Literary Impacts

Some books hit the world like a freight train. Not many, but some. Usually, these are religious texts, but sometimes, every now and again, they are something else.

Think Lord of the Rings, even those who have never read the series have some idea of its story. Oliver, Pride and Prejudice and Wuthering Heights have travelled down through the years. Romanians invariably have to manage those vampire jokes thanks to the global impact of Dracula more than a hundred years after it was written. Dracula spawned Twilight, and now there is a generation dreaming of handsome vampires. When I gave birth to my son, the nurses in the maternity ward were preparing for the Shades of Grey Baby Boom later in the year. Mainly by all trying to book vacation leave simultaneously. And then, with unmatched universal appeal - there was Harry Potter.

I can't say I understood the Twilight and Shades of Grey phenomena. I apologise to the many fans of these books, but I found the main characters in both series irritatingly dull and weak. However, when it came to Harry Potter, I followed the crowd - I loved it!

A Little Behind

I discovered Harry Potter a little behind everyone else, at around book three, I think. I knew of it, but, foolish me, I dismissed it because it was labelled a children's book. The first movie had just come out. It was a great hit, but it was a kids' movie, so I bypassed it at the cinema. I'm not going to see a kids' movie! Then it appeared on DVD, and I continued to walk past it on the shelf. A work colleague told me to buy it. 'It's great!' she said. I continued to bypass it. Eventually, after a run of absolutely terrible – really terrible - movie purchases down the line, I did.

The Harry Potter World Dazzled

The magical world of Harry Potter dazzled with my childhood daydreams parcelled into a movie. Doesn't every kid wish they could do magic, like, real magic? I know I did. Shh! Secretly, I still do!

On the next trip to the supermarket, I passed the DVDs and hit the book section. I bought the first three books. They were disappointingly slim. I like a good chunky book that I can sink my teeth into - literary speaking, of course.

I read all three very quickly and then proceeded to reread them. Now the thing about me is I always like to read books twice. The first time very quickly so I can find out what happens at the end of the story. Impatient? Me? Then, I read my book immediately again but at a much slower pace, generally more focused and intense - unless it's a really bad book, of course.

The Harry Potter books did not disappoint. The movie was excellent, but the books were practically perfect.

I waited for the next book (luckily, J.K. Rowling is no George R. R. Martin), the next, and then the next.

What? Would? How?

Discussions abound. What was Harry's future? How would it all end? Was Snape really the arch-villain? What secrets was Dumbledore keeping? Would Malfoy get his comeuppance? Would house elves get equal rights? The focus of numerous, often in-depth discussions was who Harry Potter would end up with romantically. I got it wrong. I thought Hermione would be the girlfriend, but then Ron would have been left without anyone, as it was pointed out.

The Final Harry Potter Book

Then… it happened… the seventh and final book was published! That last Harry Potter book. My husband had pre-ordered it and woke me up in the morning with a drink and a brand new hardback copy of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

Opening my new copy of the final Harry Potter book, I turned to the first page and began reading.

My husband brought me breakfast in bed. I ate it. I read. My husband brought me lunch, and I was still in bed. I ate it. I read. My husband brought me my favourite chocolate. I think I got some on the bed covers. I didn't really care. I read. My husband brought me dinner. I read. My husband came to sleep. I read. I finished the book at about 4 am. I fell asleep with a head full of magic. I hadn't left the bedroom. My husband earned himself lots of brownie points on that day!

Who Is Harry Potter?

Now, to condense the Harry Potter series into one unjustified sentence: Harry Potter is a wizard, he goes to school, and a bad wizard tries to kill him.

However, Harry Potter is more! The world of magic J.K. Rowling created to run alongside the real world in the books is genius.

The characters are great, although I think the supporting characters, good and bad, are more interesting than the main ones. I find this happens far too often…

In the movies, everything is magical. While the books will always dominate, the films kept pretty faithfully to the story, and a lot of work was put into getting the aesthetics just right. Whoever thought up the magical spell fights was a genius.

The supporting actors dominate every scene over the main actors. But, before anyone thinks poorly of the main three actors, let me be fair about this to anyone who isn't British. The Harry Potter movies are filled – like filled - with the who's who of British acting talent. The mightiest actors and actresses from the length and breadth of Britain are in these movies. Each man or woman has decades of experience. Young children with little to no acting experience, no matter how well they might have acted, never stood a chance against that kind of talent.

Not long ago, as an idea for another post, I asked the same question far and wide. "Choose a favourite book and tell me why." Young, old and in-between counted the Harry Potter series as their favourite books, while those who didn't would follow up another book title with "or the Harry Potter books ". A young boy on a train to school has become a phenomenon.