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My
family first met Harry Potter about three months ago.
For
those who have been dozing or distracted, Harry Potter is the central
character — make that the hero — of a series of fantasy books. The
books are written by J. K. Rowling, an author from Scotland, whose
phenomenal success on both sides of the Atlantic has spawned spates of
thumbs-up reviews and even a few thumb-sucking dissertations on why this
rather unpresupposing book has become compulsory reading in
English-speaking households.
You
may have seen the book flying off the shelves (There’s lots of flying
inside the covers too). But don’t be fooled by the cover into thinking
we’re talking about children’s literature here.
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, Harry Potter and the Chamber of
Secrets, and the latest, Harry
Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, hold places one, two and three on The New York Times Best Seller List. I
read all three books aloud to my 11-year-old daughter, my 6-year-old son,
and my husband, in a scene surely reminiscent of a family gathered for a
favorite radio show in the days of yesteryear. “Pause
the book!” my son would shout as he bolted for a bathroom break. I
confess that I read ahead while he was gone, unable to sustain the
suspense for the two minutes it took him to dash back. The
books are crammed with galloping tales of boyish (and girlish) high-jinx.
Harry, an orphan living with deadly-dull, what-will-the-neighbors-think
relatives, is a fairly ordinary lad except for one attribute — he has
magic in his genes. He is chosen to go to Hogwarts, a British boarding
school for wizardry. Once there, Harry has to deal with the usual school
stuff — bullies, peer pressure, dull teachers, and studying for tests,
except the subject matter is other-worldly, to say the least. Harry’s
attempts at learning magic backfire more often than not. He gets into
terrible trouble. He knows his limitations, yet still dares to plunge into
adventures. Led
by his insatiable curiosity and a sense of duty, he tramps into a deep
forest and dives into a dark, slimy dungeon in pursuit of the archenemy
Lord Voldemort, who is trying to take over Hogwarts. Voldemort killed
Harry’s parents when Harry was an infant. For some reason, which adds to
the mystery, Voldemort was unable to kill Harry, who seems to be protected
by an aura impervious to Voldemort’s evil powers. The
appeal of the Harry Potter books is obvious from the first page. The
author creates a world of fantasy, mystery and suspense, sparkling with
wit. But most appealing of all is Harry. We
admire his kindness, his sense of fair play, and his willingness to make
mistakes and accept the responsibility for them. And, of course, we are in
awe of his courage in taking on the forces of evil. But most endearing of
all, Harry is a reluctant hero. His fame embarrasses him. He never takes
all the credit. Harry
just wants to be one of us. And in some ways, he is. I suspect we
wouldn’t find the stores half as compelling if there weren’t a little
bit of Harry Potter in us all. Hurry
up, Book Four!
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