A to Z Challenge - Favourite Books - Harry Potter Series
arry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, the book that began it all. Except I didn't read it until the third book came out - I though the books were just a fad, and didn't trust the fact that everyone in the world seemed to be jumping on the bandwagon.
Then, the year Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban was released, my sister borrowed all three from a friend and I thought I'd better read them if I was going to continue being critical.
That was the end of my criticism! J. K. Rowling captured me from the first chapter, all about the mysterious cat and robed wizard, and even from the first paragraph, which is so delightfully British omniscient storytelling style:
I reread them all every year as the next books - and then the films (which are brilliantly characterise but, in my opinion, don't have much else going for them) - were released: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, during which I wished I could live with them all in Number 12 Grimmauld Place; Harry Potter and the Half-blood Prince, in which I have to say I was furious at Snape; and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, after which I fell in love with Snape. Not to mention the two textbooks of Harry's, and The Tales of Beedle the Bard...
Then, the year Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban was released, my sister borrowed all three from a friend and I thought I'd better read them if I was going to continue being critical.
That was the end of my criticism! J. K. Rowling captured me from the first chapter, all about the mysterious cat and robed wizard, and even from the first paragraph, which is so delightfully British omniscient storytelling style:
"Mr and Mrs Dursley, of number four, Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much. They were the last people you'd expect to be involved in anything strange or mysterious, because they just didn't hold with such nonsense."Of course, by the time I'd met all the other characters, laughed at Lockhart's foibles in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, and agonised over Sirius' and Buckbeak's fates in the third book, there was no turning back; I turned into one of those people who signed up for same-day Saturday delivery of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, and hardly said two words to my family that weekend as I devoured the book.
I reread them all every year as the next books - and then the films (which are brilliantly characterise but, in my opinion, don't have much else going for them) - were released: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, during which I wished I could live with them all in Number 12 Grimmauld Place; Harry Potter and the Half-blood Prince, in which I have to say I was furious at Snape; and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, after which I fell in love with Snape. Not to mention the two textbooks of Harry's, and The Tales of Beedle the Bard...
Here're two pages of Rowling's notes:
And here're two Snape related images:
Comments
thanks for sharing
martine
Denise
I love Harry Potter
do check out my letters at GAC a-z
It's neat to see some dissenting voices; I can see how the tone or voice of Rowling's story isn't for everyone (I, for one, couldn't get past even the first chapter of Twilight). If they hadn't been so English I doubt I would have loved them as much as I do!
When you've visited Dover Castle - it'd be great if you'd drop back and leave a note?! Pretty please?!
Many thanks - cheers Hilary
Love the notes that Rowling wrote though; I'd assumed that they were tucked away neatly in a notebook.
Jamie
Fellow A-Z Bloggy Buddy
Mithril Wisdom
Melanie
I love 'em, Romance!
Ooh, midnight sales, Joshua? That sounds like fun. Reminds me of the midnight screening for LOTR - everyone around me was French and I asked at least two ushers whether the movie was definitely going to be in English, I was that worried!
Did you see the 60 Minutes episode where she pulled out her trunk of papers, Jamie?
Ooh, which cafe was it, Trisha? I should go there!
I was late too, Melanie - started when the third book came out. I just love their Englishness :-)