out (I will be attending the midnight showing) and was surprised that I was still unable to put the book down. I knew what was going to happen and was still devouring each word, eager to read what was on the next page!For those of you who have not read Harry Potter, I strongly encourage you to do so. As I have undoubtedly told many of you, I don't think J.K. Rowling is the best writer in the world. She is, however, an incredibly gifted storyteller with a vivid imagination. I find that I can see, hear, smell, and feel the scenes she describes and am usually shocked when I realize that I am not really in the world of witches and wizards, but in fact am just sitting with an open book in my hands.
I read the first book one night when I couldn't sleep, thinking that it would help me drift off. I expected it to be a stupid kids book. Boy, was I wrong! I have been hooked ever since. Rowling takes the time to really develop so many of the characters that I feel I truly know them. I feel sickened at the mention of Snape and Umbridge, as if the injustices they have committed actually happened to me. I felt the sharp pain on the back of Harry's hand, literally cried when my favorite character had a mishap with a curtain, laughed out loud at Fred and George's antics, admired Professor McGonagall, felt the urge to punch Malfoy, wanted to get advice from Dumbledore, wanted a sweater from Mrs. Weasley, etc.
While I developed strong
emotions towards many of the characters, they were not one-sided. I love Ron, Harry, Hermione, Dumbledore, and Hagrid, but I was often annoyed with them, like in real life. I was also surprised to feel sympathy for Malfoy and even more surprised in the 6th book when I felt that he was behaving more maturely than Harry. Both boys had been given a serious task and while Harry ignored it and carried on with his other obsessions (girls, Quidditch, consiracy theories, etc.), Malfoy took it seriously and worked hard until he had achieved his goal.I know in a lot of ways that makes me sort of a loser, but I'm ok with that. Javi will tell you that I have problems trying to be a kid. I don't know exactly how to be silly; it just seems so impractical. Harry Potter makes me feel like a kid again. Through Rowling's intense descriptions and thrilling tales, I was able to get lost in a different world, something I am simply incapable of doing on my own (apparently I have no imagination and am completely void of creativity).
Finally, as I have discussed with pretty much anyone who would pretend to listen, I appreciate the lessons Rowling imparts on her readers without sounding preachy. It's a good balance. This is something I felt made her books so superior to the Twilight series. Meyer seems to throw out all consequences, all conflicts, and all sense in order to make a happy ending. This is lazy, shoddy writing and does a disservice to
her reader, especially those tweens and teens that are so obsessed with the series. If I had a daughter, I would not encourage her to read Twilight, and if she did I would feel the need to discuss certain aspects of the book (such as the red flags of a controlling and/or abusive boyfriend). There are parts of Harry Potter, on the other hand, that had me screaming "that's so not fair," but that's life. Rowling assumes that her reader is mature enough to handle real life decisions and intelligent enough to expect follow-through. I find it humorous that so many people have protested or tried to ban these books, because I think they eloquently reinforce many of the ideals most people hold dear. In fact, I believe the Vatican gave the 6th movie a thumbs up.I think I'm done ranting, but the point is I love Harry Potter, can't wait to see the movie, and you NEED to read the books if haven't already (I'll even lend them to you)!
I really like reading anything you write. I feel like you could describe yourself reading the phonebook and I would be all eyes and ears.
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