Damn You, Potter! Part I

Once in awhile I publicly proclaim that I'm going to start something that I end up at least partially/temporarily regretting later (running Half Marathons, climbing Half Dome, being the yearbook adviser, cleaning behind the stove, etc...). Recently, one of these pseudo-mistakes has been reading all the Harry Potter books, back-to-back (except the first one). I guess I just got swept up in the whole Harry-mania that is currently taking over the world. I have no idea why- I easily ignored the hype during the other six movies! Okay, maybe I do know why. I read this article about Daniel Radcliffe being all sad to "leave Hogwarts" and I decided I wanted to see the movie. I won't watch a movie before reading the book, so I was stuck (I've seen none of the movies).

I've read the first, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, twice. The first time was before it was popular- a friend and I chose a book for each other to read in high school, and he chose that one for me (yes, we were very cool, us IB kids). I thought it was good, and read the second and third ones right after they came out, but that was it. I decided to read the first one to my students a few years ago, which they loved. So, last week I started off with the second, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, since it had been so long since the first read, quickly followed that up with the third, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, and am now plugging away through the fourth, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.

I'm not a HP fanatic by any means. The kids (and Hagrid) have definitely grown on me, and I am curious to see what they're like as they grow older (cough, bottom right, cough). I think, above all, I just love the imaginative elements of the story and the fact that they have gotten so many kids to willingly read hundreds of pages. Yes, J.K. Rowling may have borrowed a few things here and there (the chess scene in the first book, for example), but as a whole, the series is quite unique. And, honestly, what author hasn't been influenced by someone else? The HP books are well-written, have good messages, and are just plain fun (you know, in that way that corrupts children and teaches them that magic, witches, and wizards are evil AND awesome- oh God, don't get me started... see my post on book banning).

Reading all of them back-to-back is coming at a cost, though. Last night I actually had a HP dream- Dumbledore was performing a rock opera, singing about Lord Voldemort (I'm dead serious). I am also missing the books I read, especially since I had just started Salman Rushdie's Midnight Children when I put it on hold for these. I'm going to a Rushdie reading in early December and am hoping I can get it done by then. I just have to finish these damn Potter books first...