This might have been the QUICKEST week ever. There’s so much going on!! Not that I’m complaining — I have some fun stuff ahead of me this weekend including a blogging conference where I get to meet up with Carolina and Momjovi (among others). There’s also tonight — DATE NIGHT!! The hubby and I are going to see Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 and I CANNOT WAIT.
Here’s a not-so-secret secret. I love Harry Potter. LOVE. But here’s the story you don’t know…
The books became popular when I was in college. My mom REALLY wanted me to read the books. I REALLY didn’t want to. In fact, my entire family read the first four books of the series before I picked up one. It wasn’t until grad school when my roommate Martha convinced me to read them that I finally gave in.
I read the first 3 books in one weekend. One.
I was hooked and then, I had to wait. Waaaaah. My mom had the 4th book – but we didn’t live in the same city. The 5th, 6th, and 7th book were just a twinkle in JK Rowling’s eye. I’m not gonna lie. Those were some tough years. Then, the movies started to come out and I was obsessed. I look back now to those first two movies and WOW. They ARE horrible. BUT the story? Is still fabulous.
Gradually, each book and subsequent movie has been released — and I have been there devouring each and every bit of it. Totally geeking out. And tonight? It ends. *sniff* Thank goodness for the Wizarding World at Universal Studios!
I’ve truly loved every minute of this series. It’s smart. It’s funny. It’s heartwrenching. Without further ado — here are the top 5 things I LOVE about Harry Potter.
1. It has people reading again. I really think we went through a phase where books were secondary. TV, Internet, Movies — who needs books? Harry Potter changed that – for both my generation (that would be Generation X) and the “Millennials.” It has been slow and gradual – but more people my age and younger are READING. Book series like Twilight and Hunger Games would not be around if it weren’t for HP. And if you HAVEN’T read the books — you NEED TO, like stat. They are 900 gazillion times better than the movies, but I don’t need to tell you that.
I still don't understand why they changed the U.S. title -- except Sorcerer is easier to spell.
2. The characters are family. Not just Harry — who we all adopt immediately. I don’t know about you, but I would love to be a Weasely (I think my husband might be relatedl) or get to know Hermione, Dumbledore, Sirus, Lupin, Hagrid, and even Snape. From the start, the characters are people we KNOW and want to know more about. I think this is Rowling’s secret ingredient — WE CARE.
3. The casting was brilliant. The acting might not have been stellar from the start, but damn those kids were cute and they were perfectly cast. As for the rest of the cast? The ONLY character that I questioned casting on was Lupin (David Thewlis), but ultimately he did an excellent job. It’s rare that I agree with the casting of movies for books I love — and this is the exception. Awesome, awesome job casting these movies — with the entire British acting community!
4. It teaches values, morals, the meaning of friendship and how to stand up for yourself. I’ve heard that Harry Potter is banned in some churches, that people think it teaches witchcraft and satanism. That it is evil. Have these people ever READ the books??? Harry Potter is about growing up. About friendship and what constitutes a family. About being the better person and integrity. About forgiveness. And also, how a mother’s love is the greatest gift of all. Where is this evil they are talking about?
5. It started out as an idea – from a single mother who had a dream and a vision. JK Rowling was on welfare when she wrote the first Harry Potter book. The single mother of a little girl — doing freelance work and other odds and ends to pay the bills. The idea came to her and she just started writing. And now she’s one of the richest women IN THE WORLD. She didn’t have to sell her body. Or pretend she was someone she wasn’t. She just used her brain, her experiences, her creativity, and put in a lot of hard work. Bravo Jo!
I don’t want to know if you haven’t read the books (please read them, I’ll even send them to you) — but do you love Harry Potter as much as me? What’s your favorite part of HP??
Oh –and as a bonus…I give you Matt Lewis. Did you guys know that Neville is HOT???
{and yes, I feel like a perv because he was like, 11 when the first movie came out and I was 22– but are you really judging me?? Hmmm didn’t think so.}
“It matters not what someone is born, but what they grow to be.”
— J.K. Rowling
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I am SO with you sister on the HP stuff.
I already have a boxed set on Christina’s wish list. I can’t wait until she is old enough to enjoy them so I can go through the whole experience again. You’ve made some excellent points about the merits of the books and I totally agree with all of them. I will be sad to see the ending myself, and yes, I still care. Maybe one day, Harry’s children will rise up to fight some new evil if JK decides it’s time to write again. What totally amazes me is that she had ALL of this in her HEAD!! I can’t fathom an imagination like that. Unbelievable!
Thanks for this post to start my day!
Kaycee
Yes!! Where did she come UP with all of this stuff?? It’s insane when you see all of the work she did — mapping out the families and the history. Serious genius.
I am interested to see what she does write next. It’s hard to live up to HP – but she has SUCH a gift, I’m sure it will be interesting.
First…love the floors! I am totally keeping those in mind for my next house! On the rug front…seriously I got a great rung 11 x 13 off ebay one time. The shipping was high but the total cost was still lower than any rug that size I found.
I haven’t read Harry Potter yet but want to…I have been so busy with house, school and family…reading has taken a backseat this summer. I hope once the house gets squared away…I have more time for me!
Always love reading your blog…I so relate to you!
http://www.thehoppepad.blogspot.com
Whoa Neville, dang, I didn’t know he looks like that nowadays. I now feel like a perv haha
I love Harry Potter so much I took a half day off of work just so I could watch it this afternoon, no shame in my game! Not gonna lie, it’ll be bitter sweet to see it all come to an end on the big screen.
What will not be bitter sweet is finally meeting you tomorrow, yay! Excited to meet you & other local bloggers. Which sessions are you going to?
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Braces (or whatever) are AMAZING, right? Did you read what the Fug Girls wrote in one of their posts about the lady teachers at Hogwarts wanting to tap that ass?LMAO.
I almost pulled the trigger on the midnight show last night spur of the moment, but then thought it probably wasn’t worth being murdered by wife when I got home.
Best thing about Potter (the books): Snape, by a long shot. His character was so well done, right up to the end with the reveal in the Pensieve about his motivations. Plus Alan Rickman is the greatest casting decision in modern cinema history.
One thing annoyed me about the books: by the time book 4 came around, JKR was such a rock star that I think her editors were scared to suggest any cuts. Books 4, 5, and 7 could have easily been 50+ pages shorter and not lost a thing. Oh well, she earned that indulgence I guess.
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Did you see it today?
Oh I love Snape’s reveal. I sensed what was going to happen throughout the books, but the way it unraveled was so incredibly touching. Such a big part of the entire story — and if you look back it’s all there.
I do agree that the last few books were lengthy – especially 7 with the damn camping (ENOUGH ALREADY!), but I’m pretty sure I will forever read anything she writes.
OMG love me some Harry Potter. I devoured those books.. I was late getting into it like you. I still remember pushing one of the kids around in a cart at Sam’s the day after the release of Book 7. I had the crazy look in my eye, practically running through the store trying to find the book.
Hayden is starting to get interested and he’s seen the first two movies. He’s also got Harry Potter Lego for the Wii.
We probably won’t go see the movie in the theater but we’ll eventually own it. I have warned the hubs that he WILL be taking me to see Hunger Games at the theater when it comes out!
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I remember pre-ordering 5 and not getting it until the MONDAY after it was released. Hello — I was pissed! That did not happen with 6 & 7. My ass was Target picking that book up as soon as possible!! I also remember reading 7 when Braeden was a baby. A lot harder to do than reading 5 & 6!!
Braeden has seen 1-3 (and part of 4, I think) — and they play Harry Potter at school – not really understanding. I am thinking that I might start reading the books to him this year. Only because I’d rather he’d get the plot of the book before the movie. It’s SO much better (I think seeing only the movies would be confusing – until you see the last one where everything is explained).
The movie was so good – and if you are going to see ANY of them in the theater – this is the one to see. Incredibly well done and yes, we all clapped (while wiping our tears away) when it was over!
Meh, he’s old enough now.
I agree that it’s great that the books got people reading again. I hope there’s something as compelling that will have Tony reading when he’s old enough! I also love that we share the book obsession – where we can’t put something down and will sacrifice sleep to read them!
I’ve only made it through the third book! I don’t know why, but they were just so expensive when they came out and I always thought I would just get them in paperback, and never did. They are so fun, though. Maybe I’ll invest when Tony is a little older and we can read all of them together at night.
BTW, how did you get involved in the blogger conference? We would love to promote our blog more – well, by “we” I mean Hub – and it would be great to get involved somehow. Let me know!
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Oh read the rest of them — 3 is where it gets good! I’m hoping that they are released digitally soon. I really think she/publishers were waiting until the last movie came out. Any day now Scholastic!
I found out about the blogger conference on twitter and then more about at the blogger dinner I went to. There are A LOT of bloggers in the DC area — actually I met one! http://www.jessruns.com/ I think it’s really about meeting people who know people – and taking it from there!
I had no idea about JK being on welfare or Neville being so dang hot. Thanks for sharing the wealth
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Any time
LOVE THIS!! I am also not-so-secretly obsessed with Harry Potter! My sister read the books first, and then passed them along to me, which I devoured. I love how the books grow with the readers, and everything you said about the series is so true.
I saw Part 2 last night (actually, went to the drive-in where they played Parts 1 & 2 back-to-back – amazing!!) and cried, even though I knew what was going to happen. I also may have shed a tear for the fact that this meant the end of the series for real. It made me want to go back and start at the beginning again.
Have fun at the movie!! Can’t wait to hear what you think. PS – I had NO IDEA Neville was so hot! Thanks for enlightening me
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Just got back — I LOVED it! I kinda want to see it again — and read all of the books again. I’m such a nerd. The epilogue really drove it home for me and there were tears. I can’t believe it’s OVER!