It is the end of an era.
As the movie franchise draws to an end with the final movie premiere this week, I thought I'd do this piece on an iconic part of my childhood.
This is my "tribute" to Harry Potter. 7 books, 8 movies, millions of fans, billions of dollars in revenue over a 14 year period, and it all ends this Friday, July 15th at a theater near you.
In this age of Twilight, which I do watch while secretly loathing myself, it is comforting to me to know that I grew up with an entirely different set of books and movies that were not so "inane".
If you have never read any of the Harry Potter books, it is truly hard to explain the appeal. You have to pick up a copy to understand. Everyone who enjoys reading should read Harry Potter. If you don't enjoy reading then I think Harry Potter is a good enough series to make you start. Don't be fooled by the perception of it being a "children's book". There are critics who have actually said the story is too complicated for children. The appeal stretches across all age groups.
The characters, the plot, the writing, the setting, the relationships, I just can't explain it. There are themes in the books that discuss serious issues like racism and discrimination (or even the idea of life after death in this last book), and then not so serious issues like who to take to a high school dance. Although good vs. evil is the main concept of the series, the way the story is told over 7 books makes it a great read.
I didn't start reading Harry Potter until I was about 12 years old. So, technically, I was 2 years late to the series. You have to cut me some slack since I was in Nigeria at the time and the frenzy hadn't quite yet reached those of us in the developing world.
In the summer of 1999, after the release of the third book, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, I saw a news report on CNN about the Harry Potter series. Luckily, my father was planning a visit to the UK around this time. So, when he asked what I wanted him to bring back from the UK, I asked for the 3 Harry Potter books that had been released. My father returned a few weeks later with the books, and my love affair began.
I remember the covers of the first Harry Potter books I owned. The US copies are published by Scholastic but I always preferred the UK editions by Bloomsbury because, in my opinion, the Bloomsbury covers are better. (I mean the old Bloomsbury Harry Potter covers). If you're thinking of reading Harry Potter, I think the first 3-4 books can be read out of order, later in the series its best to read the books in order. For newbies, I would suggest you start with the fourth book in the series, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.
When the last book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, was released in 2007 I was one of millions of people who pre-ordered the book in order to have it delivered on the exact release date. Saturday July 21, 2007. I still remember when the USPS delivery man brought it to our front door with the Amazon.com special edition delivery box with Harry Potter insignia and lightning bolt. When my sister answered the door that Saturday morning and saw the delivery man holding the package she squealed and then ran around the house yelling "Its here!". She was 18 at the time, so youth was not an excuse. The memory still brings a smile to my face. I finished all 759 pages of that last book in about 3 hours before I handed it to her to read.
I am now 24. For literally half of my life I have been a Harry Potter fan and I will always be one. I've had the Harry Potter backpacks, pens, notebooks, stickers, temporary lightning bolt tattoos, etc. Even though I grew up in Nigeria, where the books and items were not easy to find, whenever anyone traveled abroad I would ask them to get me a copy of the latest book or some piece of Harry Potter paraphernalia
I genuinely love the Harry Potter book series. It is important to emphasize that all this gushing I am doing is over the books. Although the movies are excellent, I have never believed they really capture everything that makes the Harry Potter series a "classic". If your only exposure to Harry Potter has been via the movies, I suggest you pick up the books. As a Potterhead, the books will always be the better.
I've promised myself that all 7 books and 8 movies will be available for my children as they grow up. If I had to pick a series for them to read, this would be it. It is a great collection of work with great story telling interspersed with real life lessons, and I would be happy to have children who love it as much as I do.
I have always marveled at the imagination that produced all 7 books. J.K. Rowling may never really understand what she has contributed to the world, but I'm sure the fact that her net worth is over $1billion helps her grasp the impact.
I am sad to see the series draw to an end. In 2007 when the final book was released at least we knew we still had a few movies to look forward to. But, this Friday, It All Ends. Every generation has defining characteristics and I don't think it is a stretch to say that when people look back at ours, Harry Potter will be on the list of things that defined us.
So, thank you to J.K. Rowling for giving us 7 great books. Thank you to my parents for buying me the books and other paraphernalia when I asked. Thank you to Warner Bros. for making the movies. Thank you to the actors, writers, directors, etc that made the movie franchise what it is. I don't know if I'm going to cry when I see the final movie, but I'm sure my eyes will water a bit.
That's all she wrote folks!
