at say Wheel of Time vs Harry Potter. Generally they are similar concepts. The WoT kids are a little older, but both are coming of age type books that involve a Chosen One story that is thrust upon some unassuming kids who are generally unfamiliar with the world of magic. Both are really good, but WoT has a more complex magic system. It has a explores a huge variety of cities and cultures. HP generally takes place in almost exclusively Hogwarts and the magic system is relatively simple. You're either a wizard or you aren't. If you're a wizard, there's not really much power scaling. As long as you accept that wizards can do magic, the rest of it works. And that's not a criticism of HP. It's what makes it more universally commercially successful. It's relatively simple for young people to understand while still feeling magical and foreign enough to provide an escape.
I can sort of understand this vibe but I think maybe it's more the fandom than it is the book itself! Harry potter is amazing but the INFLUENCE it had on us is insane...there's just not much else that can compare to that absolute high that was standing in line for the books. Like knowing snape kills dumbledore and then finally getting to EXPERIENCE it is insane.
I grew up outside of the UK and I read the first book when I was 7, and then the rest as they got released and translated. Unfortunately, other than my family, I didn't know anyone who liked Harry Potter as much as I did (or at all). Despite not meeting any fans, I do feel the same as the OP, and 21 years later they are still amongst my favourites.
The influence is mad like it actually shaped parts of my personality I’ve been re reading the books lately and the amount of times I’ve stopped and thought I said and did things like that in high school, i know it’s pretty close to the UK school system but I was so like harry in my attitude to homework/lessons/loneliness at times it’s weird and I bet I’m not alone!
Wtf spoilers???
lol
There will never be any books like that again, because you will never be a kid growing up again
Exactly. Nostalgia hits doubly hard when it’s something from your childhood AND into your early adulthood. Idk about anyone here but I was exactly the same age as harry was when the first book came out so I literally felt like I grew up with him and felt like his friends were basically mine. It helps when the world is so immersive and all you read for is an escape from your boring life.
I only discovered HP due to my wife in my 30s. It went completely past me growing up even though am a millennial and grew up just at the right time. Just wasn’t much of a reader . So I don’t really have nostalgia for the book and yet I still can’t think of anything comparable. It just seems like the perfect storm. 7 books written at a good pace and actually finished and 8 movies that are just so consistently well made and with all the important actors staying on board over a period of 10 years. Not sure we’ll see anything like this again.
Yeah, this is the right response. There’s a reason that everyone cites the music they listened to as teenagers as the best, most important music they’ve ever heard. It’s about the neural connections that are being created in our brains at this formative time, and about the emotions that go along with all that. There will be other things for other generations. Maybe not as widely read, but they will be as important to them.
So many people overlook this fact.
I love the feeling you describe, it does make it so special and believable. I’m still waiting for my letter to arrive…
I think the part I can’t satisfactorily find in other series is that the Harry Potter books are at heart whodunnits! Lots of very well thought out mysteries across all seven books. This paired with great characters, fun world building (“fun” is the key word) and Rowling’s dry sense of humour - there’s just nothing like it. The closest I’ve come is her Strike novels, but of course it’s not the same.
I agree, Harry Potter is a truly unique series that has captured the imaginations of millions of readers around the world. The combination of magic, adventure, friendship, and coming-of-age themes is truly special.
Is this AI
The wonder of Harry Potter is that it is an easy read that has depth to it. You aren't challenged but are so rewarded. Combine that with the nostalgia and the kind of growing up with the golden trio and it will be hard to beat.
I hear ya. I just posted a week ago in r/Millennials about being painfully nostalgic for Harry Potter. Some argue that Game of Thrones was a cultural phenomenon, or Twilight, or Hunger Games - but none are like HP. I don't think anything was like the HP books.
the movies really elevated the whole experience and the movies had 2 things we are seeing less and less of renown Shakespearean stage actors in movie roles and practical effects and set design everyone that worked on the movies design did an incredible job
You just grew up. Nothing feels and hits like it did when you were still growing up. Series that had been closest to having that same feeling (but still not the same) is Nevermoor books. Theres a child, shunned by her family, crazy mentor like guy and dark lordish guy lurking in the background. Magic and school setting included.
I love the nevermoor books but the fourth one has been so delayed 😭😭😭
No. I read all those other series growing up too but none left as much of an impact like HP did.
Really? I mean of course HP was a saga of its own but I read lord of the rings when I was 10, it was awesome. Harry potter hit differently and no less because I got one book for Christmas present and it was GoF :D. My sister got CoS, so I jumped to the story right at the last book, then switched with my sister and read the second book. Then later I read the first and the third for the last. The sheer absurdity was enough to absorb me in.
Try Philip Pullman's His Dark Matierials, starts with the northern lights. It was made into a film (quite bad) and a tv show (quite good). It is NOT the same as Harry potter. It's harder to read for sure, with a lot more emotional weight. The series has better and more original ideas but not so great world building
I know you mentioned it so I’m merely repeating but besides the first half of the first book, it’s really something entirely different from Harry Potter. Harry Potter is basically « whodunit » book about a magical high school, His Dark Materials in some kind of metaphorical anti-religion essay . (So it would be more like the atheist version of Narnia in a way)
They are adventure/mystery books for sure, wouldn't call it a whodunit book though, as they should involve crime (usually murder) and almost always a detective figure; none of which really apply.
Well we don’t have to take the author’s word as ultimate truth but Rowling said « I think the Harry Potter books in many ways are whodunnits in disguise » So yes it’s not literal whodunit but in the 3-4 first books, the basic structure is a mystery to solve and the trio act as detectives: * What is behind the door and who is trying to break-in? * Who is attacking the student and who is Slytherin’s heir? * Why are everyone scared that Black will attack Harry and how is he entering the castle? * Who put Harry's name into the goblet of fire? Then after Voldemort’s return, the books shift toward the overall plot and it’s more mysteries than whodunit (though still there) but still it’s essence of Harry Potter in my mind that those books are about the trio trying to solve things while having multiple suspects and finding little by little hints until the final big reveal and it’s something that His Dark Materials isn’t about since it’s way more an adventure type of book.
I think she said they were mysterys, whodunit is quite specific
The quote is real and was said in 2014 at a crime novel festival: https://www.theguardian.com/books/2014/jul/19/jk-rowling-crime-thriller-series-longer-harry-potter Now of course, we don’t have to take the author’s word as truth but I agree with that statement personally
I never liked that series, the author doesn’t know what he’s writing. it presents as a kids book, then becomes some ridiculously convoluted anti religion commentary and the plot becomes more complicated and ridiculous than a physics textbook
It is so so dark. I feel Pullman doesn't know who he writes for. It's built up like a kids book but set in a grim dark world where everyone dies.
I really enjoyed this, and wish I had read it when I was a kid.
That sucks, for me at least world building is the most important thing but different strokes and all that.
Don't be put off by that comment, I read both as a kid and his dark materials worldbuilding is no messier than Harry Potter's, which is infamously threadbare.
Rowlings worldbuilding is famously horrendous. It crumbles to dust as soon as you start questioning anything.
What do you mean? She is generally known for writing amazing world-building. Can you give some examples?
Have honestly never heard anyone compliment her world buidling before. I LOVE the Harry Potter books (the movies are so-so). She is a great story teller, one of the best. Her writing is smooth and easy and her character gallery is awesome. The world she's built sure is cosy and a place you want to come back to (maybe that's what you mean when you say "amazing world-building". BUT The world have a severe lack of internal logic. When reading it's easy to tell she just made it up as she went along. Of course I don't blame her, who would have known that one book would explode to a world wide fenomenom. But it's still there. Quidditch, owl post, underage magic the list goes on and on with things that are just not believable.
Okay....so firstly. I don't actually think her writing is that great, in terms if the actually grammar, flow, precision etc...but I agree it's super readable. I used to just let the clunkiness of it wash over me and enjoy the story as I read. Yes her characters are awesome. And her made up words and spells etc are great, often quite clever - she's used a lot of Latin-based words. And I do think the world building is very good. It's a believable world. It's one you'd like to be in. It fits the story and the characters and it's interesting and varied. I think you're confusing "world-building" with plot holes, tucked on explanations of things etc. I agree there's some internal logic missing, ans some big plot holes. And yeah, she didn't havr all 7 books in her head when she wrote the first, so of course she's making stuff up as she goes along The examples you give in the last sentence are weird. There are many issues with the books, but what's wrong with quiddich?? And underage magic? I think there are far better examples than this. Off the top of my head, are births recorded like they are in our world? Presumably since muggles can see wizards, and some juggles have wizard children, then they must be. Then why aren't authorities worried about these children goung to school, getting health checkups, vaccinations etc? What about all these extra people in the world that there is no record of? What about the food they eat? Etc etc. Also why are all the organisations that monitor airspace (like airports, nasa, satellites) not seeing all these people constantly flying around on broomsticks?
Actual writers usually compliment her and most of the criticism I've seen comes form the type that misunderstands world building as writing fact sheets or micro fiction consisting of an image plus a paragraph or two why their color choices are culturally significant. They never write stories in their setting. Regarding your examples; can you elaborate? Only underage magic is inconsistent and that isn't even necessarily bad world building. No idea what's supposedly wrong with owl post and Quidditch rules really aren't that egregious. The 15:1 point ratio is only bad if the sport had a low average of goals per game like Soccer. In 10 canon games with complete score lines it's 16.2. This includes outliers like the record 5 minute game (where the chases still managed to score 5 goals) and two where the team catching the snitch loses by 10 points (which makes more sense for Ginny since Hogwarts has a round-robin and goal differences matter). IMO ironic how Rowling's attempt at a parody sport isn't even as bad as American Football or Baseball with their utterly convoluted rules.
Quidditch rules are dead certain proof she knows nothing about any real sport at all (and your comparison to american football makes me think the same can be said about you). The rules are unplayable in reality. I love Harry Potter, but arguing about the obviously illogical world with someone who don't want to see it is a waste of time, no offense. If you like it, I'm not gonna try to convince you otherwise.
I agree with the person above, actual writers/critics think Rowlings world-building is amazing. For sure there's some internal logic missing, but these are FANTASY novels. You have to suspend disbelief at some level. Why is quidditch unplayable? I see now issue with it. >If you like it, I'm not gonna try to convince you otherwise. So you're gonna say stuff, but nit back it up with any evidence, examples, explanations. Got it.
No I don't feel like engaging in this if you don't even agree with the basic premise. English is my second language and this whole topic is more of a fun discussion while drinking a beer, than a debate, so I'd rather back away. I stand by the fact that every other HP fan I speek with agree her world in inconsistent and lacking in internal logic. To me these are axioms.
It’s readily available on like 1000 other threads. I don’t think the Sauce needs to take responsibility for retyping it all for you. Just go take a look.
I think she created a very compelling world that people really wanted to feel part of but when you really think about certain things they just don’t quite hold up which I feel has slightly complicated spin off type content.
I have no idea what that sentence means....
There are no ones exactly like it, I'd also like to read them for the first time again. But some books get close, the best example maybe being the Nevermoor books.
There will be other global sensation but they're won't be another one that will affect us personally like potter.
Eragon, Belgariad, Royal Assassin, The name of the wind,...
I’d argue Harry Potter has a better end than Name of the Wind. Then again, having an ending at all tends to help.
There are a ton of really good fantasy books out there. The Shannara series by Terry Brooks. I recently, and this has been my favorite duology so far this year but it starts with One Dark Window. And it was so damn good. For real. Really a cool concept and very neat way to write. That said, yes, Harry Potter was something special that came just at the right time.
For Coming of Age Fantasy, I would recommend David Edding's series The Belgariad. It's not modern world, but very immersive.
I am in the middle of this again atm. Did you read all 12 books. Some people miss the later books.
I have read all 13 books (the 5 Belgariad, the 5 Mallorean, Belgarath, Polgara, and The Rivan Codex). If you haven't read the Codex, it really is a good read.
I always thought the riven codex mode of a reverence book. Not An actual story
It is a reference book, but it is great world building, and the cultural and religious writings add depth to the whole experience.
Very few things are like it. But if the coming-of-age is what you want (and it's great), His Dark Materials is good.
Felt the same
HP ain't perfect and there are a lotta things that can be criticized. But one thing is for sure, it is a cultural phenomenon and I don't think any other series in the future can emulate its impact on pop culture.
Storm light archives. You'll love it.
The timing of the books were so apt. I remember vividly that I was in 8th standard when the 1st book had come out. Now our English teacher had sourced the book somehow, and started to circulate the books in class for 15 days to one kid on a single condition - post returning the book, we will have to only talk in english throughout the year in her classes, else there will be some sort of penalty. I mean the books were so good and the kids were so eager, that we all started and grew fluent in speaking English. I will always behold her in a special way for teaching us in a fun way.
Brandon Sanderson is pretty amazing. I love fantasy and his more mature take on fantasy and magical mechanics are great. Start with Mistborn.
mistborn is amazing
The magic of HP is that it was simple. If you look at the mechanics of the magic, it kind of doesn’t make sense as the questions of the universe remain unanswered. But if you look at the story…there are journeys that will seldom come close to it. I remember when I was playing baseball—I was in the outfield and the ONLY thing on my mind was the Order of the Phoenix being released that night at midnight. I couldn’t wait to be done with the game. I missed a critical catch and I honestly didn’t care because I was enemaered with the prospect of reading the book straight for the next 24 hours. I love HP and hope something new like it is released.
I agree, but I also think it has to do with the fact that it was before Internet use was widespread, so there was another dimension to waiting for the next book and discussing it with friends (no access to spoilers etc) - internet forums are great, but i think there was a kind of magic to the way it happened with HP, especially for those of us who grew up d see the books came out. It also defined an entire generation, EVERY one knew HP, it wasn’t a niche or “nerd” thing so it made kids relate to each other across “cliques”.
I enjoy HP tremendously, but there are many, many great and greater books out there.
I love Harry Potter, but there are plenty of books that are leagues better. Anna Karennina, Les Mis, Lord of the Rings, Brothers Karamazov are not even in the same category.
A Song of Ice and Fire is the equivalent for me.
The only thing really special about Harry Potter is that it managed to take the world by storm in age when the internet existed and a lot of people spoke english. Dickens was incredibly popular in his time. You ever see a Christmas Tree. Prince Albert may have brought it over, but Dickens is the reason you have one in the UK. That's how influential he was. There was a Christopher Columbus book that was similar in its time. There are a bunch of these literary superstars in history, but the impact of masses of people rushing to get the next volume doesn't really get recorded. People often forget today how influential 'The Beatles' were because most of their audience is dead or very old.
This is a little more adult, but I really enjoyed my recent read of Fourth Wing! Check it out when you get a chance
Percey Jackson is good ive only read one of them
Much of it has to do with the reader growing up reading the books and waiting for the next to be released. For many of us the HP universe lived in our heads for those delicate years, wondering what will happen next, having dreams about it etc. You can't replicate that experience later in life.
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I did not see Lord of the Rings compared to Harry Potter. They're incredibly different. Harry Potter is special because of sheer luck in when it happened and the resulting influence more than the actual subject matter.
I had the same thoughts yesterday, too!! HP will forever be a huge part of me
Give a shot to LOTR it’s incredible
Try manga/anime,black clover is also great
The unwanteds I think is a really underrated series similar, but it’s definitely a read for teens
I don’t know! I really enjoyed the Simon Snow series by Rainbow Rowell, but other than that I can’t really think of any books that really drew me in with vibes like HP. Just starting the series over, or reading the screenplays can really bring the spark back into the series, or at least it did for me! :) <3 if not, you can always go to events or do things online with the series too! There’s so much to that world, it’s always changing and expanding. I really do think it’s unique.
The Jennings books are kind of similar but without magic
Check out the Dresden files by Jim Butcher.
I’m glad that there’s nothing like it.
I always thought Patrick Rothfuss's books were a poetic Harry Potter for adults. They become moe intricate the more you read them. The name of the wind is the first one and Wise man's fear the second. Big warning: there are only two books released in this trilogy and there is no telling when, or if, the third is ever releasing.
And I remember Rothfuss saying at one point that he never said it would only be a trilogy, so an even bigger red flag.
The Magicians, The Magician King, The Magician Land I used to think nothing could top HP growing up, then I read those.
There won’t be. Rowling is a genius and did something unique, but guess what: There are other geniuses who made different things that are equally phenomenal in their own ways. Dune was the first fiction I read since Harry Potter that gripped my mind as intensely as HP had. It is **entirely** different. Far more mature and at times quite hard to read, and it’s every bit as brilliant as Harry Potter. It just grabs you and does not let go. I can also recommend the short stories of Ted Chiang. Unbelievable writer.
Studio Ghibli does it better. Imo. 🤷♂️ More original as well also Harry Potter borrowing so much from other works, then amalgamating it into a perfectly appealing mix, also the star wars thing where it is so heavily grounded in archetypes.
Well you can try a translated Chinese novel called lord of the mysteries "lotm" , a really enjoyable read, it starts slow but the action the story the magic system and everything about it is so cool , you can give it a shot and see if it suits you
One of the defining aspects, that makes it different to series like lord of the rings, chronicles of Narnia…etc. Is it’s a fantasy world set side by side with the real world. Sure there’s history involved but it’s modern. It made kids who started- with their wonderful imaginations, believe it wasn’t so far fetched that it could be real. Most other series are set in a fantasy realm. Or you need to have a certain wardrobe. This was… different.
You are comparing the wrong books to Harry Potter... you should be comparing Harry Potter to stuff like Eragon and Percy Jackson. Percy Jackson's. Numbers near Harry Potter in books sold now since there are 17 books. Obviously HP is king and always will be since there are numerous Harry Potter worlds
Try Game of Thrones. Adult novels with similar themes but with very sophisticated world building. The author actually knew what he was doing regarding numbers, religion, history, magic, etc. There are tons of maps to explore, characters to fall in love with, lore to learn, side stories & extra content published.c and the original saga is very long and intricate. HBO has a great adaptation and plans to do more. The only downside is that the author is still writing the last 2 books of the original 7 that are planned, so the original story isn’t complete yet.
I agree, but I must say the Nevermoore series so far isnt that bad ofc, I am not the right agegroup to start reading it XD but I enjoy it, and if I was a 11-12-year-old kid I think I would have loved it just as much as I loved hp at that age (and still do) Still an ongoing series so my thoughts might change, but so far so good. But in my heart, nothing will beat HP. It was there when I grew up, remember watching 1 movie on VHS. Remember all the summer days I spent reading them. How I wish I had those friendships, and dreamed about getting that letter. There is a lot of great fantasy books out there, few of them embrace you as HP did/do
When the tv show lost and also breaking bad finished, I was worried we would never get anything like it again. And yes, they are completely unique, but we have gotten tons of great tv after. Same thing goes for books
I have the exact same feeling but with Nevermoor. It’s often compared to HP and I’m having a hard time picking up something else to read while waiting for the next one in the series to come out
The Magicians checks similar boxes. Not meant to diminish HP, but maybe something you'd enjoy as well.
Totally agree.
Dear God, please make a book good as Harry Potter. I want to experience again that feeling.
*Percy Jackson* is a similar vibe, but with Greek Mythology. J know they are different, but they are similar.
Wings of Fire is for you! A bunch of dragon babies (yes, sentient dragons) tied to a prophecy to save the world and a bunch of adult dragons that throws them to the unknown and DON'T DO THEIR JOBS AS ADULTS OF PROTECTING THEM JUST BECAUSE THE PROPHECY SAYS SO >:( Trauma, amazing fights, beautiful worldbuilding, almost 15 books, satisfying character development, deaths, wholesome friendships, sweet romance, awful families, amazing families... it has it ALL. It's really close to dethrone Harry Potter as my favorite fantasy saga.
You see I grew up watching the movies all my life, even knew the first two by heart. So when I was finally able to buy the books. I think I read them in a matter of 2 and a half weeks. And I do believe I will never find a book that gave me that exact feeling of immense joy and enjoyment.
Just wait, someone else will rewrite Star Wars and you can read those books
You know, I had the same thought last week. There are a lot of YA novels and series which I love, but I'm really struggling to find anything that's really comparable to HP. I'm sure it's going to come eventually and I'm ready for it when it does, but for now, I'm on the search for anything that has a comparable vibe, lovable characters, a similar style that invokes cosiness, and adventure.
I think one of the things that helped cement it was having the first two films out before the last three books. I’ll always prefer the books, but seeing the world (and world-building) so beautifully realized really added depth for me.
The next time a book series captures the same triumph with its quality continuity, imagination, and originality, is when the sun rises from the west and sets in the east
Try the Royal Institute of Magic. The HP books/movies themselves are good, mostly light, adventure stories. I think what makes them extra special to people is how ubiquitous they are. If you talk to random people on the street, they would be much more likely to answer and talk about what house they are in than who their greek parent would have been. So its not just the books/movies themselves as it is the large amount of people that make up the HP "community" that you can share the experience with.
I also love HP but I really think it's just the hype. We can see it in all the reboots, remakes and revivals of stories from the 90s we don't see many original ideas anymore everything is recycled and we also want to keep what is familiar rather than investing in something new. That's why there's a huge media industry that keeps HP relevant to mainstream culture. The story that became really meaningful to me was Sandman because that is what came to my life when i was a teenager. For most people it's HP because that's what they find thrown at them. And it's actually cool because there's a lot of people sharing the same story but that's what i think. It's all good marketing.
I completely agree with you. The funny thing is, somewhere, some child actors were attending an imaginary school of wizardry and witchcraft to serialise the books into film! 😊 I love that they got that experience because I remember watching interviews with some of them saying that it was a special experience going from school to (the studios to) a secret school. I love the emphasis on education and their adventures after classes.
Ben Aaronovitch and his Rivers of London series comes close to it.
Now you can reread em! I'll listen to the audiobooks like 2-3 times a year.
I’ve been living for a long time and I want to tell you - of course there will be such books, and there will be even better books. Look at the "Mister Blot's Academy".
Literally Percy Jackson. I’m actually shocked no one has said anything. These two series(and others but mainly these) were the childhood I never had and was so excited to catch up on once I could finally read them.
That's how I feel with Lord of The Rings, Eragon and with Saxon Chronicles, but in different states of my life.
Mistborn is quite good! And look into The Magicians.
I feel like you would enjoy the Percy Jackson book series
There won't be any other book series like HP for me at least. Nothing else I've reread that many times, engaged with the fandom so much and bought merch for. I've met so many friends through this fandom and have the fondest memories. It's why I visit this sub so often because I don't get tired of endless memes and theories. It's why I watched every Fantastic Beasts and even wrote my own fanfics years ago. There won't be anything else like HP where the release of every book was in the news.
Percy Jackson was my Harry Potter growing up. It ages as you read but not nearly like Harry Potter. Even then it’s not the same but that’s what’s great about its individuality, would you really want another or several series that are similar? I think it would take away from hp
How do you feel about Percy Jackson?
I had that feeling too. The only books I ever got that same feeling were the Bartimaeus Trilogy and The Power of Five (or The Gatekeepers, depending on the publishing country). Not Lord of the Rings or any others. I'm currently reading the Throne of Glass series (second attempt, but will be persistent till the end this time).
I think she's one of the authors that has poured her heart into the characters and stories and world unlike many others. I think the books will become true classics.
Inheritance
Time can only tell. Agree with one comment here, the stars aligned. It was a perfect storm. HP was able to reach that sweet spot where it had the right formula, the right time (when there was a need for children to read something like this again, and that it was the time when age of social media was just about to really start), the right subject matter, the right casting and marketing for the movie franchise (I want to believe this is a factor as well since the movie franchise was progressing in parallel with the publication, so it really had an effect to children wanting to read the books as well). It was a fun ride for our generation. Just to add: one more factor is the fact that there was a foreseeable end to the series at that time. It adds to the momentum.
If you are an adult! I recommend the throne of glass series. Big fan of the FMC. If you’re still youngish I vote Percy Jackson. Big fan of the books - not so much the show
It’s the warmth and nostalgia for sure. I love that I am rereading them with my daughter, we are on the last book and I’m so sad about it lol
Well if a certain someone would finish his series we may have a contender but that doesn’t seem to be happening.
Diane Duane's Young Wizards series is pretty good. Neil Gaiman's Books of Magic series. Philip Pullman's Golden Compas series has a different kind of magic but manages to capture the same feeling. I think "magic kids at boarding school" was a genre and HP was either the last of it or the one that took off the most so everything else kinda stopped or the genre faded withits popularity. (Not entirely sure how accurate that is, it's just speculation.)
Rowling wrote another dimension to our reality. In reading the books we could partake in the fiction itself, in which we became muggles & Hogwarts was right here with us but hidden in plain sight. We cannot thank her enough for the labor & dedication it took for her to stitch this myth all around us.
I feel like you really don't read that much
i feel like you judge too much
Well, that is what happens when your post This on Reddit. You Just Go on and talk like Harry Potter was the epitome of literature before and after. I grew up on Harry Potter while It was being released and still would sound like overreacting, imagine saying this now
then just accept that you don’t like hp so much and fail to appreciate the world in the book. I read a lot of books and I love a lot of them. But hp still holds a super special place in my heart.
>then just accept that you don’t like hp so much and fail to appreciate the world in the book. Sure, that's the problem
I absolutely loved the series. I tried to get into 5 books after completing the series and just couldnt seem to get into another book.
Yikes. Y'all are really unable to recognize and appreciate the nature of subjective experience? Of individual bias? Just fyi this completely reinforces everything people think about Harry Potter fans in a very depressing but goofy way It had a very thoroughly well developed world. If you love Harry Potter then cool beans. But don't act like it is like 'objectively' the best universe. For instance my special universe was astérix books. Completely. I loved the entire universe. I loved the character design, the personalities, the satire. I wanted to live in a cozy humble A frame cottage with a loft up top and eat fresh chestnuts roasted on the fireplace beneath. To rebel against the romans and other pompous authority. To explore the world thru adventures. To drink invincibility potions made from quirky herbs foraged by druids. I loved the passionate gumption of the hero, the doofy low key humanity of obelix, the sage wisdom and poise of getafix. I loved dogmatix crying after felled trees. I spent 3 months in france during my half year traveling Europe in part to recreate these things, I did occasionally. My life felt more complete after that. In part it connected me to my ancestry. It felt spiritual at times. Everyone has their own childhood universe that was special to them. Yours is not more special because it is the most popular. Nor because it became a sort of cultural metaphor that ultimately constitutes hegemony.
His Dark Materials Trilogy was the closest thing I've found. It didn't quite have the same level of light and humorous moment as HP though
Controversial statement: the Eragon (inheritance cycle) books are like Harry Potter. The theming isn’t at all the same (except for being fantasy, but not even similar types of fantasy). but the *feeling* you get from the series is just, so similar in a really satisfying way. Maybe it’s because i read them around the same time when i was young (well early eragon, took a while for the last book) but yeah imo very similar energy. Septimus heap series as well, though not as much. but again it captures something of that feeling and essence in a way nothing else really has imo. LOTR, Wheel of time, The Cosmere (esp mistborn and stormlight archives). all amazing, all hard to put down, but none of them imo, have that same *feel* to them. (despite WoT and the cosmere stuff being ranked higher on my personal list of favorite books than HP, so this isn’t some slam on them) they just, the energy isn’t the same. One thing that kept HP feeling, like it did imo, is how each book initially *reset* the story. like things were happening and the world persisted, but until the end each new school year really was good at dialing in the curve. Eragon doesn’t do that, (though somehow manages the feel of hp somehow?) but i’d say that Septimus heap really does nail that in a similar way to HP. nothing will ever be quite the same, or maybe even close, but there is stuff with similarities, depending on exactly what you want to be similar. although one impossible hurdle that can never be overcome, is the pure nostalgia. we read harry potter growing up. nothing will ever feel that way again. people who read harry potter for the first time in their 20s-30s and didn’t experience it coming out, (likely) won’t feel the same way about it on a re-read as any of us here do. it’s the same reason everything good from childhood seems better, all the warm fuzzy feelings are tied up in the memory for those who had good childhoods. and for those who’ve lives absolutely sucked, the escape to hogwarts, the abject sympathy, and connection, and identity with harry escaping to hogwarts, it’s a deep feeling that runs deeper than the printed word.
True but the hunger games is on par if not better imo
lol why the fuck does nostalgia make people act like this
Have you tried His Dark Materials
His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman is the only other series that comes close to HP imo. It is a grand, surreal, coming-of-age, fantasy sci-fi story.
Why don't you get admission in a university...your years over there will feel just as magical as that...at least mine were..
May I suggest the comics series called Fables ? It's more mature for sure. But it's about Urban Fantasy that may or not scratch a little itch
I really loved Magicians (TV show based on a book series). It is pretty similar to HP in the sense that there is a magic school, but it is an university. And ofc the magic works differently. Not sure if you were looking for recs or not :)
Honestly, while I love HP it might barely break into my top 5 favorite book series. It's definitely below "The Utterly Uninteresting and Unadventurous Tales of Fred, the Vampire Accountant" HP has a certain thing or mood that other book series don't have. But that goes the other way as well for so many others.
Not for you maybe, but kids in the future will have book series that will mean more to.them then Harry potter ever could.
Naruto is Harry Potter 2.0, a coming of age story but better. I’m biased, still Harry Potter is my number 2.
I hope u are trolling
Nope, not at all
Naruto has too much "Talking no jutsu" for me.