Zseni wrote:

They are emotionally stunted rejects to the last man. At the beginning it was JUST the adult HP readers, but now it's ALL HP readers. Even five year olds. Because the books are fuckin warped.

But why, you ask. Why Harry fuckin Potter?

1. Because it's a snobby British boarding school fantasy.

2. The world is vividly and quaintly depicted - like one of the folk-art "candle houses" - and totally devoid of any troubling sexual undercurrents.

3. Because every single sixth-grader on the planet has tried to burn someone up with magic lasers emitting from their eyes, and for some of us, those moments comprise the happiest memories of our entire middle school career.

Escapism and nostalgia make a potent combination; most forms of entertainment can only muster up one or the other. Children's books are particularly adept at this lethal art form, which is why they keep getting turned into movies while Confederacy Of Dunces languishes.