 | The Harry Potter series
Category: Fiction
Item Summary
Perhaps you have been living under a rock for the past decade, or maybe you just consider yourself too old, too serious or just plain too busy to read children's books. However, this series works on so many levels, and resonates with so many people, that it has become a worldwide bestseller and brought about a huge upsurge of interest in books.
The tales of the boy wizard begin with his discovery of who he is, and follow his journey through wizarding school, where he learns a lot about friendship, who should and shouldn't be trusted, and the nature of courage. The story is spread over seven books - Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, and the final installment, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, released very recently. They combine myths, puns, and a great deal of humour with a lot of imagination and flair, and while they do of course make more sense if you read them in order, you could read almost any on its own apart from the final one, as books six and seven are very closely connected and deal with a lot of information.
Good Points
The imagination involved is obvious, and the humour really lightens up what could otherwise be too dark. All of the characters are really well constructed, and they appear to be very much in character, so even if the "Ron said, Harry said" bits were taken out, you'd still know who was saying what. Finally, they bring myth and legend to a new audience, but without lecturing, which is a very important part of the books.
Bad Points
There aren't really many bad points at all. There are some inconsistencies, but only the really diehard fans tend to be able to spot them! The length of the books is considered too great by some - if you have trouble keeping the motivation going then you may struggle a little. However, when you get into the action scenes, they are utterly unputdownable.
General Comments
The series has been condemned as encouraging witchcraft, corrupting young minds, yadda yadda. However, it should be noted that the magic involved is entirely fictional. There is nothing relating to paganism, voodoo, anything dangerous. They are just well-written adventure stories about a boy whose journey through a wonderful and often perilous world teaches him that there is good and bad in everyone, and that good always has an infinite advantage.
To finish this review, a quote from one of the main characters themselves which shows Harry's eventual importance in his newfound world, and the scale of the battle between good and evil:
"Harry is the best hope we have. Trust him." (Albus Dumbledore)
Recommended?
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