Off The Bookshelf: The Harry Potter Series

by | August 7, 2013 | Blog, Creative Writing, Off The Bookshelf | 4 comments

OK, it’s time to share another inspiring selection from my bookshelf. Because last week’s Notable Authors post was dedicated to J.K. Rowling, today’s Off The Bookshelf topic is a complementary review of her most famous works. Since I couldn’t say that only one of these books has inspired me, instead I’d like to briefly cover some general points of all seven of the author’s world-famous fantasy novels: the Harry Potter series.

HP1_Sorcerers_Stone HP2_Chamber_of_Secrets HP3_Prisoner_of_Azkaban

HP4_Goblet_of_Fire HP5_Order_of_the_Phoenix HP6_Half-Blood_Prince

HP7_Deathly_Hallows

Summary

First published in the United Kingdom by Bloomsbury (June 1997) and in the United States by Scholastic (September 1998), the Harry Potter series consists of seven novels primarily in the fantasy genre, written for a target audience of young readers from children to young adults. The books tell the coming-of-age story of Harry Potter, a wizard boy who gained fame in the underground wizarding world as a baby after mysteriously surviving an encounter with the Dark sorcerer who terrorized the magical community and killed his parents. The series focuses mainly on Harry’s adventures with his friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry between the ages of 11 and 17, with each book taking place over one year of the characters’ lives, all strung together through a story arc about the young protagonist’s quest to unravel the mysteries of his life and ultimately destroy the power-hungry Lord Voldemort to save the magical and nonmagical worlds from his evil reign once and for all.

Review

The Harry Potter books have gained incredible success since the first publication of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (if you’ll forgive my use of the American title, since it’s the one with which I’m most familiar), and with such high popularity and critical acclaim, it’s easy to see why. Rowling’s intricate world, compelling characters and engaging storyline quickly drew in millions of readers worldwide, and boosted the novels to become the best-selling book series in history by mid-2011.

Complete Harry Potter Collection (CC Image by Stephan Starnes via Flickr)

Complete Harry Potter Collection – Scholastic hardcover
(CC Image by Stephan Starnes via Flickr)

Although it’s mostly considered fantasy for its predominant theme of magic, Harry Potter also falls under such genres as mystery, thriller and coming of age. This makes it a very versatile and unique read, which may partly explain its enormous success. Despite appearing as a children’s story about wizards on the surface, the series has many levels to it that make it appealing to a broader range of readers. For instance, those who don’t care so much for fantasy might still enjoy Harry Potter as an adventure story at its core, or for its mystery elements, or even as a tale about a young boy trying to find out who he really is. Aside from its overlapping genres, the author also made a point of allowing various themes to blossom throughout her work, including the trials of adolescence, political subtexts, and especially death.

One of the most notable achievements of this series was the fact that it encouraged so many children to read. Yet there was more to it than just getting kids to pick up books they would normally consider above their reading level. As one of the children of the Potter generation, I can attest to the special experience of growing up with the main characters. I read the first book when I was very close to 11 years old and finished the last one not long after turning 17, and because of the way the series gradually progressed into darker themes with each new book, Harry Potter was the key work of literature in my transition from lighter children’s stories to more mature fiction, helping me to develop both as a reader and as a writer.

There’s no question that these books will forever be revered throughout the history of literature, not only for their record-breaking commercial success, but for their tremendous cultural impact. The series has inspired an entire generation of young readers, and it will always hold a special place in the hearts of the millions who have been touched by the magic of Harry Potter.

Inspiration

If Roald Dahl first hooked me on fantasy stories with Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, J.K. Rowling kept me forever loyal to the genre with Harry Potter. As I like to put it, “I came for the chocolate factory, and stayed for the wizarding school.”

Harry Potter has been a huge inspiration to me since my childhood, as much in fantasy specifically as in the rest of my writing in general. The books have opened my eyes to a wonderful world of fiction, and they’ve taught me a great deal about the techniques and passion it takes to create a magical universe. I’ve been an aspiring fantasy author since I fell in love with creative writing as a child, and I can honestly say that this series has played a major part in keeping my dream alive for so many years. No matter how many other novels I go on to read and even write throughout my life, the Harry Potter books are and always will be among my absolute favorites.

Notable Authors: J.K. Rowling

by | July 31, 2013 | Blog, Creative Writing, Notable Authors | 4 comments

Last month, I started a topic on my blog about sources of inspiration for my writing, which I opened with a couple of posts about Roald Dahl and one of his wonderful novels. Now I’d like to continue on the topic by passing the spotlight onto another author who has greatly inspired me in my writing, and since today is her birthday, I decided this would be the best time to include her in the segment. Featured today among my blog’s Notable Authors is world-famous fantasy author: J.K. Rowling.

J.K. Rowling in 2010

J.K. Rowling in 2010

Bio

Name: Joanne Rowling
Pen Name: J.K. Rowling
Life: Jul. 31, 1965 – present
Gender: female
Nationality: British
Occupation: novelist
Genres: fantasy, tragicomedy, crime fiction
Notable Works: Harry Potter series, The Casual Vacancy, The Cuckoo’s Calling (under the pseudonym Robert Galbraith)
My Favorite Works: All the Harry Potter books, but especially Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Book 7)

Inspiration

J.K. Rowling is a world-renowned British novelist, best known for her highly acclaimed Harry Potter series. I was first introduced to her work in my childhood, when my best friend at the time gave me the first two books in the series as a birthday present, and it took me less than a chapter to be hooked for life. The author created such a vivid and imaginative world in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (or Philosopher’s Stone in its original UK title) that I remained loyal to the series for the rest of my childhood and my entire adolescence, reading every new book as it came out until finally closing the back cover on the epilogue. Like so many young readers of my generation, I had been captivated by the magic of Rowling’s imagination.

Harry Potter - Books 1-7

Harry Potter, Books 1-7

Though she’s established herself as a versatile writer, it’s likely Ms. Rowling will always be known first and foremost as a fantasy author, and it’s as such that she’s inspired me in my own writing. The Harry Potter books not only brought me countless hours of entertainment growing up, but they also taught me a lot about the incredible amount of detail that goes into constructing a fantasy world, something I hope to be able to accomplish myself someday. But it wasn’t just her settings that fascinated me; the author also had a gift for constructing characters that I found engaging and relatable. It was interesting that she seemed to know exactly how to write a coming-of-age story for a male protagonist and make his character believable from the innocent age of 11 to the maturity of age 17 and beyond. On top of that, her attention to detail didn’t stop at Harry, for the rest of her characters were just as well-developed, especially the major ones present throughout all or most of the series. With so much work and care put into creating the world of Harry Potter, it’s really no mystery why I was only one among millions of readers worldwide who were touched by Rowling’s amazing stories.

Now I know that this famous children’s series and its supplements aren’t her only works, but because these are the only books of Ms. Rowling’s that I’ve read (so far), I can’t give a subjective review of The Casual Vacancy or The Cuckoo’s Calling yet. However, I can express my admiration for the author’s ability to step outside the fantasy “brand” she established for herself and still manage to create stories that are generally well-received by her audience. What truly amazed me was hearing the recent news about the latter novel, which she secretly published under the pseudonym Robert Galbraith in an attempt to evade the pressure that comes with being one of the most famous writers in the world. Sure, it didn’t become a bestseller until after its author’s true identity was revealed, but early reviews were still mostly favorable considering it was believed to have been written by a debut writer. If nothing else, it’s inspiring to see how Rowling continues to pursue writing in the face of all the hype around her and keep on creating the stories she wants to tell the world.

J.K. Rowling has been an inspiration to me for her wonderful fantasy writing and the joy her novels have brought me for most of my life. Being an aspiring fantasy author myself, her stories have served as great motivation for me to create my own magical worlds with the same level of care and detail that she put into Harry Potter. While I admire Roald Dahl as the author who first inspired me to become a writer, I will always revere J.K. Rowling as the gifted storyteller who kept me on that path for life.

Happy Birthday, Ms. Rowling! And congratulations on all your amazing achievements! From the bottom of this young dreamer’s heart, thank you.

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