How we feel about Harry
No, not Prince Harry, although I’m sure lots of us do have feelings about him, poor boy.
No, of course I’m talking about HP. The Potter boy.
I’ve been noticing some interesting commentaries about him recently. This smart analysis about the money side of things from Living Read Girl (a.k.a. Lady T), this lament from Patrick, and this aside from Kelly that “I’m really looking forward to #7, but I’m also looking forward to not waiting for the next Harry Potter.”
Don’t agree. I like all parts of the Harry Potter experience, from the waiting for the books to the waiting for the movies, to the reading and the re-reading, and the watching and re-watching. I’m going to be one of those people who will continue enjoying the series long after the ink is dry and all the rental DVDs have too many scratches. I love the franchise and will never tire of it.
I own the extended version DVDs of all the Lord of the Rings, and indulge in them often. I’m sure I’ll be the same way with the upcoming The Golden Compass and the rest of the His Dark Materials series.
Glad it’s over? No way. But I’m willing to accept it, treat it as one grand package now, and go back to the beginning and enjoy it all over again.
Which reminds me, it really is getting to be time to re-read book 6. And maybe book 5.
And have I mentioned that I believe J.K. Rowling deserves EVERY PENNY she’s earned from these books? She brought reading to millions and millions of people who might not have otherwise picked up any book, let alone a children’s book. Plus she’s brought joy and laughter and suspense to a huge segment of the world’s population. She is this generation’s Charles Dickens, in my opinion.
Okay, the switchboard lines are now open. What are you all feeling about that Potter boy these days?
Technorati Tags: Harry Potter, J.K. Rowling Deserves Her Bajillions
I’m with you, but also glad it’s coming to an end. Stories need to end, and thankfully this one won’t be continued on only to sell more books. A nice, neat, 7-book series. Period.
It kind of reminds me of Robert Jordan. I think he’s on like the twelfth book of what was going to be an eight book series. End it already.
JK Rowling had her plan. She executed it. And now she’s done.
J.K. Rowling not only deserves every penny,she also deserves to be respected for being one of the few people I’ve ever seen in this lifetime who have become insanely rich and famous and still is the same good natured,down to earth person that they’ve always been. People like that are rare gems,in my opinion.
As for Harry,I’ll be happy to see him get the finale he deserves;there’s not a question in my mind about that. No Sopranos blackout here!
Just want to quickly say (in haste here) that our upcoming interview with Sonya Hartnett next week has more Harry Potter thoughts (as if anyone needs more, but I’m just sayin’) . . .
My opinion is in limbo, as I found out I was pregnant in reading book five (I guess it was five — the first one that was hugely huge), and I was too excited to focus and finish. And I’ve never been back since. Gotta go back and start all over properly.
I just created a Harry Potter read-a-like display at the library last night! Yay!
I am so freaking excited for this book… but I’m also a little sad. I guess I’m like you Robin. I like the whole experience, and I don’t know what I’m going to do without Harry anymore!
Also, I am so scared Rowling will kill him or someone else I have grown to love. If Harry dies it might ruin the whole series for me.
And my HP book club is meeting on Tuesday! Yessss! Also, I think we’re all going to go and get our books on the release date! Because Barnes & Noble is across the street from Olive Garden, I suggested a Seventh Book Sangria Celebration before we begin the night’s festivities!!
I’m looking forward to the last book, although I think I have stated else where, possibly on Carrie’s blog about Series, that 6 books is usually about my limit, although I do make exceptions.
And for the record, I’ll be happy with whatever ending, but the Harry v. Voldeort climax is sooooo built up, I’m not sure it CAN be done.
You are a soul sister! Which reminds me, it is time for a LOTR marathon here I think.
Aw, man, Camille, where are we all going to find the time? There’s all the Harry Pottering to catch up on, and then anyone who hasn’t read The Golden Compass and the rest of His Dark Materials needs to catch up on that–I mean, where can we fit in Lord of the Rings without losing our minds?
But it would be cool. We’ll see.
I like reading what all the rest of you have to say on this. We all have our fears and wishes for what’s going to happen in that last book.
Jules, hurry and catch up. Let Christen’s program be your guide. Just start on book 5 today, and keep going. You’ll be ready by July 21.
Wow. What a loaded topic. Oy.
I’m…sad that it’s ending, but in a way, it’s good, too. It means that the story’s being told the way it was meant to be told, and that J.K. isn’t sacrificing creative license as the owner of the characters and their world just to appease publishers or fans. That’s important, I think.
I’m excited that the book’s coming so canon in the making.soon, and I’m going to suffer horribly in the few days after it comes out, because my mom and I have a deal – she buys it, therefore she reads it first.
I’m ridiculously nervous. I hope that J.K. has put in every ounce of effort that make this book the best it can be, and a fitting end to such a huge series. I’m worried that it might disappoint, if not me, enough people to taint the experience of reading it.
I’m also, funnily enough, a little nostalgic. I remember the first time I read a Harry Potter book – Prisoner of Azkaban, more than five years ago. (Yes, I read the first four out of order.) It was…amazing. If Narnia the year before was what really started my love of fantasy, Harry Potter cemented it. That, I think, is when I first thought, I can do this. Someday, I will do this.
Just think, though…twenty, thirty years from now, we’ll be talking to the next generation, those kids who find the older books in the library because they’ve been through everything else, and we’ll be able to say, “I was there. I went to the book release parties and the midnight premiers. I dressed up in costume. I had Harry Potter bookends and a Harry Potter bible cover. I was the biggest Potterhead you’d ever see.”
It’s…weird, to see what’s sure to become a part of literary canon in the making.
My only thing about the fanbase itself (and I have this problem with other fanbases, too, like those of Avatar and Pendragon and Fullmetal Alchemist) is that so many people say that something J.K. does would “ruin the whole series.” I don’t think that’s fair. You can hate the ending of a particular book, but if you’ve enjoyed a series to that point, it’s cheating the author and it’s cheating yourself to decide that the whole series was worthless because of it.
This is something that I say about a lot of my favorite books that other people just don’t get (the Artemis Fowls in particular…), but it applies here as well:
Let the author tell the story the way it’s meant to be told, and give it permission to be what it is. Enjoy it for what it is, instead of picking at what it lacks.
Well, that’s my…um…a lot of cents.
Miri, I think J.K. would love what you wrote.
I’m with Miri — the impending end of the series is making me nervous. I’m way emotionally invested. I consume fantasy in many forms (big fan of LOTR (books and films), BtVS, Babylon 5, Lloyd Alexander, His Dark Materials, etc., etc., etc.), and it seems I’m not alone. Fantasy fans in general get very emotionally invested in their reading/viewing material of choice. I think it has something to do with a stronger-than-average willing suspension of disbelief or maybe an extremely active imagination, but I care about what happens to poor Harry and his friends. I’m even worried about Snape and Draco.
I still have not read the Potter books. I intend to, but I’m waiting to do it all at once.
P.S. You’ve been tagged.
I love the HP series. But it takes us so long to get through a book because I read them aloud to my kids and I can read aloud only a chapter, maybe a chapter and a half a night before I run out of gas. And then there are the nights we don’t get to it at all. We’re still on Book 5 and postively cannot read them out of order, so while I welcome the new one in theory, in practice I was hoping for a little more time to catch up to it.
My daughter and I have been reading the Pony Pals series for years and now after reading and re-, re- re- reading all 41 or so of them, I was so happy at the last one to find that Anna, Lulu and Pam have finally outgrown their ponies and are moving on.
On another note, Robin did you ever get to read Anne of Green Gables? I noticed yesterday that my library has a new copy of it on video which I have never seen? Is anyone up for a AOGG video fest?
Aaggck, Deborah, the pressure! I’m looking at my entire Anne of Green Gables collection here on the shelf (generously given to me last year by Annette, to add pressure of her own), and no, I just haven’t gotten to it yet.
I NEED ANOTHER FOURTEEN HOURS EVERY DAY JUST TO READ!
Sorry, sore spot.
Heather, start now and you’ll be ready for book 7 soon enough. Come on! And I’ll read Anne of Green Gables!
P.S. Heather, thanks for the tag and for the sweet words that accompanied it. I have no idea which one to choose. I’m on it, though.
Robin, when you read Anne of Green Gables, I will share with you the photos from my Anne of Green Gables themed party. Come on, you know you want to see pictures of me playing “Plant a Kiss on Gilbert Blythe!”
Just let me clarify, Robin. I have to be honest that I’ve been afraid all along that something would happen to a) me; or b) JK Rowling before the series finishes. This is a sad, but true admission and I look forward to no longer worrying about it
I thought her writing was better and tighter in #6, so really look forward to #7. I also think she has earned every penny (unlike George at Book Ninja who seems to think she’s a conspiracy in a person)
Molly, I’m sure that will make sense to me at some point. Until then I will think you’re a little wacky. Now if you’d said Pin the Kiss on Darcy . . .
Kelly, I’m glad you clarified. I can TOTALLY understand that. It’s like Anne Lamott saying she’s always afraid after writing a sh—-y first draft of something that she’s going to get hit by a bus before she can revise it, and then everyone is going to think she was a terrible writer.
I’ve had your kind of anxiety about certain series–the Lord of the Rings movies, for one thing. I think I might feel that way about Lost.
So anyway, solidarity, sistah.
Oh, Anne of Green Gables! With Megan Follows? That was about the most perfect adaptation of a book I’ve ever seen on TV. My daughter and I watched them over and over.
And I still remember checking the Anne books out of my public library growing up. They were shelved with the adult books, and I felt so pleased when I discovered them.
And as long as we’re nagging Robin: have you watched any of the A&E Horatio Hornblower series I recommended? No, I didn’t think so.
Sara, you’re going to give me heart palpitations! Stop! Remember, this is my summer of being off duty!
But you’re right–I still do need to watch those. I’ll secretly add that to the list I’m pretending not to keep right now.
I loooooove Harry Potter. In fact, before the release of every book, I typically go back and reread all of the books leading up to it… I’m not sure I’ll have time this year, but I pre-ordered my copy yesterday, so it’s not like that’s going to hold me up!
Harry Potter has been a big part of my family’s life for the last 6 years or so, and it’s not an understatement to say that it’s changed our lives. Heck, I wouldn’t be even be here if it weren’t for Harry. I’m so looking forward to the last book, but I’m also really sad that it’s coming to an end. I’m glad she’s sticking to her principles and wrapping it up, but I’ll miss this time of waiting and discussing and anticipating.
I’m also terribly worried about spoilers. There are already people coming out of the woodwork claiming that they got a copy of the book and they know what happened and I’m trying really hard not to accidentally find out anything. It’s going to get really bad after the book comes out. Within 24 hours there are going to be people posting spoilers and I really don’t want to know before I finish the book!
Katie, let me know how you manage on the rereading part. I think I’ll probably only have time for book #6. But then once I have all of them I can reread the series over and over again. And I will.
Sheila, I have that same worry about spoilers. Why do people have to ruin it? There’s a pizza place near me that posted a false report about book #6 the day after it came out, and I’ve never ever returned to that place again. And I’ll know to avoid driving by it until I finish #7.
Mean spoiler people suck.