An end of an era is taking place, and although my poor brain is pock-marked by distraction, wear and tear, it is only right to take a moment and give the author her due.
The series certainly came at the right time for me, as I was complementing medical disability social assistance, with a new job, the current one, and in need of a new way of looking at things. It crept in quietly, at the request of a "friend," but became quite an influential force over time.
It must have been after re-reading such books as Winnie the Pooh, Charlotte's Web, and even Anne of Green Gables. I can't quite recall where the Narnia series fit in, but all that was part of trying to build a new way of approaching the world, to replace a shattered hopeless reality, of sorts.
It was also in anticipation of Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring, but the first Harry Potter movie set the stage, in a nice, contemporary, magical kind of way.
The new millennium had been sort of humdrum. The fizzle of Star Trek was taking place. Insurrection hadn't renewed any sensations, and Nemesis was yet to disappoint, but wherever there is a vacuum, there will surely be something to take its place. In the world of film, it was Lord of the Rings, with Harry Potter making a strong charge.
Around the time, the movies were being released, I figured it was time to do some reading. something meticulously avoided, probably due to the lack of good stuff.
Digging into Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, by J. K. Rowling, was a totally fresh experience. It was lively, and it jumped off the page. Such good writing. I wasn't so impressed with the movie, which has been the case with each release, EXCEPT each movie serves to remind me of the beauty of that writing.
I read the second book, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets out loud. It was certainly a gateway into a marvellous new world, and along the way, I was continuing a process of re-examining growing up, and learning. It helps put things in perspective.
That was 2001. Wow, not so long ago.
In 2002, Nemesis buried the Star Trek franchise, no longer connecting the way it had. The 2nd HP film came out. The 2nd Lord of the Rings thrilled with the reinterpretation of the Tolkien classic. At that time, I finally dug in and read the Lord of the Rings trilogy, so it was good times.
A good friend of mine, Leanne, lent me books 3 and 4 of the Harry Potter series, which I devoured enthusiastically, especially Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. What a wild ride, and I got to meet my favourite Rowling character, Sirius Black. The way the lives of the older generation were interweaved into a grand tapestry was a constant thrill.
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire was cool, too, and introduced Portkeys and the Quidditch World Cup, and the House-Elf Liberation Front, and Death-Eaters. Great stuff.
So, when Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix came out, in 2003, it became the first of the series I bought in hardcover. And did it disappoint? Not in the slightest, except for a certain death, but these are things you have to get over.
Later that year, I enjoyed seeing Lord of the Rings: Return of the King, with family, in Saskatoon. I'm sure I was wildly enthusiastic about the Harry Potter series as well.
In 2004, we got the nifty third HP film, and in 2005, the harrowing Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince book, and the fourth HP film. All that was pre-Facebook, but weren't things lively and magical back then, all the same.
2007 brought us the seventh book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, and the sixth HP movie. What a magical time that was, in Assiniboine Park, celebrating in tents and happy crowds, amongst wonderful exhibits, and joy.
Oh, what a thrill going through that final book, finding out the goings-on, and sharing the amazing journey of "the boy who lived" life to the fullest. Thank you Joanne. What wonderful times of joy you shared.
2009 gave us the sixth film. 2010, the seventh. Now, here, in 2011, we are on the eve of the eighth and final movie. What a thrill ride it's been. Even after viewing the final movie (in IMAX-3D yet), there will always be those wonderful words of which to return, if I ever need a smile.
As well, for anyone who has shared those words, there will be a common bond, points of reference, and a kinship to draw upon. As Lucy Maud Montgomery so nicely pointed out, in Anne of Green Gables, "Kindred spirits are not so scarce as I used to think. It's splendid to find out there are so many of them in the world."
I hear some talk of fans not knowing what to do, afterwards. I would just recommend, read the books, and … live your lives, appreciating your friends, and even your enemies, along the way.
Copyright 2011 Chris Hlady
Nice picture. :) Okay, that's a little self-serving.
ReplyDeleteStill, nice picture.