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.

Off The Bookshelf: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

by | June 5, 2013 | Blog, Creative Writing, Off The Bookshelf | 6 comments

So I wanted to start a section of my blog focusing on sources of inspiration, that is, what inspires me as a writer and what I hope can inspire others as artists. The first idea that came to mind was a subtopic for the books I’ve read that have motivated me in my writing, sort of like a virtual bookshelf. Then I thought, what better book to start off with than the one that first inspired me to become a writer? So here is a brief review of one of my favorite books as a child: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, by Roald Dahl

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, by Roald Dahl

Summary

In case you haven’t yet read the book (first published in 1964) or seen either of the movie adaptations (released in 1971 and 2005), Charlie and the Chocolate Factory tells the story of Charlie Bucket, a kind and honest young boy of very humble origins who has always been intrigued by the mysterious chocolate factory located near his home, run by the legendary Willy Wonka. One day, Charlie’s wildest dreams come true when he becomes one of only five lucky children around the world to find a golden ticket inside a Wonka’s chocolate bar, constituting an invitation from the famous chocolatier himself to visit his factory for an entire day. Fantastical adventures ensue as Charlie and the others follow Mr. Wonka on a magical tour through the strange facility, at the end of which lies a special grand prize for only one very lucky child. How will things fare for our hero and the four terrible brats as they discover the wonders of Wonka’s chocolate factory? It’s the greatest adventure of young Charlie’s life, and he can’t wait to find out!

Review

I first read this book when I was nine years old, at the recommendation of my mother. Though I was no stranger to reading, it was the first book I ever read that was written by Roald Dahl, and consequently, it became the reason he was my favorite author growing up. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory fulfilled a great wish I had throughout my entire childhood: to escape into a magical world far from the realm of reality.

As I read the story, I lived vicariously through the character of Charlie Bucket, who had the amazing opportunity to step out of his ordinary life and spend a day in a land of fantasy. Today, I look at him as an excellent role model for young children: humble, honest and with a vivid imagination. Willy Wonka is a wonderfully eccentric character, likely intended as a personification of the dreamer mentality lost on many of the “normal” adults in the author’s stories; and the four children joining Charlie on his adventure have such ridiculously bratty personalities that it can only make for some hilarious scenarios during the course of the factory tour.

But it wasn’t just the story that I loved; it was the way it was told. Mr. Dahl always had a very creative style of narrating his children’s books that appealed as much to his young target audience as to the metaphorical child in each of his older readers, and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is no exception. Every time one of the bratty golden ticket winners gets into trouble, the situation is resolved in a unique and comical way as could only come from a mind as imaginative as Dahl’s. The songs sung by the factory’s Oompa Loompa workers are not only funny, but actually teach valuable lessons, though it’s safe to assume the advantages of reading over watching television and the prominent role that parents play in raising spoiled children are already common knowledge. Even the various candies and chocolate delights described throughout the story sound so delicious and inventive, you wish you could reach into the pages and try some for yourself (except maybe the chewing gum).

Inspiration

Though I was already a longtime fan of fiction, this was the first book to make me want to write stories of my own. The joy I felt when escaping into Charlie’s world inspired me to follow Mr. Dahl’s lead and create magical adventures for others to enjoy, and for that, I will always admire him as one of my all-time favorite authors. With its wild twists, eccentric characters and endless supply of phizz-whizzing fun, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is a great read for the imaginative child in any reader, and especially for the dreamer in every fiction writer. One could expect nothing less from the world’s most scrumdiddlyumptious storyteller!

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