I read the first 160 pages of the first book and it was so obviously dumbed-down "Rupert" or "Boy's Weekly" re-hashed into book form.
Please don't do anyone the ignorant and stupid response that they are anything like Tolkien or the Narnia series.
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Judging a (now) six book series based on the first 180 pages is much like judging a 7 course meal after sampling the soup and crackers. I imagine that folks who have taken the trouble to actually read Tolkien, Lewis, and Rowling may perhaps make such comparative pronouncements with greater authority.
You might well be right in your assessment, but I cannot fathom how you would know you were.
Ever read Terry Brooks?
A lady on an email list pointed out that the books seem to have grown with its readers. That the first is at a fourth grade level. The second and fifth grade level. And so on from there.
No, you're right. Harry Potter is nothing compared to Tolkein or Lewis, but that doesn't make the HP books poor reading for people who just enjoy a fun adventure story.
Also, the last few books have been a lot more mature in their style (for those with Peter Pan complexes).