Harry Potter Mania
My feelings toward Harry Potter in the beginning could best be described as utter confusion. Why were adults, including my high school history teacher, going crazy over these books when they are for kids? I was convinced that it was another craze that would slowly die out like the Tamagotchi or Pogs. The summer after graduating from high school, I read the fourth Harry Potter book, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (like most Americans, I thought that watching the first three movies was a sufficient replacement for the task of reading the books themselves). I enjoyed the book and continued to the fifth that had already been released, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. My love for the Harry Potter story was sealed as the book was finished in two days.
Looking for the next book to continue the series, I was told that I had to wait two years; the sixth would not be released until 2005. Right then I decided that I would not read the sixth Harry Potter book when it was released, but wait until all seven of the Harry Potter books are in print then start the series reading book one. The advantage to this decision is eliminating the usual one or two year period waiting for the next book to be released. After finishing one book, I would be able to continue reading the series at my leisure. Additionally, small details and characters would be remembered easily as they usually are forgotten within that one or two year gap. The disadvantage to this decision is waiting four years for the entire series to be finished before another Harry Potter book is read.
To no one’s surprise, my life continued without Harry Potter. Four years later, I am a completely different person (some would say a grown adult) with a college degree and on a strange journey living in a foreign country for two years. Despite this, my feelings toward this series have returned as I anxiously await the release of the seventh and last book due on July 21st. Believing the publicity leading up to the seventh book would reveal some secrets of the sixth that I had not yet read, I decided a month ago that now was the perfect time to start the series and re-insert Harry Potter into my life. Thank goodness for the generosity of family and friends of former Associates; between both houses, HCA Chile owns a complete set of the Harry Potter books.
The following schedule, giving more time for the larger books, was developed for fear of a large gap between the sixth and seventh book if all 6 were read too quickly:
Looking for the next book to continue the series, I was told that I had to wait two years; the sixth would not be released until 2005. Right then I decided that I would not read the sixth Harry Potter book when it was released, but wait until all seven of the Harry Potter books are in print then start the series reading book one. The advantage to this decision is eliminating the usual one or two year period waiting for the next book to be released. After finishing one book, I would be able to continue reading the series at my leisure. Additionally, small details and characters would be remembered easily as they usually are forgotten within that one or two year gap. The disadvantage to this decision is waiting four years for the entire series to be finished before another Harry Potter book is read.
To no one’s surprise, my life continued without Harry Potter. Four years later, I am a completely different person (some would say a grown adult) with a college degree and on a strange journey living in a foreign country for two years. Despite this, my feelings toward this series have returned as I anxiously await the release of the seventh and last book due on July 21st. Believing the publicity leading up to the seventh book would reveal some secrets of the sixth that I had not yet read, I decided a month ago that now was the perfect time to start the series and re-insert Harry Potter into my life. Thank goodness for the generosity of family and friends of former Associates; between both houses, HCA Chile owns a complete set of the Harry Potter books.
The following schedule, giving more time for the larger books, was developed for fear of a large gap between the sixth and seventh book if all 6 were read too quickly:
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Book 1: May 5-12 (1 Week)
Book 2: May 13-20 (1 Week)
Book 3: May 21-June 4 (2 Weeks)
Book 4: June 5-19 (2 Weeks)
Book 5: June 20-July 4 (2 Weeks)
Book 6: July 4-21 (2 Weeks)
Book 3: May 21-June 4 (2 Weeks)
Book 4: June 5-19 (2 Weeks)
Book 5: June 20-July 4 (2 Weeks)
Book 6: July 4-21 (2 Weeks)
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I knew that this schedule would have to be a bit flexible, particularly as I was giving the third book (320 pages) the same amount of reading time as the 6th book (652 pages). Nevertheless, I started the schedule with a determination to see it done as close to the timeline as possible.
I was right about forgetting small details and characters. It seemed with each book that I was experiencing the story for the first time, not knowing what would happen next. I was wrong about the movies being a good replacement for the books. In fact, there are many fundamental changes between the books and the movies, many of which I have major issues with and am quite frustrated with (this can be reserved for a future blog, haha). What I was most wrong about, however, was the amount of time I would read each book and when I would finish all six books. The schedule actually resulted in the following:
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Book 1: May 7-9 (3 Days)
Book 2: May 10-12 (3 Days)
Book 3: May 13-17 (5 Days)
Book 4: May 17-20 (4 Days)
Book 5: May 21-27 (6 Days)
Book 6: May 31-June 3 (4 Days)
Book 2: May 10-12 (3 Days)
Book 3: May 13-17 (5 Days)
Book 4: May 17-20 (4 Days)
Book 5: May 21-27 (6 Days)
Book 6: May 31-June 3 (4 Days)
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In short, my 10 week plan was finished in a little more than 3 weeks (26 days to be exact.) As you can see, I finished both the first and the second book combined in less time than I allotted to reading each book one. In fact, each book was finished in less than a week, less than the amount I allotted to finishing each book one and book two. Even more shocking, all six books were finished before I was scheduled to start the fourth book.
I decided to trash the schedule very early on. The mere presence of a schedule took all the fun out of reading the books. I read them at a regular pace (i.e. during any spare moment I had, on the subway, on the bus, during breaks at work, and reading a few chapters before bed each night that occasionally caused me to dream I was a student at Hogwarts, haha.) The downside to my pace is that I now have to wait to finish the series despite my best efforts to prevent such dilemma.
I do not expect to start my finish of the series on July 21st. First, the book will not be bought here in Chile because it will cost twice as much as it would in the U.S. Second, the book will take a week or so to arrive even if the book is shipped from the U.S. on the release date (Amazon does not do international orders, we looked). Lastly and problematically, five of the six HCA Chile Associates are waiting to read the book. This has been briefly discussed among the community. A separate bookmark system and an allotted time system have both been suggested to allow all of us to read the book at the same time. Nothing has been settled at this point, but it will be a real test for the community pillar.
Regardless, Harry Potter mania is back in full force in my life and as the mania will increase each day for the world as it gets itself ready for the last book to be released. Barnes and Noble will have their parties on July 21st and if I were not in South America, I am not ashamed to say I would be there. Harry Potter has been around for the last 10 years (can you believe it??) and I am fully convinced that Harry Potter mania will not end with the last book. Children will read these books for generations to come and a new theme park that is being developed will ensure Harry Potter’s legacy. In fact, I plan to visit the park someday, maybe with my own children after they have finished reading the books themselves.
In short, my 10 week plan was finished in a little more than 3 weeks (26 days to be exact.) As you can see, I finished both the first and the second book combined in less time than I allotted to reading each book one. In fact, each book was finished in less than a week, less than the amount I allotted to finishing each book one and book two. Even more shocking, all six books were finished before I was scheduled to start the fourth book.
I decided to trash the schedule very early on. The mere presence of a schedule took all the fun out of reading the books. I read them at a regular pace (i.e. during any spare moment I had, on the subway, on the bus, during breaks at work, and reading a few chapters before bed each night that occasionally caused me to dream I was a student at Hogwarts, haha.) The downside to my pace is that I now have to wait to finish the series despite my best efforts to prevent such dilemma.
I do not expect to start my finish of the series on July 21st. First, the book will not be bought here in Chile because it will cost twice as much as it would in the U.S. Second, the book will take a week or so to arrive even if the book is shipped from the U.S. on the release date (Amazon does not do international orders, we looked). Lastly and problematically, five of the six HCA Chile Associates are waiting to read the book. This has been briefly discussed among the community. A separate bookmark system and an allotted time system have both been suggested to allow all of us to read the book at the same time. Nothing has been settled at this point, but it will be a real test for the community pillar.
Regardless, Harry Potter mania is back in full force in my life and as the mania will increase each day for the world as it gets itself ready for the last book to be released. Barnes and Noble will have their parties on July 21st and if I were not in South America, I am not ashamed to say I would be there. Harry Potter has been around for the last 10 years (can you believe it??) and I am fully convinced that Harry Potter mania will not end with the last book. Children will read these books for generations to come and a new theme park that is being developed will ensure Harry Potter’s legacy. In fact, I plan to visit the park someday, maybe with my own children after they have finished reading the books themselves.
posted by Michelle Fitzgerald @ 6/05/2007 05:24:00 PM
2 comments
2 Comments:
It's funny that you write about your Harry Potter crusade, because I'm going through the same thing right now! I'm desperately trying to read all the books before the 7th comes out in July. Only for me, I had never read any of the books or seen any of the movies up until now. I decided over Easter to see what the Harry Potter fuss was all about, and I'm hooked! I'm in the middle of the 5th, so I'm hoping to read the 6th AND see all the movies before the final book and the 5th movie come out!!! Keep me posted on your crusade to finish HP before the 7th book comes out. We could swap stories of missing metro stops because one was so engrossed in reading. Or that could be just me. ;) Hope all is well!
--Danielle--
OMG! How can you wait to read it?? I'm getting it at midnight and staying up until it's finished! (wow I sound like a crazed 12 year old!) Anyway...seriously I will mail it to you if you want b/c I would die if I were you and had to wait. Let me know! I miss you!
-Amy K.
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