Call me stubborn. Call me irrational. I’ve always avoided the books that everyone else was reading. For several years I successfully resisted the onslaught of Harry propaganda. But in the end, it was dinner conversations with the family that got me. Every night they unknowingly whittled down my defenses. I felt incredibly left out as they discussed the latest novel in the series. I faked a smile when they made confusing references to the Dursley’s, Professor Snape and the one whose name I cannot remember…
One night after everyone had gone to bed, I skittered into the living room and scanned the bookcase for the Harry Potter books. I pulled the first book off the shelf and stared at the cover. My will to resist the temptation to start reading wavered. I went back to my bedroom and quietly slipped back under the covers with the book in my hand.
I turned the pages quietly under the gentle glow of the bear lamp nightlight, so as not to wake my brother. Every time he stirred in the bed on the other side of the room, I slid the book under my pillow and lay down as if I were asleep. As soon as the breathing had slowed, I raised myself back onto one arm and continued reading.
Within a couple of hours I had finished Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. The next night, I read Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets in the same manner. And that’s where it stopped. I quickly skimmed through the pages, concentrating primarily on getting the general plot summary so I could follow the family conversations. Seeking pleasure from the reading experience was far down my list of priorities. And, as you might imagine, that’s why I didn’t get very far. I never read book three and a couple of years passed before I even mentioned to my family that I had read the first two.
At least I enjoyed the movies. I contentedly watched while everyone else complained about how they left out that or put that in. The movie was the movie and I was none the wiser.
I vowed that I wouldn’t come back until the series was over and everyone stopped talking about it. I figured that time had come a month or so ago. I got on the library system and put the first few books on CD on hold. I decided I would make a genuine effort to slow down and try and gain some pleasure from reading the series.
Thankfully, it’s been long enough that I couldn’t remember how the first couple of books ended. It was still somewhat of a surprise when Professor Quirrell unraveled his turban or when Tom Riddle revealed his adult name…what was it again? It pains me to say that I did actually enjoy the first couple of books. I shouldn’t have waited so long to start reading them. Even though the plot structure of the first two books is rather predictable, Rowling does a great job of keeping the reader interested. I believe that one of Rowling’s greatest strengths is creating characters that the readers love and those that they love to hate. She devotes careful attention to making each character unique. She has a good feel for dialogue and a delightful sense of subtle humor.
Or…maybe it’s because we are all inescapably drawn to British accents.
What did you most enjoy/hate about the Harry Potter series? What was it that made Harry worldwide sensation?
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2 comments:
In addition to the great characters she developed, she created a whole new world within a world. Seriously, an invisible train platform, "Muggles", the candy that can be all sorts of nasty flavors, the moving pictures, the list can go on and on.
In the fifth book I was really intrigued at the commentary on fear and how it affects society, it makes you think.
Rowling is just about as overrated an author as there is, as evidenced by the long line of equally "creative" copy-cat authors that sprung up in her wake. Honestly I am getting really sick of seeing children's fantasy on the best seller list. If you want a good book about children with adult themes then read Ender's Game, or even better Dragonfly by Frederic S. Durbin (disturbingly awesome).
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