I’m a big picture kind of guy, and for the last 13 years, nothing has been a bigger “picture” in the world of literature and pop culture than “Harry Potter.” I’m always inclined to participate in moments of meditation and internal consideration upon culmination of major events in my life (see Egg Bowl note) and so I thought it only fitting to attempt to sum up the last 13 years of ‘Harry’ in the way I know best.
Many Potter topics are trending on Twitter right now, and one of the most interesting ones concerns the idea that “my childhood is complete.” This notion causes me to think back to the beginning, both for Harry and my interest in him. I’m a sucker for behind-the-scenes anything, and one of the most fascinating videos I’ve come across pertaining to the Harry Potter series is a one-hour documentary on J.K. Rowling. A fellow British author follows her around for a year leading up to the release of her final novel in the series, “The Deathly Hallows.” I strongly recommend it to any Potter fan, from the casual movie watcher to the ones who were dressed up and in line well before sunset for the midnight premiere.
What Joanne Rowling did from 1990 to 1995 is really quite phenomenal. In 1990 she had a four hour wait on a train and began thinking up this world of wizards. She had neither pen nor paper, and was forced to sit and think for 240 minutes. She took time, albeit it a situation where she had no choice, and gave this thing, this future world-wide phenomenon, four hours of deep thought. Then, for the next five years, she executed her plan and put her thoughts to paper with varying degrees of success. Those five years brought Jo Rowling several moves across Europe, money problems, her mother’s death, a marriage, child birth, and divorce. Yet through it all, she stayed true to her dream and her goals. She did not sit around in self-despair or loathing, but rather worked tirelessly to produce the start of the most amazing fictional world since Tolkein’s Middle Earth. Joanne Rowling taught us never to give up.
Then, her characters did the same.
Whether you be a Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, or, dare I say it, Slytherin, all of us have formed an attachment to a group of people in Harry Potter. From teachers to members of the Order to students and their families, most fans, book readers especially, have formed special bonds with Rowling’s characters. I think one of the major motifs in her series is that of the importance of supporting characters. Some of my fellow Potter nerds and I made a list last week of the Top 10 most powerful wizards in the book series. Only one member of “The Trio” (Harry, Ron, and Hermione) made it into most of our Top Fives. Rowling surrounds Harry with a tremendous supporting cast. From the brave Neville to the brilliant Hermione to the unwavering McGonagall, Harry was surrounded from day 1 by people carefully chosen to support and protect him.
And let’s not forget Severus Snape.
As many of you may know or have gleaned, I have a particular respect for Severus Snape. He is not my favorite character (that would be Remus Lupin) simply because for the first 98% of the series, I loathed him. However, his character story is unrivaled in the book, and once you learn the truth about his loyalty, bravery, dedication, and love for Dumbledore and the protection of Lily Potter’s son, it’s impossible not to feel a pang of sadness over his death. My favorite chapter of the 7 books is Chapter 33: The Prince’s Tale in Deathly Hallows, and the best scene in the entire movie series is his death and memories. Insert joke here about having something in my eye, it being dusty in the theater, etc. The way Rowling, and then DH director David Yates weaved Snape’s story around Dumbledore, Harry, and Vodlemort was beautifully genius, and both should be commended for it. The themes and motifs that will be drawn from the character of Severus Snape will be taught to our kids and theirs as well.
Also, Alan Rickman deserves the Oscar.
In closing, let us not mourn the “end” of Harry Potter, because nothing this epic and important can ever end as long as those of us who love it and learned for it keep it alive. My children will read these books and watch these movies, and we’ll have many long discussions about the characters and plots presented in the series. It all started 21 years ago on a delayed train in London. Some will try to tell you that it ended on July 15, but I urge you not to listen to them. Yes, our childhood may be “over”, but that does not mean that the Harry saga is. Let us make a Sorcerer’s Stone for Harry in our hearts, so that he may never die, but live long and be passed down for generations to come. If one thing is certain about all of this, it is this:
Mischief Managed.
All is Well.
Points:
Time spent:
Canary word: Present
Possible AI signals:
Original Text:
Are you sure you want to delete this comment? This cannot be undone.
Mark this comment as a review? Points will be awarded to the poster.
Your comment was posted, but it wasn’t long enough to count as a review. Reviews need about four complete sentences (at least 250 characters). Try writing another review that explains your thoughts in more detail — the author will appreciate it, and you’ll earn points for it.
125,008 Literary Works • 672,827 Reviews
hi there... It was the title of your piece that caught my interest.. Nothing is more inviting to a potter fan like me than something like this.. This was a brilliant piece you have written.. And yes, i go with you to say that i too ended up liking Snape.. I won't disguise the fact thag i was in tears when he died, both while reading thd book and watching the movie..even after having read it so many times, i cry every time.. Rowling has done a great job.. I wish someone would read out this piece of yours to her.. Shd would lovd it too... And i know that I did..
Beautiful article
Harry Potter *was* amazing, it feels kind of weird that it's over. I loved the whole series, it was just freaking amazing. Hermione's always been my role model. The epilogue sucked though, I hated it. o.O HP forever!
*dies*
When I got out of the midnight premiere, all I thought was, "My life is complete. I can die now."
This was amazing!
Beautiful. This was just great.
Keep Writing!
Nike
You know, Brian Jacques once inquired "What happened to the magic?" Perhaps that has nothing to do with Harry, but still. I should most likely spend some time in the library reading said Potter series.
You know, it still hasn't really sunk in for me that it's all done... mostly because I haven't seen the last movie yet. (We got dragged off to the beach the day it was released, and haven't returned yet.) But I agree - Harry Potter shall live on! He is the Boy Who Lived, after all - if he can survive Voldemort, he can survive the end of the movie series.
This was really good! Well done! It felt like I was reading a published article on Harry potter. I love how you end it too, its brilliant! Keep it up!
This wont be review length, but I just needed ot add my two bits. I wish to contend your point on Snape. I understand your point of view, but in my opinion, the fact that he was hated for 98% of the series is what makes him such a great character. I don't believe I have read any book, or seen any movie that has had such a deep character. I commend her for her astounding ability to create such a person out of ehr own mind; and yes, he does deserve an Oscar.
This shall be an utterly useless post, but I only want to share that I agree wholly with your review and it was a clear, simple (and yet, emotional) way of expressing your opinion. I loved it.
This piece was amazing and very insightful, I liked the new perspective you brought to the whole Harry Potter theme that has been seen since the final movie came out. I liked how you talked about the readers of the Harry Potter series and the connection everyone develops for this amazing series. Also I loved how you talked about J.K Rowling and gave us that story about her on the train. I think this piece was written very well and suprisingly made me a little teary, though I think I'm just in a very crying weepy kind of mood today
Great job, thanks for reading I'm happy I got the chance to read this!
-Snickerdooly
This made me shiffle ='] Very well written, I found absolutley no flaws. I think everyone pretty much covered how amazing this piece is and how well it captured what Harry Potter means to the world. Job well done =]
That was absolutely BRILLIANT!
I feel really, really deeply about this series. Harry Potter has influenced me, who I am as a person, more than I can say. I have learnt so much from it, and journeyed so far with it, that it is so bloody HARD to say goodbye. But, as you say, it's not really goodbye, is it? Harry Potter will never truly be gone until none who remain are loyal to him!! And I will never, ever get tired of paying tributes to this incredible monumental series as long as I live.
Thanks so much for saying some of the things I'm always trying to say, but which nobody wants to hear me rant about.
AMEN!!!
- Ignis
This was amazing. I, as well, feel very deeply about the series. The way you wrote about the books and movies is exactly how I feel as do billions of other fans around the world. Harry Potter is what inspired a lot of my writing. Wheather it be about Harry Potter itself of something related. I feel that without Harry Potter, my character would not be shaped as it is now. After learning the concepts and reading all of the books, I aspired to be much like many different characters. I studied harder and longer because I wanted to be as good as Hermione. I tried harder to be funny because I thought it would impress Ron. I am more courageous because I want the sense of adventure. Harry Potter influenced and influences the lives of so many and your piece summed this up quite well.
-Lexi
Thanks for the continued reviews, likes, and support everyone! Below I will link the first part of the JK Rowling Documentary (the other 4 parts will show up as related videos) and the two reviews by Ebert. Pretty fantastic stuff.
Rowling's Documentary: http://bit.ly/pT3bc
Ebert on DH Part 1: http://bit.ly/a1vBDn
Ebert on DH Part 2: http://bit.ly/qaHnEi
Also, please mosey over to my portfolio and check out my novel-in-progress, "Stimulated Insanity". Thanks all!
You're right! I never gave much thought to just how much Harry Potter shaped my childhood,but now that I think about it, I'm afraid of what I would have been like without it. I've never been all that social of a kid, so the characters were my friends for a long time. That might sound sad, but it's true. In fact, the Harry Potter books are one of the main reasons I wanted to learn to read. By the time I learned, the fourth book was already out and so were the first two movies. But since that, I have been addicted to this. It's funny though, none of my real friends understand how much I love this series. It's nice to find other lunatics who love this series. It really is a major part of my childhood.
Can I request a link to the video you mentioned? Also, here's a link to a lot of Harry Potter fanfiction. I've used this site for some time, and absolutely love it! Here's the link: http://www.fanfiction.net/book/Harry_Potter/
Have a wonderful day!
What can I say but...I love this. And you made me cry a little again.
This is exactly what me and my friends were saying! The first came out when I was six...now I'm almost sixteen!I honestly feel like I grew roots in this series. From six to sixteen was huge, and yes, it's a movie. I never cry during movies (so corny). But my friend and I watched the credits roll for a second, then we looked at each other and just started crying. Like The Hunger Games, The Hobbit, and many other fictions, it's bent on being a classic, especially for us who watched it unfold. And the movies too, I think. The last one - AMAZING.
Wow, suckish review of your review. But you wrote this really well. I definitely get where you're coming from.
Keep writing,
StoryWeaver
I guess the Harry Potter books were a part of my childhood, but I wasn't never so fully involved and in love with them as others I know are and were. My mother would read them to us for bed time stories as they were released. The last book we all listened to together on tape when we went on a road trip.
Seeing this movie made me have a lot more respect for Harry Potter (I suffered from the dust in my eye as well...a lot of dust), because of the effects it made on people. It was so impacting on people I knew to see it end, and probably a lot of others. It's something that's been so uplifting and so supporting for people through hard times, and that just makes me happy to know that a simple book can be so powerful.
With that, I think I want to start over from the very beginning and read the Harry Potter books all over again, all by myself this time.
I think that was a wonderful review and I enjoyed reading it. I only wish now that I could actually write out the stories in my head and give them as much love and dedication as JK Rowling did.
AWWWW! Now I feel so happy/sad
Anyway, that was very well done. I agree with what you said about Snape! He's this huge jerk in the books, until you see those bits of him that JK Rowling hid until book 7.
I remember running to the store on the day of the Deathly Hallows release, and I sat at home and didn't move until I was done. I remember fawning over the book 7 cover in the Kid's Post. I remember listening obsessively to the Mugglenet.com podcast.
Those were the days. *tear*
Very well done.
You know, I completely agree with the Snape thing. That part was so perfectly done, I couldn't believe it when I read that part in the book. It was my favourite scene from the film, and it made me cry like a little girl, something I don't think I'd do if a puppy died in front of me. It was a brilliant series, and we can only hope that in the future, our kids and the younger generation will still want to read it.
Thanks for all of the review and "likes" everyone! I cannot express the joy I was emersed in upon learning that my work was popular enough to be a "featured piece"! I would now humbly ask that all of you review my other works - the two chapters I have submitted so far from my novel "Stimulated Insanity". This is a peer-review site and I will be more than happy to return the favors! Thanks again y'all and, as always,
Keep Writing!
This was brilliant, that's all I can say about it, it was brilliant and the wording was so beautiful.
I agree with you, I grew up with the Harry Potter movies and books , as strange as it sounds, I can remember every trailer I saw in the t.V of the the movies. I remember how fascinated I was with each movie, and each character. So it is obvious that Harry Potter marked our lives deeply. And of course my children will read the books and watch the movies =)
And also, Alan Rickman must win the Oscar XD
That was bloody brilliant! Haha :p But seriously, that summed up all the thoughts I was feeling but couldn't put into words. If only characters like Hermione and Neville were present in real life! You really wrote this well, it flowed really nice. Every scene with Snape left me in awe. From the director's brilliant writing to Rowling's brilliant book in the first place, to the amazing acting, there was nothing I would change. I walked out of that theater completely satisfied. And yes, I also agree that Alan Rickman deserves the oscar.
I don't know if it is fitting to review a review, but that was really beautiful. It doesn't matter that I disagree with it almost 100%, did not cry at all during the midnight showing of the last Harry Potter and left the theater thinking "Wow. That was mediocre. Do I really have to go to SAT class tomorrow?"
I love the books to no end but the movies, particularly the last movie---
But your essay made me reevaluate my position, and that's always a good thing.
And maybe the last movie affected me more than I'd like to admit, because I went home and wrote my first fanfiction ever, felt really ashamed(because it was horrible and gratuitous), and reread all the Snape scenes in all the Harry Potter books, exclaiming at certain points, "Look, its so obvious that he cares more than he lets on! How did I not catch that?"
Anyways, you're review was positive without completely gushing, and very nicely structured. Well done.