Hatrack River Forum: Amazing Character and Setting Descriptions

This is topic Amazing Character and Setting Descriptions in forum Books, Films, Food and Culture at Hatrack River Forum.

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Posted by K.T. (Member # 8665) on :

I am having my students practice visualizing when they read. We have read some good character and setting descriptions from Harry Potter and The Secret Garden. I need some more really good descriptions that paint a clear picture of a character or a setting in a book. Any ideas?? The kids are elementary age.

Posted by GaalDornick (Member # 8880) on :

I read your example as "Harry Potter and the Secret Garden" and it had me scratching my head trying to figure out which volume in the series that was before I realized they were seperate books [Embarrassed]

Posted by Jake (Member # 206) on :

[Laugh]

I did the same thing, Gaal.

Posted by Wingracer (Member # 12293) on :

Me three.

Lord of the Rings, Gulliver's Travels.

Posted by Wingracer (Member # 12293) on :

Makes me wonder what other books Harry could find his way into?

Harry Potter and the Lord of the Rings.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Apprentice.

Harry Potter and the Slaughterhouse Five.

Harry Potter Does Dallas.

Oops, I seem to have gotten off track.

Posted by Emreecheek (Member # 12082) on :

In A Wizard of Earthsea, there was a wonderful scene when Ged first got to the Wizarding school. Le Guin just lists off a bunch of items in the room. It was just a bunch of nouns. But it was really effective for me visualizing the room.

Posted by NobleHunter (Member # 12043) on :

quote:
Harry Potter Does Dallas.

I think I've read that fic...

Posted by Jake (Member # 206) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Wingracer:
Harry Potter and the Slaughterhouse Five.

I saw them in concert once. Great show.

Posted by BlackBlade (Member # 8376) on :

quote:
Originally posted by GaalDornick:
I read your example as "Harry Potter and the Secret Garden" and it had me scratching my head trying to figure out which volume in the series that was before I realized they were seperate books

I might have finished The Secret Garden, if there had been more Potter in it.

Posted by Wingracer (Member # 12293) on :

quote:
Originally posted by NobleHunter:

quote:
Harry Potter Does Dallas.
I think I've read that fic...

rule 34, I'm sure it exists.

Posted by theamazeeaz (Member # 6970) on :

The absolute best visual imagery I have read in a book has to be from Gabrielle Hamilton's chef memoir "Blood, Bones and Butter."

You could perhaps get creative with your excerpting, but elementary school students absolutely should not read this book. Or even try to find it on their own until they are 18.

Posted by GaalDornick (Member # 8880) on :

Harry Potter and the Fifty Shades of Grey

Posted by Raymond Arnold (Member # 11712) on :

*wincing because the alt-titles people are suggesting don't make sense - the titles only combine nicely if the second book begins with "The"*

Posted by GaalDornick (Member # 8880) on :

Please elaborate. How do they not make sense?

Posted by Raymond Arnold (Member # 11712) on :

Okay, the only one that didn't really make sense was "Harry Potter and the Slaughterhouse Five"

Posted by Wingracer (Member # 12293) on :

That was my favorite. It has a nice ring to it. [Big Grin]

Posted by K.T. (Member # 8665) on :

Thanks for the suggestions. [Smile]

Sorry I wasn't very clear with the title...actually, I'm not sorry, I was quite entertained reading them. [ROFL]

Those books could be great creative writing prompts..."Harry Potter and the..."

Some early-reader/writer friendly titles might be:
"Harry Potter and the Magic Treehouse"
"Harry Potter and the BFG"
"Harry Potter and Captain Underpants"

Posted by Samprimary (Member # 8561) on :

Harry Potter and the Vogon Poetry
Harry Potter and the Sixth Doctor
Harry Potter and the Fish Speakers
Harry Potter and the ADHD Grecian Godspawn
Harry Potter and the AD Carry
Harry Potter and the Crystalline Entity
Harry Potter and the Mandalorian Clone
Harry Potter and the Encounter Suit

Posted by umberhulk (Member # 11788) on :

Harry Potter and The Gunslinger Born

Posted by Stephan (Member # 7549) on :

Indian and the Cupboard.

Posted by Stephan (Member # 7549) on :

Oh, don't forget Harry Potter and the Xenocide.

Posted by Wingracer (Member # 12293) on :

Harry Potter and the Lost Boys.

Harry Potter and the Game of Thrones.

Harry Potter and the Eye of the World.

Posted by Raymond Arnold (Member # 11712) on :

quote:
That was my favorite. It has a nice ring to it. [Big Grin]

The reason it didn't make sense was because the second book title actually has to have "the" as the first word, in order to get parsed in the hilarious fashion that the OP did.

Just saying "Harry Potter and the X" is a different joke, which... well, I'm not gonna say your enjoyment is wrong, but I think it's more clever to find pairs of book titles that actually parse into fun phrases, rather than picking random neat Xs.

(for example, it wouldn't be "Harry Potter and the Game of Thrones", it'd be "Harry Potter and *a* Game of Thrones")

Posted by PSI Teleport (Member # 5545) on :

Like...

Harry Potter and The Tell-tale Heart

Harry Potter and The Grapes of Wrath

Harry Potter and The Very Hungry Caterpillar

Harry Potter and The Tombs of Atuan

Harry Potter and The Tommyknockers

Posted by Wingracer (Member # 12293) on :

quote:
Originally posted by PSI Teleport:

Harry Potter and The Tommyknockers

I would read that one [Big Grin]

Posted by umberhulk (Member # 11788) on :

Harry Potter and The Magic Schoolbus

Posted by PSI Teleport (Member # 5545) on :

That sounds awesome.

ETA: My husband wants to read "Harry Potter and The Pelican Brief."

Most Grisham titles work there, now that I think about it.

Harry Potter and The Chamber....

That's it. Just the chamber.

Posted by Jake (Member # 206) on :

In terms of the original question, what about The Phantom Tollbooth? I haven't read it in a while, but I remember the character descriptions in it being fairly vivid.

Posted by Speed (Member # 5162) on :

J.K. Rowling is going to write another sequel in which the recently graduated Harry Potter returns to Hogwarts and engages in a torrid whirlwind affair with Professor McGonagall.

It's going to be called Harold Potter and Maude.

Posted by Raymond Arnold (Member # 11712) on :

quote:
Harry Potter and The Chamber....

That's it. Just the chamber.

Posted by Jake (Member # 206) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Speed:
J.K. Rowling is going to write another sequel in which the recently graduated Harry Potter returns to Hogwarts and engages in a torrid whirlwind affair with Professor McGonagall.

It's going to be called Harold Potter and Maude.

: laugh :

Posted by Emreecheek (Member # 12082) on :

Harry Potter and the Holy Bible

Posted by umberhulk (Member # 11788) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Jake:
In terms of the original question, what about The Phantom Tollbooth? I haven't read it in a while, but I remember the character descriptions in it being fairly vivid.

Yeah, that book rules.