I snapped off a letter to Joel Stein earlier in response to his
unusually-misinformed article regarding the Potter phenomenon. And he wrote back! And liked it!
--- (Me) <(my address)> wrote:
> Dear Mr. Stein:
>
> I imagine you're sick of these letters, so I'll make it quick.
>
> 1) The fans disliked the movies too. The decisions about what to keep,
> cut, and expand were badly made, and the child acting is pitiable. I
> never met a fan who didn't urge moviegoers to read the book instead.
>
> 2) I felt the same way as you about the first 50 pages of the first
> book--enjoyable, not remarkable. Then I reached the end and found a
> surprise criminal worthy of Agatha Christie, a wonderfully evil
> archvillain, and a moral I could get behind. They grow in complexity
> as the series progresses--a trait desperately lacking in many
> children's (and adult) series.
>
> 3) You seem to believe that Potter fans have done nothing in the past
> two years but re-read the series repeatedly. Please be logical. Anyone
> willing to crank through a thousand pages of text in one weekend won't
> be satisfied with that. Personally, I read some Guy de Maussepant,
> four books in Spanish, and "Ulysses". For the record, it was like
> trying to hold a conversation with a deranged, attention-deficit
> genius. JK Rowling is no James Joyce, but at least
> she knows how to use a quotation mark.
>
> 4) Finally, I dispute your representation of C.S. Lewis as
> "emotionally backward." His writings prove him to be one of the most
> emotionally astute, spiritually aware writers of the century. As for
> the "hiding behind initials"--I'd do it too if my name was Clive
> Staples. Heavens.
>
> Best wishes,
>
> (my name)
> (age 25)
This is by far the best angry letter about Harry
Potter I've gotten. Though Rowling has trained all of
you guys to write really long.
Thanks for the well-reasoned thoughts and the
excellent Clive Staples joke,
Joel
This is more awesome because I actually like Joel Stein, I read him in TIME magazine all the time. He is like a celebrity to me. I so much need to reply (while I've got his ear, you know) and urge him to apply for a spot on Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me.
*is awesome*