Hey guys, guess what?! Surprise, surprise, y’all get a very special post today – on Wednesday, yes, not Monday or Saturday – one that should be interesting to many of y’all. What is this post, you ask? Well, in honor of Kaley Kriesel’s recent blog launch, we engaged in a debate to 1) help her get some publicity for her AWESOME blog; and 2) tackle a controversial topic that we had differing views on. (Don’t worry; we kept it civil. ;P)
So! Without further ado, enjoy this bonus post: a debate over Harry Potter. 🙂
Harry Potter: Yes or No?
A Debate Between Joelle Stone & Kaley Kriesel
K: Hello, Joelle! Thanks for having me! I may as well start off with asking: what is your overall opinion on the Harry Potter series?
J: Of course, Kaley! Thanks for being willing to debate with me. 😉 Hrm, it’s hard for me to be concise with my words, so let’s see if I can keep this short. 😛 I personally have not read HP, and don’t intend to. I have heard that the plot is good, the characters extremely well-developed, the worldbuilding is unique, and the prose is amazing. All that is well and good, but I’ve never been very comfortable with people – especially kids – messing around with wizardry, magic, spells, etc. It miiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight be all right if it stayed in the book, but I keep finding HP merchandise around – even in my small town XD – things like spell books and wands and How-Tos about wizardry. Not my favorite. What about you?
K: I don’t meet a lot of critics or people who haven’t/don’t want to read the series! This is great. I honestly agree with certain points, but overall, I would say that as a writer I’m always amazed by the world building and plot building J.K. Rowling does. While her characters are powerful and equipped with magic, they aren’t the only ones and it explores the concept of a world hidden in our world as well as discussing the ways the two in one world bridges. I love that aspect. She also has backstory not only for her characters but for her world. Just imagining the amount of planning that must have gone into it is INSANE to me. My favorite part is that Harry doesn’t know what he’s capable of. And yes it’s a very commercial series but it’s really more about the movies now than the books, merch-wise. Now, I do have some problems with the series, but overall I love it as author and reader.
J: Ooh, I’ve never heard of that part of the worldbuilding! I know several people who like “world within world” stories. 😀 *nods* The movies might not have ever existed without the books, though. Have you seen them?
K: I have seen further in the series in movies than I have read in books, even one in 4D, which is sad to me. The movies are good movies, but I don’t think they do the books justice. With a book, you’re free to imagine as vividly as possible. With a movie, it’s figured out for you. It can be nice but it also means you can’t decide how things look the same way. Still, they did pretty well considering. What are your thoughts from what you’ve heard on the magic?
J: *nods* I agree. Books seem to last longer, too – you can read them so many times and still pick up on new foreshadowing or similes or character developments, whereas you can only watch a movie so many times before you lose interest. (There are some exceptions, though… *cough* LOTR *cough cough*) As for the magic, I know that Harry is being trained to be a wizard at some school, along with a few of his friends. He’s a kid messing around with magic, which is one of the. most. dangerous things a kid could do. Magic is defined as performing unnatural feats with supernatural powers. Does Rowling ever mention where the supernatural power her characters are using comes from?
K: That’s definitely true! Books are amazing that way. (Never watched or read them yet, but I WILL! Don’t freak out…. XD) Ok, so what you know is from the wrong perspective. The book is from the perspective of a world where magic has existed for centuries, as long as the world itself. This school isn’t just a little school for magic; it’s Hogwarts, the academy of the art of magic for the England area where people have been trained in magic for many years. There are also laws about magic that are kept by using other magic. Besides, Harry Potter doesn’t immediately love magic or explore it… he’s pretty lost at the start because he didn’t know he was a wizard and is all of a sudden going to a magical school. And the person to tell him he’s a wizard is pretty much a giant who breaks down the door. Harry’s in shock. Plus he’s finding out who his parents really are. He was raised by his (cruel) aunt and uncle after the evil wizard (He Who Must Not Be Named, a.k.a Voldemort) killed his parents and almost killed him. The magic, I believe, comes from natural things around them that they use to make wands and potions. There are mythical creatures and things but it’s all sourced in nature, as far as I know. They don’t just have powers. They’re a culture of people spread across the world learning to use magic. Rowling doesn’t ever fully state this, though.
J: YOU MUST READ LOTR!! That’s all I’m going to do towards freaking out ‘cause we don’t have time for the whole spiel. XD So you’re saying that the “magic” in there is all natural? How do they make potions? What enemies do they fight? How can spells be natural? Ahh, I’ve heard about Voldemort. XD Mythical creatures are ok to me, since I don’t see anything in the Bible saying they’re not to be messed with. *shrugs*
K: I know I must…. The potions are made kind of like people make soup: cook the ingredients together how the recipe commands. I’m not the best person to talk to about that part of it. The main enemy is Voldemort and his army, who hurt, kill, and want control. In this world, spells wouldn’t be considered natural. But in this world, it’s always been this way so none of the witches and wizards question it. For them, it’s natural. They harness the powers of various things and use their own commands to cast spells. I can’t explain it because magic can’t be explained, and honestly I agree that magic isn’t natural and doesn’t belong in the real world. But the magic is the world building that makes Harry Potter fantasy, so even though it’s based upon reality, the magic is J. K. Rowling’s creation. I love mythical creatures, personally, but I understand why they aren’t real. XD So has any part of your opinion potentially changed?
J: Ahh, that’s what I was afraid of. Explained magic is ok, even if the characters don’t know how it works (LOTR). But when the authors leave the magic unexplained and call it simply a “part of the world”, I get a little jittery. The Bible has never used the words “magic” “sorcery” “witchcraft” or anything like that in a good way – instead, it calls those things an abomination to God. So… *shrugs* I’m kinda wary around that kind of thing, especially when it is unexplained. XD I know right!! Mythical creatures are SO intriguing. I should do an article on those… ;P Hrm, afraid it hasn’t. I have a better understanding of the books now, but I’m afraid my opinion remains the same. XD What about you?
K: Yeah, I get that. That’s why I personally can’t write a fantasy story where both magic or superpowers and God exist. They don’t match. I don’t read a ton of magic normally, either, because it can get dark and Harry Potter definitely does get darker. Mythical creatures, though, are fascinating… you definitely should! I would say my opinion remained mostly the same but I definitely realized I like it more than I thought! Thanks for doing this with me!
J: Of course, Kaley! Thank you for being willing to debate and joining me on the blog. 🙂
Kaley Kriesel is a 15-year-old Christian author from Oklahoma, USA, where she pursues Jesus and studies from her home. She has been writing for as long as she can remember, and when she isn’t writing, learning, or socializing, you can most often find her playing ukulele or reading a book. She has two blogs, Words and Sketch Scribble Scribe. This tour is for Words.
So what about you guys? Harry Potter, yea or nay? Why or why not? Should I write an article of mythical creatures? Should we ban together and lock Kaley in a room until she reads/watches LOTR? XD Let me know in the comments!!
Until next time,
Take courage, pursue God, and smile while you still have teeth!! 😉
~Joelle
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