I am not a Harry Potter fan.
Neither of the movies, nor the books, nor all the regalia that goes with Pottermania.
But I'm probably also premature in just saying this because it's all based on assumption.
Not once did I read a Harry Potter book...not even aloud to my kids.
Not once did I see a Harry Potter movie.
"I don't like that kind of stuff. I don't like fantasy." (as if the romance book publishing industry, in which I worked for close to twenty years, is not made up of fantasy!)
I simply never gave Harry and his cohorts a chance.
Perhaps it's "my bad."
My son, who's now twelve has been reading the Potter series for several years. In anticipation of the newest book, which was released yesterday, he began rereading earlier volumes in the series. He also introduced his sister, who will turn 10 next month, to Harry, and she began reading the first book on Friday night, much of Saturday, and even taking the book to shul when she went back later in the day.
My husband preordered the latest book in hardcover for my oldest son. Of course, it was to be delived yesterday, on Shabbat. So before Shabbat, we -- I! -- had to prepare a box on our front landing, along with a note: "Courier/Postman: Please leave package in box below."
When we got home from shul around 12:30, there was no package in the box. But somewhere in the time that we ate lunch, between 1:00-2:00, it had arrived. And luckily, the book wasn't packaged in anything that had to be torn; it could just carefully be slipped out of the cardboard holder and then held and admired by my son. My husband had ordered "the adult version." My son was disappointed about that...until we found out that only the cover/jacket art was different than the standard version.
Yesterday, my oldest son was reading an earlier volume throughout all of Shabbat; today, he began to tackle the newest version.
Thanks to Harry Potter, today was what I believe to be the most peaceful day in our household -- with my daughter reading her first Harry Potter, and my older son reading his newest Harry Potter, and my youngest son lost in his Pokemon adventures on GameBoy.
And if that wasn't enough, later in the day, my oldest son watched a Harry Potter film on the computer and the other two watched one on DVD.
Harry Potter is welcome in my home anytime; not only is he a wizard, but he also makes a great baby-sitter.
You think if I gave Harry half a chance, and check him out, he might just work his magic on me, too?
8 comments:
Oh, you MUST try reading them! They're fun - plain and simple.
What Val said. My mother is the one who introduced me, put it that way. :)
LOL, LOL..I'm with you Pearl...I have never read them or seen any of the movies...I mean, there is "FANTASY" and there is 'fantasy'....I'll take the romsntic..MGM.. type fantasy's any day....The minute I start reading about Wizards and Goblins and all the other 'magical' things..I just could go to sleep! (lol)
I do think it's WONDERFUL that this has so very many people--Young & Middle Aged & Older, READING! That is great! And the bonus of these books and films being a great babysitter...Well you can't beat that!
Well, I think I'll go watch "Somethings Gootta Give" right now....that is the kind of Romance I want! (lol)
My mother is the one who introduced me,
Ezzie,
Are you trying to say that Pearl is old enough to be your mother. ;) Sorry, trouble maker habits are hard to let go of.
Val--maybe my kids will convince me to "at least TRY to read one of the Harry Potter books."
Ezzie & Jack -- Ezzie, tell your mother to just try and convince me. Jack, I'll be 46 in September. I probably could be Ezzie's "very young mother."
Old Lady -- Yay, someone who has my taste for the simpler things in life...like those glorious MGM films. But I do agree that reading has taken on a new interest...thanks to Rowling and her magic.
I'm older than you and resisted in the beginning...until my then 6 year old grandson slept over and brought the first H.P. dvd for Zayde and me to watch...I was hooked and read the first 6 over the past 5 years. now I'm in the 7th which I preordered and could not slip out of the box on Shabbos. I enjoy it..she's a very imaginative writer...and it gives me something to discuss with my grandkids (and married kids as they are avid h.p. fans)
LOL you want me to sic a Jewish mother on you? ;)
I meant that even ppl much older than you like it, surely a youngun like you would!
I've never seen the attraction of Harry Potter related things, whether books or films. I suppose the first film was okay to watch on a rainy weekend but that's about enough.
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