Alright. I admit it. I like Harry Potter. A lot. I started reading them in 1999 when the paperback of the first book came out. Being an avid reader, I wanted to see what all the fuss was about. I was immediately hooked.

Since then, I've read every book, though only once (I think). I've also seen three of the five movies. I saw the Sorceror's Stone in the theaters and hated it. I skipped the second one entirely, saw The Prisoner of Azkaban on DVD purely because the trailer for the Goblet of Fire movie looked so good. I have yet to see Order of the Pheonix movie, but I'll get around to it.

In the buildup to the last book, I had largely become ambivalent to the series as a whole. Though I was delighted by the GOF movie, the Half-Blood Prince had left me cold. I can't pin down why exactly, but it did. So the run up to this book felt almost like an obligation (I had the same feeling for Revenge of the Sith, but was pleasently surprised). I was going to read it because I owed it to the series to finish it. Fine.

Now however, I am just excited. I think one of the reasons that these books have enchanted readers is because they are told unpretentiously, and without an obvious moral lesson to the whole series. There are moral lessons throughout, but they aren't the end.

It captures the imagination because well, it is like Star Wars. Think about it! Young kid finds out he has mysterious powers and goes under the instruction of an accomplished old British actor to wage a battle between Good and Evil.

Even Barack Obama gets in on the act:

"The challenge will be scheduling Harry Potter reading time in between Iowa and New Hampshire and fundraising, but I guarantee you they will figure out a way to do it," Michelle Obama told the AP. "Harry Potter is huge in our house."

Anyway, it is good to read for enjoyment, and I shall do just that once I get my pre-ordered copy from Borders.

In case you were wondering:
Favorite Book/Movie: Prisoner of Azkaban
Favorite Characters: Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, Snape

Labels: Books, Movies

Posted by Ryan S. on Thursday, July 19, 2007 at 10:36 AM | Permalink |