Harry Potter Naysayers

I've seen some stories recently about how the Harry Potter craze is dying out, book sales dropping, and all that. It's left me scratching my head, because so much of the analysis makes little sense. Of course sales of the previous books have to level out if not outright drop. There are only so many people in the world who would be likely to read the series. To expect something else is more than wrong-headed; it's borderline stupid. How many other writers have had net worth estimated at north of a billion? That the series has been a financial success is undoubted, and I don't see that the last volume will do any worse.

I wonder, though, how much of the criticism is based on jealousy of author J.K. Rowling. There has been too much sniping over the years from the literati disdaining the work and shaking its collective head at how anyone could actually enjoy the books.

Does Rowling have weaknesses as a writer? Absolutely. All writers do. Personally I think that she could have profited from better and possibly stronger editing, but writing isn't just about the words. Writing is a way to tell stories, and at that, Rowling excels like few others. There is tension, interesting twists, characters that seem real - there's story. Those who are looking for the tumble and weakness are being driven by jealousy and spite. Better they - and we all, in our own ways - spend less time using language to attach and more time taking care of our own business and doing the best we can.