Becoming Pottered
When the 7th and last (?) Harry Potter book came out about two weeks ago, I became interested in the phenomenon. I thought, well, maybe I'll read the last book, just to see what all the fuss is about. Jeez.
I was told "you can't do that! You have to start with the first one and read them all in order so you'll know who everyone is and all the references to everything that happened before and...." It would be blasphemous to not read them all - in order. So this past Tuesday I picked up book #1, Harry Potter and the Sorceror's Stone. Now, Saturday evening, five days later, I'm about a quarter of the way through book #4, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.
I've been through Harry's first three years at Hogwart's, been to the Chamber of Secrets, met Sirius Black and also You Know Who, the one who's name can't be spoken. I know what a hippogriff is, find Professor Snape despicable and think Hagrid's wonderful, a big hippie. I know who Prong is and I wish I had a Marauder Map.
I'm hooked. The author certainly knows how to tell a story. Good versus evil, learning that the world is not black and white, but mostly shades of gray (maybe Dubya should read the books, except that he doesn't read) and that people aren't always what and how you think they are (or should be). In a news magazine I get, The Week, there's an article about Harry Potter and how the books are really Christian oriented, Harry's akin to Jesus, and the christian myths are resplendent in the seven books. Hmmn? Seven books? Seven is a mystical number.
Anyway, the books tell a good story, are easy to read and the stories are entertaining. So here I am spending all my spare time becoming Pottered.
The Goblet of Fire is 734 pages long. I'll probably be finished by the end of the weekend. Maybe by Monday night. The books are so interesting to read that it's hard to put them down.
I was told "you can't do that! You have to start with the first one and read them all in order so you'll know who everyone is and all the references to everything that happened before and...." It would be blasphemous to not read them all - in order. So this past Tuesday I picked up book #1, Harry Potter and the Sorceror's Stone. Now, Saturday evening, five days later, I'm about a quarter of the way through book #4, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.
I've been through Harry's first three years at Hogwart's, been to the Chamber of Secrets, met Sirius Black and also You Know Who, the one who's name can't be spoken. I know what a hippogriff is, find Professor Snape despicable and think Hagrid's wonderful, a big hippie. I know who Prong is and I wish I had a Marauder Map.
I'm hooked. The author certainly knows how to tell a story. Good versus evil, learning that the world is not black and white, but mostly shades of gray (maybe Dubya should read the books, except that he doesn't read) and that people aren't always what and how you think they are (or should be). In a news magazine I get, The Week, there's an article about Harry Potter and how the books are really Christian oriented, Harry's akin to Jesus, and the christian myths are resplendent in the seven books. Hmmn? Seven books? Seven is a mystical number.
Anyway, the books tell a good story, are easy to read and the stories are entertaining. So here I am spending all my spare time becoming Pottered.
The Goblet of Fire is 734 pages long. I'll probably be finished by the end of the weekend. Maybe by Monday night. The books are so interesting to read that it's hard to put them down.
posted by Frank at 8:21 PM
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