My Harry Potter obsession

I LOVE Harry Potter.  I don't care who knows it.  I love everything about it.  I love the books, I love the characters, I love the movies.  I think the sign of the Dark Lord, you know that mark the death eaters use to call him? Would make an awesome tattoo.  If you are lost already, then this blog post is not for you.

I started reading the Harry Potter books before the movies came out.  Book 4 The Goblet of Fire was announced and I was assistant manager at a book store.  There was a big deal happening because this 4th in a series of this children's book was coming out and I did not get it.  My manager, Sendy, told me the books were amazing and I should read them.  I looked at her with the arrogance I usually reserve for people who read Harlequin Romance novels.  "Isn't this for children?" I asked.  Sendy, an avid reader and a wise woman said "Well, it's for young adults, not little kids.  Just read the first one and you'll see."  So I did.  I finished book one in a couple of days.  Then walked into my book store and bought book 2 and 3 on the spot.  As soon as book 4 came out I bought it too.  I have bought them all on opening weekend ever since.  I have all 7 books in hardback.  I have seen every movie at the theater opening weekend.  I own them all on DVD. 

I am not that crazy.  At least I don't show up dressed in robe on opening night, or go to the book store at midnight when it's released.  I just love the books and everything associated with it.

I think Daniel Radcliffe, will grow up to be an excellent James Bond.  He has turned into a dashing young man.

For those who have not read these books, you should.  I will say this, everyone that has mocked my love of Potter has endured the little speech Sendy gave me back in 2000: "Just read one and you'll see".  Everyone who has caved and given it a try has ended up reading all of them.  They are addictive.  J.K. Rowling is a genius, there is no denying it.  The fact that the target audience for these books are supposed to be Harry's age means that the story MUST hold the attention of a 10 year old, and that is a challenge.  She said once that she saw this as one giant book divided in 7 chapters, an it shows.  Now that part 1 of book 7 is out in theaters I can share some of this without feeling the guilt of ruining a story for you.

I have a master's in literature, so believe me when I say I am a book snob.  I have a book club and I am known as the book club nazi for a reason.  I absolutely love good story telling, it is one of my favorite things.  As someone who fancies herself a writer of sorts, I must tell you, an intricate story is hard to keep.  If you have ever written a short story, a paper, a report, you know what I mean.  My thesis is 70+ pages and it was the hardest thing I have ever done.  The Harry Potter series is around 5,000 pages depending on the edition of course.  In the opening sequence of the first book, Albus Dumbledore uses a little lighter to turn off the street lights so the "muggles" would not see the half giant on the flying motorcycle bringing the chosen one baby who lived.  We understand he is a wizard and that there is a lot of magic here.  In the last book we find out that gadget is called a "deluminator" and that Albus wills it to Ron in his will upon his death.  Yeah, for thousands of pages this little thing is never mentioned, we don't even remember it.  I only know this because after Michael finished book 7 we rewatched the first movie and it was fresh in his memory and he said "Wait a minute, is Dumbledore using the deluminator?"  Yeah.  The books are full of this brilliance.  We find out in book 6 that the magic diary on book 2 is a horacrux.  The invisibility cloak Harry gets from his dead father in the first book is used over and over again, but we find out in the last book it is one of the Deathly Hallows.

The story is a stroke of genius, making up a new world, all the terminology, the twists and turns, the attention to detail, it is awe inspiring.  Not to mention the fact that the story starts when Harry turns 11 and ends when he is 17.  As such the storyline gets more mature and darker.  Whenever I go see one of the movies I worry about the little kids watching this movie.  You know some parents will just take their kids thinking its for kids not thinking about how dark this really is.  What I say to these parents is this: South Park is a cartoon.  Of course Harry Potter isn't South Park, but I know my 6 year old niece probably could not handle a lot of what is in these movies. No one gets killed in the first one, and in the second one Ginny almost dies.  By book 3, Harry is 13 and we get it that people want him dead.  In book 4 a friend dies, but he is not that close, he grows up to be a vampire anyway.  In book 5 Harry looses his godfather, and in the 6th one it's Dumbledore.  Book 7 is full of death.  I started crying before the first 100 pages in book 7 when Harry pet owl gets it.  People start dropping like flies and the book gets to a very dark place by the end of the series.  It is brilliant because it is a gradual process, in which by the end death is not such a hard thing for a kid to read about.

Draco Malfoy already looks like a James Bond villain.

The movies get darker too.  If, like Linda, you saw one and two and weren't impressed and just stopped watching, I would encourage you to revisit them.  Obviously 1 and 2 were made for the 11 and 12 year old crowd.  By book 3 when he is 13 it gets edgier.  Each one is darker. 

I went to see the seventh movie in the theater this weekend.  It was very dark.  If you have not read the books and have only seen the movies you might be disappointed.  There is no Hogwarts in this movie, and a good part of it is spent between Harry, Ron and Hermione on the run.  It starts strong, gets a little slower in the middle and then ends with a bang.  What you have to keep in mind is that the movie ends half way through the seventh book, so a lot of this is set up for the grand finale.

The last movie, The Deathly Hallows part 2 is going to have a lot of action.  There will be a war, and a lot of people will die.  I am preparing myself emotionally for the fact that I will undoubtedly cry through the whole thing. It has nothing to do with the pregnancy.  I have cried at the end of most of these movies.  Every time I see Sirius Black go through that arch, or Dumbledore fall after the Avada Kedavra curse...I get teary eyed just thinking about it.  And I should probably point out I have seen them several times. Sobs, every time.  Michael is sitting right next to me.  Chuckles, every time.  I look at him indignantly "How dare you laugh at a time like this?!" One day I will use the cruciatus curse on him.

I also want to mention the parade of A list actors that are in this series: Kenneth Branaugh, Alan Rickman, Emma Thompson, Gary Oldman, Ralph Fiennes and on and on. I hate Helena Bonham Carter because she killed Sirius Black and she is so bloody good as Bellatrix Lestrange.  It does not help that Michael thinks she is drop dead sexy as the mad woman.  He challenged me to find a sexier female villain.  I thought of Famke Janssen from that 007 when she kills a man with her thighs...but he still prefers Helena.  I hate her!  She killed Sirius...

I keep thinking back to what role could Sean Connery play in the saga.  I mean, he should be there somewhere...

I love Harry Potter.  Read the books for they are better than the movie (as is usually the case).  There is so much that never makes it into the movies.  Just try the first one, you'll see...

Comments

  1. I think I stopped watching cuz they were leaving a lot out from the books and it annoyed me lol. I remember I worked in a security booth when the last book came out and I'd read at work.....I think I had to look like a nut reading that book like I was watching a movie LOL. I'd be hopping up and down and making these crazy faces....maybe I'm a nerd -_- hahaha. Oh and I LOOOOVE Helena!!! She's one of my favorites that weirdo. Ralphy thinks she's kinda hot too, I'll be watching and he'll be like, "she's kinda....hot in her own lil way" lmaoooo he'll say it so confused. But you're definately a nerd lol j.k

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  2. I AM a nerd! And proud of it...

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