In a recent interview, a character actor from Scotland who portrays the popular Inspector Rebus has launched an odd attack of sorts on those in the education field who favor children reading the Harry Potter novels. The Scotsman reports that actor Ken Stott (who also appeared in “The Girl in the Cafe” directed by David Yates) said the following during an interview with Radio Times:
“If we’re going to make a fuss about children reading books, do it with Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials books, not JK Rowling.
“I can’t believe idiot educationalists are praising children for turning up at school and reading Harry Potter.”
In a small bit of irony, the Rebus series are based on works by author Ian Rankin, a longtime friend and neighbor of J.K. Rowling in Edinburgh, Scotland. Mr. Stott continued on in his interview about his future, noting “I’ll remain a grumpy old man.” We wish him continued success with his grumpiness!
This guy is such a miserable git in interviews and he only plays miserable characters so I don’t give a toss what he thinks. Like many have already said, it’s that kids are reading again rather than what they’re reading.
And I really don’t enjoy His Dark Materials as much as Potter, I think that trilogy is very overrated.
This is ridiculous. You can really see that this guy is not familiar with the series. There is no man who read the books and says things like that. Maybe he should read them first before talking such **!
You’re making some excellent points in that furious tirade aginst Stott. Personally, I think that he spoke rashly and probably hasn’t even read so much as a leaf from the Harry Potter series,but please don’t make scathing, sweeping judgements about actors in your hastiness!
Most actors adore literature in all forms, it is the basis of their profession after all.I feel just at home reading Shakespeare and Twain as I do reading Harry Potter and I don’t feel like I am condescending to read Rowling when I open a book.
Also, if you have seen any of Stott’s work, you’ll understanding his leaning towards the darker side, he is well-known for his grumpy, bitter portrayal of a detective with questionable morals.
As Dumbledore would say:
“In your admirable haste to uphold the law you seemed to have overlooked a few laws yourself.”
Well, he’s right: Pullman’s books are superior to Rowling’s in every way. But if the latter gets kids to actually crack open books, you can’t really complain; hopefully, it leads to reading Pullman and other truly outstanding literature.
This guy is such an idiot! I have the Dark Materials trilogy and all the Harry Potters, and I have read the Harry Potters way more than the Dark Materials. As someone said before me, ‘I think that trilogy is very overrated.’
My 3rd grade daughter wanted to read Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone for the first time over the summer. I love the series and was thrilled, but not as much as I was when I found out that reading it made her FINALLY love to read. She got so into reading and read all summer long. When school started her reading level had jumped a grade level and a half in 3 months! Anything that gets my kids excited about reading like that is wonderful!
Mrs. Figg, their batty old neighbor, came panting into sight... Harry made to stow his wand hurriedly out of sight, but --[br]"Don't put it away, idiot boy!" she shrieked. "What if there are more of them around? Oh, I'm going to [i]kill[/i] Mundungus Flet
This guy is such a miserable git in interviews and he only plays miserable characters so I don’t give a toss what he thinks. Like many have already said, it’s that kids are reading again rather than what they’re reading.
And I really don’t enjoy His Dark Materials as much as Potter, I think that trilogy is very overrated.