Years back during the summer of 2000 and in between semesters of college I worked at a summer camp in New Hampshire. When the mailman showed up on our campgrounds with a different vehicle, I knew that something was up. Instead of the familiar white truck where the steering wheel is on the right side for easy access to mailboxes, he showed up in a cargo van like the kind a plumber uses. Just as soon as he stopped, our camp director greeted him and so began helping him carry several armloads of packages. Since I wasn’t busy at the moment, I walked over to see if I could help.
“Wow,” I said. “There sure is a lot of mail today. What’s the occasion?”
“It’s the release of the new Harry Potter book,” the director said. “Just about every camper asked their parents to send them a copy.”
There must have been at least fifty hardbound copies of “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire” that day. A little while later, just about every camper in each age group had their noses in their books desperately trying to absorb as much as they could. I was amazed by the popularity of the books then, but didn’t begin reading the book that was at the time, taking the literary world by storm.
It wasn’t until the following year that I began reading the Harry Potter books–a girl I was seeing in college was heavily into to them and was constantly harassing me to try reading them. Safe to say, I gave it a shot and got instantly hooked. Here’s why:
The characters are so unique from one to the next and Harry, as you will learn, is just like every other boy out there–an “everyman” if you will.
The magic in the story is incredible. One example is the sport of Quidditch in which students of Hogwarts play a mix of hockey and soccer aboard broomsticks. There are also potions in which can make its user change into a different person and the “Mirror of Erised” (which is ‘Desire’ spelled backwards) that shows you exactly what your heart desires among other things.
There are many themes prevalent in the story; such as irony, a battle between good and evil throughout, the ability to cope with death, the power of love and friendship which in reality, Harry’s greatest strength rather than his knowledge and talents as a wizard.
Watching Harry Potter as he grows up and change from a child to a young adult is to me at least amazingly accurate. The psychology behind his thoughts is believable to the reader as he struggles between his desire to live as a normal boy, yet is “marked” for death by his arch nemesis, the Lord Voldemort.
Aside from this, the most prevalent of theme in all the Harry Potter series is that it’s pure fun for the reader. It is an absolute treat to read, even if you’ve seen the movies with or without your children. I highly recommend the books to everyone, young or old. There are indeed themes within the series that parallel Greek Mythology as well. For instance, Professor Minerva McGonnagall in all fairness is really Athena, just as her name implies. But don’t let me spoil all of it for you. After having read J.K. Rowling’s books, you certainly won’t regret it.
Why JK Rowling's Harry Potter Series Isn't Just For Children
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