Harry Potter and the Blue Muggle
While reading it, I thought the new Harry Potter book (Half-Blood Prince) had recaptured some of the 'magic' (pun not desired but unavoidable) of books 1–3, which I think was absent from books 4 & 5. And then I finished the book.
It's not that the magic isn't there; it's that it doesn't matter to me now. I learned things I didn't want to learn, things I would have been much happier not knowing. I'm not sure that learning the answers to questions old and new in book 7 will be worth the price of learning other things I'd rather not. I rather wish I hadn't read any of the books; if I'd just stuck to the movies, I don't think my reaction to the climax of HBP would have had the effect that it has.
Thus far, when I would first finish a Harry Potter book, I would turn from the last page back to the first and begin all over again. It's been four days and I haven't, as yet, reread HBP. I've thought about it, even picked up the book; but I can't bring myself to go through it all again, knowing what I know now. I went to reread my favorite bits and found myself rereading the climax; I guess I've not yet come to terms with it. I did manage to reread my most favorite bit, which happens just before the events leading up to the climax; but even that offers little of the comfort, satisfaction, or even simple pleasure that it might have were it fleshed out more.
I keep telling myself that it's only a book, but that doesn't help. I'm afraid it may have spoiled the pleasure of all five previous books as well.
P.S. I have heard that A.S. Byatt has impugned the taste, if not the maturity, of Harry Potter fans. I wonder what she would think of the fact that I include her Possession among my favorite novels? Now that I write it, probably not much; I think that was her most popular work, so she might not think it of much significance that a Harry Potter fan also likes it.
It's not that the magic isn't there; it's that it doesn't matter to me now. I learned things I didn't want to learn, things I would have been much happier not knowing. I'm not sure that learning the answers to questions old and new in book 7 will be worth the price of learning other things I'd rather not. I rather wish I hadn't read any of the books; if I'd just stuck to the movies, I don't think my reaction to the climax of HBP would have had the effect that it has.
Thus far, when I would first finish a Harry Potter book, I would turn from the last page back to the first and begin all over again. It's been four days and I haven't, as yet, reread HBP. I've thought about it, even picked up the book; but I can't bring myself to go through it all again, knowing what I know now. I went to reread my favorite bits and found myself rereading the climax; I guess I've not yet come to terms with it. I did manage to reread my most favorite bit, which happens just before the events leading up to the climax; but even that offers little of the comfort, satisfaction, or even simple pleasure that it might have were it fleshed out more.
I keep telling myself that it's only a book, but that doesn't help. I'm afraid it may have spoiled the pleasure of all five previous books as well.
P.S. I have heard that A.S. Byatt has impugned the taste, if not the maturity, of Harry Potter fans. I wonder what she would think of the fact that I include her Possession among my favorite novels? Now that I write it, probably not much; I think that was her most popular work, so she might not think it of much significance that a Harry Potter fan also likes it.
posted by Dr. Bubbles at 11:52
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