Pratchett Gives Rowling a Verbal Slap

[Guest]

Go Terry!


Pratchett anger at Rowling's rise

Terry Pratchett is the author of the best-selling Discworld series
Author Terry Pratchett has complained that the status of Harry Potter author JK Rowling is being elevated "at the expense of other writers".

Pratchett, one of the UK's most successful novelists with 40 million books sold, said the media ignores the achievements of other fantasy authors.

He also took a sideswipe at Rowling for saying she did not realise Harry Potter was fantasy until it was published.

His comments came on Rowling's 40th birthday, also Harry Potter's birthday.

In a recent interview with Time magazine, Rowling said she was "not a huge fan of fantasy" and was trying to "subvert" the genre.

JK Rowling recently launched Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
The magazine also said Rowling reinvented fantasy fiction, which was previously stuck in "an idealised, romanticised, pseudofeudal world, where knights and ladies morris-dance to Greensleeves".

Pratchett, whose first fantasy novel was published 34 years ago, wrote to the Sunday Times saying the genre had always been "edgy and inventive".

"Ever since The Lord of the Rings revitalised the genre, writers have played with it, reinvented it, subverted it and bent it to their times," he wrote.

"It has also contained come of the very best, most accessible writing for children, by writers who seldom get the acknowledgement they deserve."

He also expressed surprise at Rowling's comments that she only realised Harry Potter was fantasy after the first book was published.

"I'm not the world's greatest expert," he wrote.

"But I would have thought that the wizards, witches, trolls, unicorns, hidden worlds, jumping chocolate frogs, owl mail, magic food, ghosts, broomsticks and spells would have given her a clue?" HAHAHA!

Rowling's latest book, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, sold almost nine million copies in the UK and US in its first 24 hours of release on 16 July.

BBC Link

Good on you, Terry! Couldn't agree more, mate.

For the record, I haven't read any Harry Potter books, although I did once try to read the first one. Same for my daughters. My nine year old just isn't interested. She also tried to read the first one, got almost halfway through and declared it "boring". She does, however, read one to two novels a week (including all of Roald Dahl, C.S. Lewis, Robert Louis Stevenson, etc, etc). She'll read anything, provided it's good (wonder where she got that phrase from? ), and when we go book shopping, she almost always picks out a book by some obscure author, or other, who is not well known. She loves fantasy/sci-fi books, but didn't think "Potter" was up to scratch. I'm thinking that maybe she's picked some vibes up from me, but I have encouraged her to give the Harry Potter books a go. Oh well, I wouldn't force the poor child.

Many have argued that at least it's got kids reading more books, but I question: has it? Sadly, a lot of children do think books begin and end with Harry Potter. Please, get out there, read some more diverse stuff! Also, what's with the craze with adults?

Comments, anyone, on Pratchett's take? He is most definitely a bloody good author!

Lou

 

[The_Darkness]

JK Rowling is a hell of a story teller....I found her writing style to be lacking. I have no idea why people love these stories as much as they seem to.

 

[Guest]

JK Rowling is a hell of a story teller....I found her writing style to be lacking. I have no idea why people love these stories as much as they seem to.

PR? A promotion frenzy? Media hype? Pester power? Those with a financial incentive pushing them like crazy? Just a hunch.

 

[oggbashan]

Was Pratchett attacking Rowling or attacking the things said about Rowling as part of the sales hype?

Rowling has been marketed as no author has ever been marketed before. Her book sales make all the previous records obsolete. It is understandable that other authors are not too pleased about how they have been treated by comparison. Yet the criticism shouldn't really be directed at Rowling but at the publishers and sales campaigners.

Rowling has made reading 'cool' for youngsters. If that remains as her only achievment, then that is something to celebrate. Harry Potter has made a market that other authors can benefit from. Every child who devours the Harry Potter books can become a reader for the rest of their life.

Og

 

[Svenskaflicka]

Pratchett's jealous!

Speaking of Pratchett vs Rowling, may I recommend a visit to Fiction Alley Park, where you can find a hilarious parody on both Pratchett and Harry Potter..?

(Gytha Ogg is hired to be the cook at Hogwarts, and she makes her Special Food - you know which one I mean - and serves it to the teachers and staff members. Enter Severus Snape... )

 

[English Lady]

Pratchett has definitely got a point or two or more there.

I love the fantasy genre but I find Harry Potter boring and the writing style doesn't grab me at all. Just because Harry Potter has been hyped up to be cool, it doesn't mean it's good.

Pratchett is probably a little bit pissed off really, Rowling's got this far on hype and a tiny bit of talent, I do believe he's had to work at his fame a little bit more. Give me Discworld over hogwarts any day.

 

[Kassiana]

I've read Pratchett. In my opinion, he's not half as good as Rowling and is making himself look even worse for carping at her for having such success.

 

[Dar~]

I enjoy the Harry Potter books a lot. They are imaginative light reading. Rowling deserves the credit for the writing, but the hype is just that, hype.

Personally I have never read Terry Pratchet, but I do read pretty much anything I can find.

On the ote that she didn't realize it was fantasy, who amoung us thinks about the genre of a piece if it is grabbing us by the throat and making us write it? I know I don't all I think about is getting my idea down and on paper so I can breathe again.

All the negativity towards Rowling is uncalled for. Terry Pratchet may be a successful author, but he is also a jealous little boy on the playground calling names b/c he can't think of anything better to do. People should be happy for others who make achievements, not derisive.

 

[Typo Fu Master]

Give me Discworld over hogwarts any day.

I am a huge Discworld fan. I read the first 3 Harry Potter books, and thought they were ok, but not as good as the Potter fans seem to think. Oh well, personal preference and all that. The movies have been better.

Now if only they'd do Discworld movies ....

 

[Quiet_Cool]

...Rowling's got this far on hype and a tiny bit of talent...

Enter Sylvester Stallone and Vin Deisel in Rowling's defense.... (I'd add in Paris Hilton, but she lacks that tiny bit of talent)



Truth be told, it's about time this sort of thing affected the writing industry more. It's been a part of everything else related to entertainment. It's getting old that a film like Saving Private Ryan is written by someone who gets paid less than nearly every star in the film. Hell, Deisel and Ted Danson were in that one. Without the hype, the industry won't hand over the check.

I've read the first Harry Potter, and wouldn't flinch at the possibility of reading the rest of them. I don't think it was poorly written at all, and the storylines weren't bad either. I enjoyed the read. Did I see reason for the hype? Some, but not to the extent that it has become, not a world-wide phenomenon like it's become.

But then, we're adults, and kids are more susceptible to that hype. It's easy to convince a child that they like something when all thier friends do and the rest of the world says it's cool. A lot of children probably enjoyed Star Wars more because they were there with parents and siblings who were already into it.

As far as the work itself being good and initiating the hype. No. Like I said, I read the first one. I also remember reading A Wrinkle in Time and A Wind in the Door, both fantasy and geared toward a younger audience and both written by Madeline L'Engle (sp?). I found the latter two books much more interesting and better written, but without the hype... Just not as popular.

Did Rowling get kids reading again? No. Not even close. They were always reading, now they're just reading Harry Potter, then dressing up in scarves and fake glasses and running around playing Harry Potter. When I read [A Wrinkle in Time[/i], I didn't go outside and play, I looked for another book (and found several). Maybe we should start pressing some of these stories toward kids ourselves. Give them other books that we know at least pass as good, that might deserve a chance.

Just my take.

Q_C

 

[Liar]

I read the first two Potter books, and I never really got into it all. I mean, I was entertained enough, and I never fell asleep reading. But there was just something important missing. I never understood what though. It wasn't the writing and language itself, which is pretty high quality. The characters are vivid enough and the actual story behind the veneer of Hogwarts, that of an estranged outsider reclaiming his birthright, opposed by bigots and politics, it can't get more classic than that.

Reading this thread and the Pratchett article made me realize what it is that nasgs me: Rowling does not love fantasy. In order to write good fantasy with the right ambience, I think you really have to have heart for the genre. The fantasy elelment of her stories is...shallow, I guess the word should be. It's just random magic and creatures tossed in to make it look the part, but there is very little consistency, no unifying mechanism behind it all.

This being said, I don't dismiss Rowling. She's a splendid author, and I think she's worth every ounce of success. But it iffs me, like it iffs Pratchett I guess when she is called the saviour of Fantasy, when she in fact doesn't understand or even care about the genre. This is not really her fault though.

I would also like to see a Discworld movie...but which of all the dozens of clusters of independent characters would get the honor of a silver screen career?

 

[Svenskaflicka]

I was disappointed in the HBP, but I won't agree that JKR is a poor writer, on the contrary, she's a very clever writer, who has plotted and planned her books for many years, and who makes tiny clues in every book that seem insignificant at the time, but turn out to be huge clues to later events, and us Potter-fans kick ourselves for not noticing them.

Pratchett is also good, though in a different way. His books can't be compared to Harry Potter, since they are so different - you might as well compare Gone With the Wind to Rebel Without a Cause!

JKR IS a talented writer, and so is Terry Pratchett, though I must say I'm disappointed that he's acting so jealous about JKR's fame. Instead of bitching, he should see it as a challenge to write something that matches or even beats her work!

 

[JamesSD]

Pratchett is a good, clever author, but I feel like once you've read one or two of his novels, you've practically read them all. He focuses on humorous allegory; the first time you read one of his books your mind is blown, the second time less so, and for me by the third book I didn't care to seek out any others.

Very little new has been done in the fantasy genre since Tolkien. There's some good stuff out there, but very little of it is what I'd call "innovative" or "revolutionary". That said, I still enjoy a well written fantasy novel.

I don't really think of the Harry Potter books as strictly "fantasy" per say. Yeah, there's magic and strange creatures, but really it's more about children growing up and the sorts of adventures they get into. I suppose it's a blending of adolescent and fantasy literature.

His comments are largely professional jealousy. Potter made the pie bigger. There are children who think that books begin and end with him, but those are kids that wouldn't be reading anything otherwise. I'm certain there are plenty of children whose minds are more open to the fantasy genre as a result of Harry Potter just as there are many adults who are more open to the genre as a result of the Lord of the Rings movies.

I'm sure being an author is terribly frustrating, as a bit of mainstream press coverage has far more impact on a book's success than it's inherent quality.

I like the Harry Potter books, and I can see where they've been succesful. "A Wrinkle in Time" is far less accessible to the average child, as I remember it it's rather complex for a children's book. Rowling's plots are clear and linear (occasionally predictable, but usually with enough of a twist to catch you off guard), she uses enough detail to draw you in without being boring like Steinbeck. I think most importantly, young people can understand her books but never feel like they're being written down to, which is part of why the books are successful with adults.

That said, I think the 5th book was weak and too long and I haven't touched the 6th yet.

 

[Liar]

JKR IS a talented writer, and so is Terry Pratchett, though I must say I'm disappointed that he's acting so jealous about JKR's fame. Instead of bitching, he should see it as a challenge to write something that matches or even beats her work!

Only thing I could read him saying in that article was that he thought media (and Time magazine specifically) was ignorant about the Fantasy genre.

 

[Hooper_X]

You couldn't pay me to read either of them, but at least the premise of Pratchett's most famous work is interesting.

 

[TheLittleWolf]

I've read Pratchett. In my opinion, he's not half as good as Rowling and is making himself look even worse for carping at her for having such success.

Yes it is in poor taste for Pratchett to slam Rowling. But the point here is that Rowlings writing is no where near as good as Pratchett. Rowlings books are quick light reads and perfect for young readers. Her over popularization by the media has helped many young readers begin reading. But Lord of the Rings also got a lot of people reading long before the movies came out. Pratchett is a far better writter his stories flow and intertwine like the threads of a perisian rug. Rowlings story all though I give her some credit for imagination. Her Hogwarts school and its world is a wonderful place for young readers minds to visit. But her writting is very predictable and not very imaginative. And she writes really really slowly.
Pratchett on the other hand you never know what crazy thing is going to pop out of his head. He is even so bold to poke fun at himself.....

"Aye, it must be powerful language if you canna make oout what the heel it's goin' on aboot!"- Terry Pratchett -(Wee Free Men)

So all of those who think Rowling is the greatest writter ever, I'm sad to say that you should read more for your reading level is way below the national average (which is sadly only at the 7th grade reading level). I suggest that you go to your local book store and find the "teen" reading section. Then compare Rowlings to any of these authors and you'll notice that her writting style is no greater than any of these writers. You may even notice how her style is below the others standard.
In short, Rowlings is OK but her writting is nowhere near all the hype she gets. Face it there are hundreds of better writers out there, the question is why havn't the others gotten world wide hype?

 

[Kassiana]

the point here is that Rowlings writing is no where near as good as Pratchett.

--In your opinion. I tried reading his stuff once. Bored me to tears. I'd rather read IRS tax code. I think Rowling's writing is MUCH BETTER than Pratchett's. I'll say it as many times as I need to.

So all of those who think Rowling is the greatest writter ever, I'm sad to say that you should read more for your reading level is way below the national average (which is sadly only at the 7th grade reading level).

--If you write things like "writter" and "perisian," rather than "writer" and "Persian," I think you're the one with the lower than average reading level. My disagreement with you doesn't mean I don't read. It means I DISAGREE WITH YOU. Period.

And nowhere did I say Rowling was the greatest writer ever. I said I thought Pratchett wasn't half as good as Rowling. He isn't even half as good as she. That makes her better than him, not better than everyone.

In short, if anyone has reading comprehension problems here, it's you.

 

[Guest]

I don't really think of the Harry Potter books as strictly "fantasy" per say. Yeah, there's magic and strange creatures, but really it's more about children growing up and the sorts of adventures they get into. I suppose it's a blending of adolescent and fantasy literature.

Yes.

That's why my children love the series. They can identify with the characters, they cheer when the kids overcome the bad guys, they love the wild adventures the kids get to have and the magic is pure fun. And cool.

I remember loving the character of Aunt Beast when I read A Wrinkle in Time as a kid. But my daughter thought the book was merely ok, though she did do an oral book report on it and we made a diorama for the display.

But as for Harry Potter, does it truly matter where the series is cubbyholed? Which genre? I'm not a huge fantasy fan myself, but to me her work seems to be more of a blending of types. She didn't start out to write fantasy, she just started writing. And this is where she wound up.

Or not. But my kids love the books, the movies are enjoyable and the music is incredible.

And we have to love it around here because my daughter went dressed as Hermione for Halloween two years ago and her best friend went as Harry. (They were so damn cute as 8-year-olds in Hogwarts robes - and they truly looked the parts.)

 

[Svenskaflicka]

And she writes really really slowly.
Pratchett on the other hand you never know what crazy thing is going to pop out of his head. He is even so bold to poke fun at himself.....

*SNIP*

So all of those who think Rowling is the greatest writter ever, I'm sad to say that you should read more for your reading level is way below the national average (which is sadly only at the 7th grade reading level).

Spewing out books in high speed isn't necessarily a sign that your work has good quality. I think there are many authors here on Lit who proove this. I mean, just think of Barbara Cartland! The woman wrote more than 800 books in her life time, but they're all identical mushy, frigid sirop!

And I think it's rather low of you to hint that my reading level is "below national average" - you have no idea how much I have read, in my own language and in foreign languages. You don't know what type of novels / books I normally read, and you can't make an appropriate judgement of my reading level simply by reading my posts here on Lit!
If you don't share my taste, that's perfectly OK, but dob't sink to the level where you start insulting my intelligence just because you don't like the same novels I do!

 

[Liar]

So all of those who think Rowling is the greatest writter ever, I'm sad to say that you should read more for your reading level is way below the national average (which is sadly only at the 7th grade reading level). I suggest that you go to your local book store and find the "teen" reading section. Then compare Rowlings to any of these authors and you'll notice that her writting style is no greater than any of these writers.

Well duh. It's supposed to be written that way. The main target audience is young readers. The fact that so many more matured readers still appriciate it in spite of the simple language and structure should be a testament to the quality of the stories.

You may even notice how her style is below the others standard.

Couldn't say. Haven't compared.

 

[davidwatts]

I never read Harry Potter nor do I plan to, but the idea of dismissing a writer's success or crediting it solely to clever marketing seems a bit off. If it were that easy it seems like there would be a Rowling or a Stephen King popping up every year, since I would think every major publishing house would want one of their own.

 

[Just-Legal]

Go Terry!


Pratchett anger at Rowling's rise

Terry Pratchett is the author of the best-selling Discworld series
Author Terry Pratchett has complained that the status of Harry Potter author JK Rowling is being elevated "at the expense of other writers".

Pratchett, one of the UK's most successful novelists with 40 million books sold, said the media ignores the achievements of other fantasy authors.

He also took a sideswipe at Rowling for saying she did not realise Harry Potter was fantasy until it was published.

His comments came on Rowling's 40th birthday, also Harry Potter's birthday.

In a recent interview with Time magazine, Rowling said she was "not a huge fan of fantasy" and was trying to "subvert" the genre.

JK Rowling recently launched Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
The magazine also said Rowling reinvented fantasy fiction, which was previously stuck in "an idealised, romanticised, pseudofeudal world, where knights and ladies morris-dance to Greensleeves".

Pratchett, whose first fantasy novel was published 34 years ago, wrote to the Sunday Times saying the genre had always been "edgy and inventive".

"Ever since The Lord of the Rings revitalised the genre, writers have played with it, reinvented it, subverted it and bent it to their times," he wrote.

"It has also contained come of the very best, most accessible writing for children, by writers who seldom get the acknowledgement they deserve."

He also expressed surprise at Rowling's comments that she only realised Harry Potter was fantasy after the first book was published.

"I'm not the world's greatest expert," he wrote.

"But I would have thought that the wizards, witches, trolls, unicorns, hidden worlds, jumping chocolate frogs, owl mail, magic food, ghosts, broomsticks and spells would have given her a clue?" HAHAHA!

Rowling's latest book, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, sold almost nine million copies in the UK and US in its first 24 hours of release on 16 July.

BBC Link

Good on you, Terry! Couldn't agree more, mate.

For the record, I haven't read any Harry Potter books, although I did once try to read the first one. Same for my daughters. My nine year old just isn't interested. She also tried to read the first one, got almost halfway through and declared it "boring". She does, however, read one to two novels a week (including all of Roald Dahl, C.S. Lewis, Robert Louis Stevenson, etc, etc). She'll read anything, provided it's good (wonder where she got that phrase from? ), and when we go book shopping, she almost always picks out a book by some obscure author, or other, who is not well known. She loves fantasy/sci-fi books, but didn't think "Potter" was up to scratch. I'm thinking that maybe she's picked some vibes up from me, but I have encouraged her to give the Harry Potter books a go. Oh well, I wouldn't force the poor child.

Many have argued that at least it's got kids reading more books, but I question: has it? Sadly, a lot of children do think books begin and end with Harry Potter. Please, get out there, read some more diverse stuff! Also, what's with the craze with adults?

Comments, anyone, on Pratchett's take? He is most definitely a bloody good author!

Lou

http://www.bardicweb.net

THAT is my take on the fantasy genre. Although admittedly I'm a little AWOL from my writing there atm...

I like Harry Potter. (I like the subsequent fanfic even more but lets not go there) but I'm not going to pretend that Rowling is the Shakespeare of the fantasy world.

I love Pratchett's Discworld books. They rock.

 

[TheLittleWolf]

I'm not saying I'm a great writter and I know very well my spelling sucks, thank you for pointing that out Kassiana. If this site had a spell check it would help. But the point I was trying to make is the world has gone Ga-Ga over a series of novels written for a teen audience. shall we say a very conservative 1/2 of her novels sold are read by teen.
I've read all of Her work (except for the latest it is due to be delivered this week)and all of Prachetts works, and Pratchett still gets my vote as the better author of the two.

Now I will admit that they both write lite-fluff-novels all easy reads. Their are many other authors out there that are so much better than the two of them combined, for example, staying within the genre, Anne McCathrey and her Pern series.

So my appologies to any one I insulted about their reading level. But if you took insult then

 

[Guest]

I'm not saying I'm a great writter and I know very well my spelling sucks, thank you for pointing that out Kassiana. If this site had a spell check it would help. But the point I was trying to make is the world has gone Ga-Ga over a series of novels written for a teen audience. shall we say a very conservative 1/2 of her novels sold are read by teen.
I've read all of Her work (except for the latest it is due to be delivered this week)and all of Prachetts works, and Pratchett still gets my vote as the better author of the two.

Now I will admit that they both write lite-fluff-novels all easy reads. Their are many other authors out there that are so much better than the two of them combined, for example, staying within the genre, Anne McCathrey and her Pern series.

So my appologies to any one I insulted about their reading level. But if you took insult then

Kids much younger than teenagers are enjoying Harry Potter.

And like any written work, the books will appeal differently to different kinds of readers.

No matter what anyone is saying in comparison of the two writers, Pratchett's bitching sounds like just that - bitching. It's all sour grapes and whining because his work isn't selling as well as hers.

Rowling's books are obviously reaching a wide audience. It is insulting to those of us who enjoy them to be told they aren't worthy and therefore we are wasting our time (or we're all incipent morons.)

Hmph.

Tastes differ. Enough said.

 

[Belegon]

I read everything from Shakespeare to fortune cookies...I honestly think I can stand toe to toe with anyone my age and compare notes and not come out looking bad. I cut across genres and styles and have my strong opinions on people that are acclaimed that I am not fond of...


I like the HP books. I KNOW they are getting attention from younger readers because I have a 7 yr old and a 5 yr old and I know what their friends talk about and how much they read as opposed to video games and cartoon network.


I also enjoy the books for my own sake.


There seems to be a little bit of the element here that you usually see in the underground rebellion circles. "It is popular, therefore must be bad."