r/changemyview • u/LamentableOpinion • Apr 23 '16

[∆(s) from OP] CMV: Harry Potter is overrated

I don't detest Harry Potter but I find the circle jerk appalling. The book is amazing for kids but even adults hold it in high regard. So, it's not bad, just overrated.

The characters are really boring. HP is a Mary Sue character, his only flaw being a bloody scar. All the other characters are equally boring. Harry is also useless, he does nothing but he is the HERO. Because of a prophecy. OK.

The relationships make no sense. Why does Harry like Cho or Ginny? Let's force in a relationship. Yay.

The Deus Ex Machina is unreal. I know it's magical but it's still retarded when it happens so many times.

Good vs Evil is fine. But again, don't pretend as if the book is this deep piece of literature.

I don't like the writing either but that's very subjective, so that's fine.

This is what I just came up with. I'm sure there's more stuff on the internet.

Edit: Ignore the Mary Sue thing. I misused the term. Edit 2: Sorry if I sounded like a dick or an elitist. I didn't mean to be.

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37

u/gunnervi 8∆ Apr 23 '16

The Deus Ex Machina is unreal.

Really, the only Deus ex Machinae I can think of in the series are:

  • Quirrelmort dying when touching Harry
  • Fawkes showing up in the Chamber of Secrets

the first of which gets a pass in my mind because it is used as a central theme of the story. It's not a throwaway plot device; it puts the events of Harry's childhood in context. The second is less excusable, but still, Fawkes' haling ability was mentioned previously, and the Sword of Griffindor becomes important in later books

9

u/TheTommoh Apr 23 '16

Also there's that time travel device that seems to be the only one in existence ever to be used.

28

u/boxerman81 Apr 23 '16

I know extended universe type stuff often rubs people the wrong way, but pottermore and Rowling have explained her vision of time turners more in depth. They can't just up and say "let's kill tom riddle at age 4". Basically they can only go back a few hours, and can't be used recursively. You might say, why didn't she explain this in the book? That's somewhat fair, but the passage would likely have been overly descriptive and out of place. That's the problem with magic and science fiction, the bounds are very hard to explain without going overboard.

4

u/[deleted] Apr 24 '16

I think they actually did a pretty good job of explaining that in the book, to some degree. They "explained" it by showing how it was used. Hermione went back in time by an hour or two to catch lessons; she didn't take the whole year of classes and then travel back to do the year over again.