And so it is the sad truth of the Harry Potter series that Harry Potter is, essentially, a boring protagonist. "That's the point," you say defensively, "because surely Rowling made Harry boring on purpose, right?" You know, so that absolutely everyone who read the books could identify with him and... No. Though that's a nice idea in theory, it seems unlikely that Rowling would choose to render the hero of an epic seven-book series as something of a yawn-inducing sap. Harry has his moments, of course, but he is ultimately a character defined by his friends and companions; Ron and Hermione (the true hero of the novels) have their own rich personalities, quirks, foibles and mannerisms - Harry is more of an awkward shell. It's easy to convince yourself that The Boy Who Lived is worth a whole more, of course, given that all the books are named after him and - hey! - he's positioned as the main character throughout, but in reality Harry is a mere sidekick in his own series; a human doorway leading to a far more interesting world. Which other Harry Potter criticisms belong on this list? Share your own thoughts and criticisms below in the comments thread.
Sam Hill is an ardent cinephile and has been writing about film professionally since 2008. He harbours a particular fondness for western and sci-fi movies.
