Of the millions of people who have enjoyed the Harry Potter series in its’ many iterations, I have somehow only enjoyed half of them: The Wizarding World of Harry Potter and Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. What passed me by was enjoying Harry Potter in its’ original form: the written word. When the books were released, I was just slightly older than the target demographic, and my interests at the time were rooted in reality. I usually chose historical fiction over fantasy.
That said, I am enjoying JK Rowling’s masterpiece more than I would have when the books were released twenty years ago. In those twenty years I have read a lot of books. Some great, some good, some bad, some fact and some fiction and, because of that, my appreciation for a well-written and well-designed book has increased astronomically. JK Rowling has a seemingly boundless imagination. Good versus evil, it’s been done before. Endlessly. But Rowling has created a world that not only feels magical but also somehow totally plausible. Harry Potter is the most famous wizard in the magical world, but he’s also just a kid. He’s a kid with a crappy home life and friends that help him navigate the challenges of growing up – and the extra challenges that come along when the Dark Lord has your number. And, wow, can Rowling tell a story. All the characters, their connections to each other (sometimes going back generations), the spells and magical creatures would no doubt have been easier to follow in my younger years when I had no problem remembering everything. Oh well, que será será.
Since I’ve been to the Wizarding World and have seen Cursed Child - and because you could not be alive during the height of the craze and avoid them - I am aware of some of the spoilers that have yet to transpire. Thus far, knowing some of what lies ahead has not diminished my enjoyment of the books in any way. At this moment I am halfway through the series, and when I decided to take a break to read some kitch lit, I actually read a couple of pages and wondered, “Hmm, what are Harry, Ron and Hermione up to right now?” And, seriously, what’s up with Snape?
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