I avoided the hype for years and didn't read the books till after the final movie came out and it was no longer a big "thing." While not the greatest series I ever read, I enjoyed them all greatly and could see why they were as popular as they were. Then I watched the movies and enjoyed those as well.
Funny story: Around the time Goblet of Fire debuted, I had met a girl at a club, and for our first date, she asked me if I wanted to go see the first midnight showing with her. Because I was a 20-something man, I obviously said yes, despite having not seen any of the other movies, or any interest in doing so. I enjoyed the movie despite being pretty lost as to much of what was going on, not to mention sleepy. We didn't go out again.