J.K.Rowling - Harry Potter Series

Some years ago, I came across a review of the first Harry Potter book, which made me rather curious. So, during my nest visit to the library, I picked up “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone”. When I started reading the book, I just could not put it down and finished it at 'one go'. By that time, “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets” was already on the shelves; I read the second book and completely got hooked! 

Like so many other readers, I waited for the subsequent volumes to hit the stores and read them at the earliest opportunity. So, what's more? I thoroughly enjoyed reading the Harry Potter series. When the movies were made, I watched them all to find out if indeed they were true to the books!

My battered copy!

So, how is this series, supposedly a children’s story, is as appealing to adults as it is to children? First of all, any story that is based on ‘Good Vs Evil’ premise is bound to be appealing, because all of us inherently want the good to prevail over the evil. Having said that, I want to also note that there are certain specific parameters that make Harry Potter a success.

The author is an excellent story teller, who could keep bringing in suspense elements till the last volume. Every child, for that matter even the inner child of an adult, believes in magic. Adults do wish that there is magic around. Though many may not be willing to admit this fact! What is clever of the author is to make the fantasy appear real – the magic is not in the imagination of the characters, but it is part of their lives, which is seamlessly interwoven with the modern present – such as the life in Privet Drive. The master stroke is that the author makes the characters grow with the story. While keeping the milieu, characters, both positive and negative, as well as the main plot unchanged through most of the narration, the author has managed to hold the reader’s interest by bringing in the hidden elements of the plot. Magical characters and objects are described in superb detail that the reader not only gets accustomed to them, but accepts them as natural part of the Potter world. All in all, magical world unfolds in the readers’ minds with vivid details as they read through the narration – and that is the success of the author, J.K.Rowling. Kudos to her!

However, to a die-hard-Potter-fan, story does not end with “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows”. Well, you can still get a glimpse of the magical world, not by a swish of a wand, but by a click of the mouse at Pottermore (www.pottermore.com). I have just read the recent ‘Daily Prophet’ account on the “Quidditch World Cup Final -2014” by two reporters, Ginny Potter and Rita Skeeter! I enjoyed it thoroughly! 

If you like this post, please share it with your friends, followers or contacts, by just clicking the 'Face book', 'Twitter' or 'Google +’ icons you see below the post. Feel free to post your comment/ feedback. Your support is greatly appreciated. Thank you!