I know that the web is all abuzz about a grave stone that’s being used as a tourist attraction due to the deceased’s name being Harry Potter, and sure, that doesn’t look good for the series right at this moment, but I’m going to blog about it anyway. Many of you know (or have realized) that I read quite a bit. I mean, my intended major is English with a focus of literature, after all. I’ve been pushing myself through a lot of weighty material lately (think Huxley and such), and I recently came to the realization that I needed a reading vacation—not from books, but just from the heavy stuff. I had made a couple of deals a while back that I would eventually get around to read the Harry Potter series, and now seemed like a good time to get that rather cumbersome monkey off my back—there are seven books, after all, and I don’t particularly like monkeys to begin with. As an added bonus, I decided to read them with a future career as an acquisitions editor in mind: what made these books different from your average teen-directed trash lit? What has made it last and become hugely popular? With this in mind, I set off on my HP journey.
The first step: conquering my pride. It’s not like I had anything against the books, but really—they’re housed the children’s room of my library. Right in front of the librarians’ desk. I’m the sort of person who usually arrives at their desk with a hearty stack of biographies, histories, folklore and even the occasional gardening book—not something that’s been carefully placed on eye level for humans exactly one-half my height. (That last bit wasn’t a joke. The shelves in the kiddie section are actually below my waist. What am I, the Jolly Green Giantess?) However, just over a week ago, I conquered this demon and strode confidently in, whispering a quiet ‘thank you’ when realizing that the room was empty. Vanity: saved.
Naively, I only grabbed the first book. Well, that was done before I turned out my light that night. I was hooked! It was well written, smart, humorous and compelling. True, the characters felt young to me, but looking from an analytical standpoint, the book was solid on all accounts. Hurrying back to the library, I grabbed the next two. Two days later, both had been stacked by my door, waiting to be returned to their short shelves. I just finished the fourth book last night, and I’m eagerly awaiting a trip to the library tomorrow to go pick up the last books. After all, a new challenge has been issued: I’m to be reading the final book by the time that college break starts next week. At this rate, it’ll take me longer to get through all of the films than the books!
I’m getting sidetracked. Basically, if you’ve been holding out on reading these books for any reason up until now, I would suggest that you give it a rest and try them. I know that there’s a lot floating about that the books are of a satanic bent, but I certainly don’t see much of a difference between Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings as far as magic is concerned. They both consist of the ever-present forces of Good and Evil, showing the battle between the two as a struggle in which the champions of Good will triumph in the end. If you were to ask me, I would say that it’s a noble inspiration—and since you’re reading my blog, who cares if you actually asked me or not, right? Go indulge in some sinfully easy reading.
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