Tuesday, July 24, 2007

Now Go We in Content

"By the pricking of my thumbs,
Something wicked this way comes." Macbeth's witches

I never thought I'd spend years of my life devoted to withcraft and wizardry...but, I have.

I dont know why I first started reading the Harry Potter books. The first one had come out and my friend's aunt, who was a teacher, loved it. I was peer-pressured into it, I borrowed it from my 8th grade best friend (who has since dissapeared from my life). Although I never speak to that best friend anymore, Harry and I still share a witchy love affair. Since I was 14 I have had a relationship with the books that only other Harry Potter lovers will understand.

One of the key elements to J.K Rowling's fabulous series is its relevance to the emotions and situations we've all been through. No, I've never stunned someone with my magic wand (although I've tried very hard) and, no, life isn't about stopping He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. Yet, the books bring us back to that awkward stage in life where we didn't fit in except for a few friends, where school was tough and teachers were tougher, and where we felt every day was a battle against some evil in our lives. If the books don't bring us back they relate to us, the books make us feel things aren't as desperate, and give us the sense that "Well, shit, Harry has it worse."
The characters are engaging, realistic, and well developed. We can all feel for their situations, laugh with them, and cry with them or for them. J.K does it so well we feel we are them...in a creepy sort of way that breaks the second we stop reading the book. I've never been so wrapped into a novel, consistently throughout every book in the series, that I feel my blood pressure rise when I feel nervous for the characters. I literally feel for them. J.K knows how to engage her readers on that many levels.

Its not about the movies being good or bad. The movies are fabulous in their own right, they bring to life the thing we all love. I only hope the movies inspire people to read the books. The movies only give a flicker of what we true Harry Potter lovers love. We have two more movies to obsess over but, the books, now thats another story.

Its over. I'm okay with it being the ending and the ending Rowling laid out for me and her devoted fans was exactly what I wanted. I loved it actually. Closure. Its a little death in the way that the last novel so aptly discusses (I didnt ruin anything for those of us who haven't read the book yet). At the same time, things will change because I won't get excited for another book to be released and search the pages for answers. I have the very last released book. I have the answers. Time to obsess over something else.

Sure, I may have cried a little throughout the final book (not full on gushy tears but enough to realize my connection to a seemingly lifeless book). Sure, I may miss the releases of these books and the new developments yet, if there is one thing I am sure of its that I can always go back, re-read, and introduce these books to some unexpecting bystander who just wants to go to somewhere magical.
Heres till the next movie is released!
Dear Harry Potter,
I have a crush on you. It will be a lifelong one. Its ok if you've left me for good.
I still love you, ya' crazy little wizard.
Cheers to you,
~The Lady~


2 comments:

Gwen said...

dear lady,
who are you?
love,
gwen

Sam Fran said...

dear ginny,
leave that hero and get w. a zero...me! i can show you the wonders of dorm life and hurricanes. if you're lucky i'll show you my wand. i may not come from phoenix feathers, but it's quite a bird in its own right. now that all the drama is over check out what the muggles have to offer, you won't be disappointed

SWAK

sam