Harry Potter and the Little Hole in my Soul
July 23rd, 2007
I received my copy of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Saturday afternoon, and emerged from the pages last night, tear-stained and satisfied. It was an emotional weekend. Really, I don’t think I could have asked for more from the close to this fantastic heptology (thanks to Jon Stewart for that one). And yet… it’s all a little bittersweet. What are we going to do now? We have the comfort cushion of two more movies (which they’d better hurry and make before the whole Hogwarts gang is 40), but we have no future adventures to look forward to. No more discoveries.
I’m always a little sad when I finish a book, but this feels more like a death in the family. How amazing that a band of fictional characters could not only spur this kind of emotional connection, this franchise achieved a classification somewhere up there with some sort of state secrets. Countless articles sprang up last week about the accidental early shipment of some of the books, littered with words like “leak,” “breach” and “embargo.” This book release was more than a book. It was a valuable secret. One that plenty of people were more than eager to spoil as they posted it online or even read pages aloud on the radio last week. Jerks.
At any rate, while J.K. Rowling is certainly not the first author to stir devoted fans and even augment colloquial language (who among us hasn’t used the word “muggle” in recent history?), she certainly has managed to create something remarkable. Recently reported to be “richer than the queen,” Rowling (who, frankly, never has to touch a word processor again) was able to tap into the collective imagination of adults and children. And, even more amazingly, she was able to allow her writing to evolve with her audience. The innocence of 11-year-old Harry faded as his trials became more and more terrible. Rather than staying in her children’s fiction genre, recruiting new 11-year-olds with each book, she was able to remain “cool” and in touch with those who had already begun to invest in her characters, inviting them along instead of allowing them to leave her behind. She was able to adapt and mature with her characters and her audience, so with each new wave of readers who pick up Harry Potter and The Sorcerer’s Stone, there is a full journey they will be able to take with their new friends. And, along with a great journey and a great ending, an extra reward in the dedication of the 7th book: “And to you, if you have stuck with Harry until the very end.”
Other posts by Jennifer.
Lianne says:
It was brilliant. I cried.. but more for the sheer beauty of the entire series and the end. It is done.
July 23rd, 2007 at 1:38 pmkamran says:
It is finished.
July 25th, 2007 at 12:37 pmOr is it?
I think of all those she has inspired to see themselves as smaller parts of a larger plan.
Doing what is right instead of what is easy.
It has just begun, imho. She has changed the world, if only for those who will allow themselves to be changed.
jenny says:
i feel the same way! i’ve been wondering if there was something really wrong with me because i keep feeling like i’m going to cry because of a fictional character. i waited until now to read your entire post because i wasn’t finished with the book, but ever since i finished i’ve been moping around thinking ‘no more harry…what shall i do?’ i can’t just go back to reading ‘normal’ books. perhaps i’ll re-read the entire series now. as myrtle would say ‘i’m distraught!’
August 3rd, 2007 at 7:27 am