As with most people who were born in the 90's, the release of Harry Potter completely changed my life! Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone was published in the U.S. in 1998 when I was 6 years old. I don't remember when I first started reading it, but it had to be not long after it first came out. I specifically remember each one after that being published and often counting down the days! Life is really hard when you have to wait a year or so for the next book in a series. I also remember getting a little antsy when I would get to the end of each book. Loving every minute obviously, but also not being very patient to finish the often very long books!
I also have very fond memories of going to Borders books for the midnight release of each of the books. I was never one to dress up in my best witch attire, but it was always fun to see what costumes other people came up with and enjoy the activities that were abundant throughout the store.
The waiting and the midnight premieres continued as the movies started being made in 2001. It is always so interesting to me to compare what I thought the characters looked like, the setting, and how I imagined different scenes playing out in my head to how they are in the movies. We can all laugh about this now, but my elementary school self definitely envisioned Dumbledore's "half-moon spectacles" to be vertical, NOT horizontal. Horizontal obviously makes more sense ha!
Although I feel like they did a great job with each of the movies, they never quite lived up to the books. I mean, how could you include ALL of the details that J.K. Rowling so intricately weaves into her books.
My first read through the books, I loved Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban was my favorite out of the seven. I would say my favorite movie might have been the first one.
After 12 years, I finally decided it was time for a re-read of the entire series. I started in May of last year listening to the audio books which are incredibly read by Jim Dale. Unfortunately, school ends in May so I was in my car a significantly less amount of time. This meant that it took me until January of this year, so 8 months to complete the series.
I have a horrible memory when it comes to the details of books that I've read. I remembered the overall idea of the story line, but there were definitely some surprises throughout! This time, I think #4 was my favorite! And #1 is probably still my favorite movie! There is something so magical about it! Sadly, I didn't feel extremely that way about the books this time. It's just not the same as reading them the first time when the story is new and you don't know what to expect! But I did still love the refresher!
Have you ever wondered what makes a book so good that it completely captivates the entire world? What is it about Harry Potter and his life that not only allows us to identify with him, but also leaves us wanting more? How can you not fall in love with Hagrid and his genuine love for all creatures? Do you not wish that you had Ron and Hermione for friends? Did you ever not know how to pronounce Hermione's name? haha! Or Dumbledore and his wisdom? How can you not totally loathe Snape and his detest for Harry? How can you not sympathize with Harry over his sad background of parents he never knew and being treated so horribly by the only family he has left?
Ahhh, I could go on and on! Coming to know the wizarding world was a complete adventure that I never wanted to end! Thankfully we have the new Fantastic Beasts movies to keep us connected to all things magic.
As much as I could go into deep themes and analyzing characters, I think I'll end by saying that I am grateful to J.K. Rowling for her contribution to literacy and inspiring readers young and old! Thank you for persevering when it wasn't easy, when the story wasn't coming as naturally, and when people told you you couldn't make any money writing children's literature. Thank you for following through with "just an idea" that became a sensation this world has never known before.
For now, I'll just keep hoping that Hogwarts letter comes in the mail :)
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