Harry Potter: Epic and Mirror
Years ago I was at a bookfair, and couldn't find any books that I liked. I was 11 years old, and was bored to tears with all of the books for "my" age group. I had been reading at a high school level since 3rd or 4th grade and devoured books over 500 pages because they were the only things that kept me occupied for more than 3 days at a time. There was a stand of Harry Potter books at the bookfair, and my mother suggested that I buy one because "she had heard good things about the series." I told my mother I had no interest in them. I thought they would be boring for me because they looked very "young" oriented.
A few months later, I was complaining to my librarian that I had read almost every book that interested me in our library and on the recommended reading list when she recommended Harry Potter to me. Again, I was suspicious and didn't want to read them... but I took her advice.
There began an obsession that took control of my childhood and followed me into adulthood. After finishing the first book in two days, I finished the second and third ones within a week. Waiting for the fourth one was incredibly difficult after having gone through the first three so quickly. (I was also a bit disappointed after reading it, as the HP and the Prisoner of Azkaban was then and has remained my favorite book of the series) Waiting for the 5th one's release almost three years later was pure torture. My first midnight release was after I had graduated High School and was waiting for college to begin. Then, with the release of the final book, I was one of the buyers of the 11 million copies in the first 24 hours, and had finished the book before 11 million copies were sold.
Growing up and coming into adulthood with Harry Potter is something that I feel very special about. As Harry grew up, I grew up and went through many similar problems to him (leaving out the sorcery and such that, sadly, does not exist in this world). As Harry was attempting to get through Hogwarts and the challenges thrown at him, I was traveling through High School and learning the skills that would later lead me into the adventures and travels that I'm experiencing now. The last book came after I had lost my mother to her battle with cancer and was dealing with that. Losing my mother forced me to let go of my childhood, and as I finished Harry Potter, that realization came upon me. Those chapters in my life closed within a year of one another, and I started being a conscious adult through each of those endings.
Now as I sit here listening to the German audio-book of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets and as the newest movie is coming out and bringing back more of the hype and mythos surrounding the series, it really has hit me just how much of an influence that JK Rowling has had on both my life and on people's lives around the world. You can love Harry Potter, or you can hate it (I'm not the biggest fan of the hype), but you can't deny the influence that it has had on modern culture and on the literacy of children around the world. I grew up with Harry Potter, became an adult with him, and learned to face my responsibilities with him. JK Rowling is, and forever will be, one of my heros and inspirations because of that. Related articles by Zemanta
A few months later, I was complaining to my librarian that I had read almost every book that interested me in our library and on the recommended reading list when she recommended Harry Potter to me. Again, I was suspicious and didn't want to read them... but I took her advice.
There began an obsession that took control of my childhood and followed me into adulthood. After finishing the first book in two days, I finished the second and third ones within a week. Waiting for the fourth one was incredibly difficult after having gone through the first three so quickly. (I was also a bit disappointed after reading it, as the HP and the Prisoner of Azkaban was then and has remained my favorite book of the series) Waiting for the 5th one's release almost three years later was pure torture. My first midnight release was after I had graduated High School and was waiting for college to begin. Then, with the release of the final book, I was one of the buyers of the 11 million copies in the first 24 hours, and had finished the book before 11 million copies were sold.
Growing up and coming into adulthood with Harry Potter is something that I feel very special about. As Harry grew up, I grew up and went through many similar problems to him (leaving out the sorcery and such that, sadly, does not exist in this world). As Harry was attempting to get through Hogwarts and the challenges thrown at him, I was traveling through High School and learning the skills that would later lead me into the adventures and travels that I'm experiencing now. The last book came after I had lost my mother to her battle with cancer and was dealing with that. Losing my mother forced me to let go of my childhood, and as I finished Harry Potter, that realization came upon me. Those chapters in my life closed within a year of one another, and I started being a conscious adult through each of those endings.
Now as I sit here listening to the German audio-book of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets and as the newest movie is coming out and bringing back more of the hype and mythos surrounding the series, it really has hit me just how much of an influence that JK Rowling has had on both my life and on people's lives around the world. You can love Harry Potter, or you can hate it (I'm not the biggest fan of the hype), but you can't deny the influence that it has had on modern culture and on the literacy of children around the world. I grew up with Harry Potter, became an adult with him, and learned to face my responsibilities with him. JK Rowling is, and forever will be, one of my heros and inspirations because of that. Related articles by Zemanta
- JK Rowling donates the rights of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets for Cambodian readers (gryffindorgazette.com)
- The Immortal Harry Potter (telegraph.co.uk)