The 100 stories that shaped the world

[Nearly Sane]

As ever with these things very odd - No Aeneid?



http://www.bbc.com/culture/story/20180521-the-100-stories-that-shaped-the-world

[Rhiannon]

Harry Potter? Christ. Unless they mean in the marketing consumerist juggernaught sense of changing the world.

[Nearly Sane]

Harry Potter? Christ. Unless they mean in the marketing consumerist juggernaught sense of changing the world.

To be fair,  that is a change. Not sure it was HP that did that.

[Rhiannon]

To be fair,  that is a change. Not sure it was HP that did that.

I think it was Beatrix Potter/Frederick Warne who started the merch tie-ins.

[jeremyp]

Harry Potter? Christ. Unless they mean in the marketing consumerist juggernaught sense of changing the world.

Harry Potter is definitely ingrained into our culture now, much more so than many of the other books on the list.

[Nearly Sane]

Harry Potter is definitely ingrained into our culture now, much more so than many of the other books on the list.

Surely though this list is a bit wider than that? Has it 'shaped the world ' to the extent that its ranking suggests?

[jeremyp]

Surely though this list is a bit wider than that? Has it 'shaped the world ' to the extent that its ranking suggests?

Yes. I think Harry Potter has certainly shaped the modern world, vastly more so than al lot of the other books on the list, quite a few of which, most people won't even have heard of.

[Nearly Sane]

Yes. I think Harry Potter has certainly shaped the modern world, vastly more so than al lot of the other books on the list, quite a few of which, most people won't even have heard of.

It doesn't say the modern world and in what way do you think it has 'shaped' the modern world? To be fair, I think the whole aim of the list is both bizarre and poncey.

[Rhiannon]

I’ve got three kids who grew up with HP and it’s no more shaped their world than, say, Disney - it’s mostly movies, theme parks and merch. Reading-wise, yeah they’ve read them but when discussing gthem now they talk about the plot holes, clunky dialogue and how annoying Harry’s teenage angst is - and this is from teenagers. There’s better written fiction out there (eg the Derek Landy books) plus stuff like LOTR and the Belgariad which they prefer.

[Rhiannon]

It doesn't say the modern world and in what way do you think it has 'shaped' the modern world? To be fair, I think the whole aim of the list is both bizarre and poncey.

Trying to figure out how Orlando shaped my world. Loved reading it but really?

[jeremyp]

I’ve got three kids who grew up with HP and it’s no more shaped their world than, say, Disney - it’s mostly movies, theme parks and merch. Reading-wise, yeah they’ve read them but when discussing gthem now they talk about the plot holes, clunky dialogue and how annoying Harry’s teenage angst is - and this is from teenagers. There’s better written fiction out there (eg the Derek Landy books) plus stuff like LOTR and the Belgariad which they prefer.

So they do still talk about HP. It sounds very much like their world is at least partially shaped by HP.

And you're right about Disney (especially when you factor in Pixar, Marvel and the Star Wars franchises) but Disney isn't a book and so cannot be on the list.

[Maeght]

Not read any of them  ::)yy

[Harrowby Hall]

Harry Potter? Christ. Unless they mean in the marketing consumerist juggernaught sense of changing the world.

I think that you are letting your personal opinion of the books to obstruct your objective assessment of their importance. When I look at the list there are all kinds of questions that occur to me but I realise that my values may not be universally shared.

A couple of points (vaguely related) about the Harry Potter series:

In a world in which traditional - religion based - moral frameworks appear to be of less importance than previously, some people have suggested that the "morality" contained within the HP series is a kind of secular Christian parallel.

The HP books have been specifically selected by fundamental Christian sects (in the USA) for public condemnation and vilification for their "antiChristian" "demonic" content. Sentiments like "if Harry Potter were here now he'd be in Hell" ...

The worldwide commercial success of the HP books means that a very large number of young people are familiar with, understand their context. Hence they are stories which are "shaping the world."

[Owlswing]

I’ve got three kids who grew up with HP and it’s no more shaped their world than, say, Disney - it’s mostly movies, theme parks and merch. Reading-wise, yeah they’ve read them but when discussing gthem now they talk about the plot holes, clunky dialogue and how annoying Harry’s teenage angst is - and this is from teenagers. There’s better written fiction out there (eg the Derek Landy books) plus stuff like LOTR and the Belgariad which they prefer.

There is also a vast amount that is far far worse.

I agree Harry can be a prize twat, Dumbledore was a right arsehole in many ways, Draco is an arrogant little prick and a coward to boot (without Crabbe and Goyle he's nothing but attitude) but the books also gave a lot of MY LOT a good many laughs.

They are also one of few series of books that have been banned from evey library in some States of the US, in some of those some states they still are.

You only have to look at the crowds at the premieres of the films and the sales of the books or the crowds outside the Platform 9¾ shop at Kings Cross to see that twenty years on HP and his crew are as popular as ever, a vist by Professor Sprout a couple of weeks ago nearly caused the shop to be closed to get the crowd orgaised to stop it blocking passengers. This was accomplished with calm and a total lack of ill-humour.

Further, for every person who likes something (virtually anything) there will be someone who dislikes it - that is humanity for you!