Speaking of reads, I thought it would be appropriate today to address a reading phenomenon that has magically affected the literary scene over the past 15 years and influenced readers of different generations--Harry Potter. In case you're a mere Muggle who's not in the know, today is the birthday of both the character, Harry Potter, and his creator, J. K. Rowling.
If you ask me in my humble opinion (and be it ever so humble), the Harry Potter series of seven books has been a wonderful addition to the literary world. Sure, we can get nitpicky and point out that the writing style is rather mundane--it's no Dickens or Austen--but it has key elements that all good books exhibit, which include a good story, vast imagination, and boundless creativity. The books are real page turners that can't be put down. We just have to know what happens to Harry next. We just have to know what are hippogriffs, thestrals, boggarts, and dementors.
Most importantly, Rowling has done something that few other writers in recent times have done--get children who ordinarily don't enjoy reading interested in reading. It's one thing to write a book and another thing to get kids to read it. I don't remember at any other time children of all ages being so excited about reading that they actually wait with their parents in bookstores at midnight to be the first to buy and read a new Harry Potter book. Maybe kids do things like that for a movie or a new electronic game, but a book? That really says a lot about something supposedly old-fashioned and low-tech. There is yet hope that reading books is a timeless and treasured activity valued among younger sets.
So, Happy Birthday, Harry Potter and J. K. Rowling! Thank you for infusing the act of reading with new life for millions of people who are young and young at heart. May there be others to fill the big shoes you've left behind!
Re-reading Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone on the perch.
