Which side of the fence

I enjoyed the Harry Potter novel, but it wasn't perfect by any stretch. I do agree with the criticisms of Ross Douthat, especially how the lack of Hogwarts eliminates the crucial normalcy vs. crisis dynamic of the other books. And ( spoiler) I completely agree that she chickened out when it came to who lives and who dies.

I think Douthat is incorrect when he says "But it's fathers and mothers, not 12-year-olds, who determine which children's books get handed down, and the children's books that are most likely to stand the test of time are those novels that parents love to revisit again and again as adults." I have found that parents are less driven by their own enjoyment as they are by their kid's. They choose books they remember liking (or have been told they liked) at that age. They do this because no one likes to bring home the unpopular book, but also because it helps them bond with their children and recapture something of the glee that children bring to reading. Yes, you are more likely to pick something you enjoyed but it is going to be driven more by your expectation of the child's enjoyment.

And in case you are curious, as of today, the Multnomah County Library has 1478 holds on the book. The wait won't be as bad as it sounds, the library has 500 copies. If you wait long enough they are going to start showing up at the Title Wave Store.