A friend who has never read a Harry Potter book before [shocking, I know] asked me heaps of details about them the other day and I realised that I hadn’t read them in a while and actually forgot quite a few details. Thus the ‘Harry Potter challenge’ was born. I will try and read all Harry Potter books within the next four weeks, basically until I see her again. Join me and re read them again as well?
I have just finished reading Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone.
I remember when I read this book for the first time. It was in 2000, just a week before the German version Goblet of Fire was set to be released. My friend Lea had been reading Harry Potter books since they came out and was raving about them. I had completely missed them becoming popular [at the time I was very much reading crime novels] and I gave it go. I read the German translations of Harry Potter 1-3 within 2 nights of no sleep and then borrowed the 4th book in English of her. Once I read just how much better the English version was, I bought all the other books in English and re read them.
The Harry Potter books were one of the first books that made me realise just how different books translated into German are and just how much of the wit, story and little things are lost. I don’t think I’ve read any/many books translated into German since.
The first Harry Potter book is the beginning and introduction. The reader is introduced to the character who is an orphan and had a very hard life so far. Thus the reader automatically connects to the character and either feels sorry for him or relates to him. After the first few chapters it is revealed that Harry is a wizard, something which at some point is the dream of pretty much every child out there. The magical world is being introduced and in addition to being a wizard, Harry also has a lot of money and is famous, as he was the one that caused the evil Lord Voldemort to go away when he was still a baby.
The main characters of the series are being revealed, from the close friends Ron and Hermione to soon made enemies, such as Professor Snape and Draco Malfoy, although it is unclear why Professor Snape hates Harry Potter. Throughout the book there are many small challenges they have to face leading up to the end in which they have to get past the challenges set by the teachers to reach the ‘Philosopher’s Stone’. Whilst they are three bright children, it is very unrealistic that they could have actually faced the challenges. Both Harry and Hermione have lived a non magical life until the previous summer and Ron is practically useless.
As expected though they, or rather Harry, save the day. Harry has his first encounter with Lord Voldemort, one of many more to come.
I do like the first book. It is a very well written introduction to the series and an excellent way to get to know the characters. Bring on book 2. ;)
Cat
30 Comments
i started reading harry potter in 2001. i’m not one who checks a book out at the moment it’s critically lauded; i take my time so that when nobody wants to read the book, it’s there on the library for me. i think i finished up the rest in the series in that time in about a month. it’ll be a classic, in my opinion.
The way I got exposed to Harry Potter was really funny. We were having a school function which was terribly boring and I had this friend sitting next to me who was a Harry Potter fan. It must have been around 2001-02 that time. Later I discovered that many of my classmates were HP fans and I had chosen to be totally ignorant about it. However this friend asked me if I had read it or not and I lied I had. Then he started this huge discussion about Voldemort and all and of course, since I hadn’t read it, I was clueless. However, he narrated the story in such a captivating fashion that made me want to read them.
Over the next few weeks, months, years I read all the parts by borrowing them from people and subsequently, the movies started coming out too. I only own one of the parts which is Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire which was gifted to me on my birthday. I’ve read it around 6 times already and it’s my favorite one out of them all. I didn’t really like the next ones as much because they’ve been signalling towards the end with one important character or the other dying. Sirius’ death made me cry. I actually read the sixth part on the computer (having downloaded it illegally via eMule) and ended up having a bad headache. I then got it issued from the library and read it all over again.
I would love to read the whole series again but I don’t have that kind of time. I haven’t read a book apart from my coursebooks for months now. :(
I have only read the first books. But the 4th book… Cat… how fast do you read? Or do you just not have anything better to do :p
I tried reading HP last year, but I just got confuzzled.
@ sulz: For some reason I used to read books before they became popular, like ‘The DaVinci code’ and ‘The Timetravellers Wife’ which I read months before they got so big. I guess I was a bit late with Harry Potter.
The last book will be good I hope. there are so many ties that have to be solved before it’s all over.
@ ish: Yeah, it was a bit the same with me. My friend was just going on and on about it and I just had to read it. And there weren’t many other books that interested me at the time.
I think my favourite one is still ‘Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix’. I like the depth of the magical world and how it all comes together.
@ Tob3z: I am a very fast reader. I have nearly finished book 3 now and I’ll be moving onto book 4 later on tonight. As for not having anythign better to do, well, I’m spending less time on the net, so I suppose that’s a good thing!
@ Mon: Which one did you try to read? The first one explains everything and you should start with that one.
I think I’m in: I’ll blog the challenge as well later. I’ve got all the books and the first three movies (want the fourth, but I only have VHS and I don’t think it even came out on that!). I started reading them because a friend of mine, a very senior nonprofit banker actually, was absolutely consumed by them and I respect his opinion a lot. And of course he was right.
I’ve seen two of the movies on TV. I haven’t read any of the books but I will go to the Library on Tuesday and begin reading. :)
Meh, I just finished reading HP 6 yesterday for the 8th time. LOL. Its currently the only HP book I have. :(
VHS, wow, that’s something I haven’t seen lately. I made the switch to DVD’s years ago.
What I’ve found with Harry Potter books, they are great to read again. Some books can only be read once and then every subsequent attempt spoils it, but Harry Potter are great to be read over an over again.
Timethief, you haven’t read them? You really have missed out. The films are lacking in so much, the magical world created in the books has a lot more depth. The films can’t capture that in the slightest. But, good to hear that you will read them. :)
How come you haven’t got the others, Ashish?
Um lost them on a train journey… my whole collection. Sounds kinda dumb because I said it in a nutshell. lol. Here’s the link to my post made almost a year ago – http://www.geekwrestler.com/2006/06/26/in-fond-memory
I’ve got an itching to get LOTR again. I had a three in one edition which had the Redbook at the end, quite cool. Saw a bit of The Return of the King a few days previously and the itching increased. :)
That is quite bad, although I suppose your own fault? I wouldn’t want to lose my books, I’ve only got a few of my favourite ones over here with the others still being in Germany, but I wouldn’t want to loose them.
I haven’t read Lotr in ages. Might do that after I’ve re read all Harry Potter books.
That is quite bad, although I suppose your own fault?
Do you know how much that hurts? You do sound my sister… you sure you’re not her? :P Read the post for the details, I did provide a link! :) [And give my new stats widget some work to do. :lol:]
Btw, how come your page rank button shows a rank of zero? My old blog had a rank of 4/10 and it wasn’t even as famous as yours…. [And your MyBlogLog widget refuses to show me, although I've seen my name on some that incorporate it. Plain HTML I take it?]
Yeah, I did read it. :P
Me and my family were moving to another city and so had packed them all in one bag which was being carried by me. While we were having tea on the station I didnot pay attention to my bag and in all the hullabaloo about the train somebody took it.
Sounds like you didn’t pay attention. Don’t get me wrong, it’s bad, very bad, but it’s not like someone is to blame but you? :)
And I’m not your sister. I’m a happy single child.
The pagerank shows 5/10 for me?
And the MBL widget is html and I can see your name on it. Try a force reload maybe?
And I’m not your sister. I’m a happy single child.
You do seem like her… scary. :lol:
Yeah, I know its my fault. lol. Was making fun.
Well that widget still shows 0/10 when I see it. Also i don’t see my name on the MBL widget despite every form of reloading. :( Guess I’ll just have to live with it! :P
Clicky Linky
For some reason the images shows 0 for me as well now, but I just checked my PR and it’s definitely 5. Strange. Might take it down in a bit.
Another clicky link
Pagerank 5 ftw! ;)
It only seems to display it on the main page of the blog though which makes sense I think as it takes the url.
Ah ok. Thanks for the screenshot btw. :)
It only seems to display it on the main page of the blog though which makes sense I think as it takes the url.
Which is why I’m seeing it zero as I always check it when I’m commenting on a post. :D
There we go, problem solved. Might remove it then as most people would only see it on the posts themselves and 0/10 is nothing to be proud of. ;)
I’m currently reading the third book in the series: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. I love these books.
“I remember when I read this book for the first time. It was in 2000, just a week before the German version Goblet of Fire was set to be released.”
That’s a curious coincidence because I also picked up The Philosher’s Stone (just by chance – had never heard of HP before) just before Goblet of Fire was released. Then I happily spent that month reading all four books back-to-back … and then had to wait three years for the next one. Boy, was that ever a long wait.
I’m not sure if I’ll have time to re-read all the books before I get my copy of the Deathly Hallows but it’s an excellent idea. I’m sure I’ve forgotten quite a bit of detail, especially from the last two.
Philosher’s Stone? Must have read that one when I was drunk. ;)
Count it twice then. I love making up rules.
I think I’m the only one who liked Order of the Phoenix best. I’ve got a serious crush on Sirius, and all us internet addicts identify with the melancholy shut-ins.
Mmmm… serious crush on Sirius over here too, but I prefered Azkaban (mostly cos of the ending of Phoenix).
Oh, just re-write the ending. You’ll have an instant audience of fangirls/boys.
Honestly, Harry has two mirrors designed to keep him in touch with Sirius and he never thinks of shoving one through the archway?
:shock:
Interesting challenge, I actually found one that challenged you to read them all in a week. I’m going to try that one, if it proves too difficult, then i’ll definitely try yours. So most likely, i’ll join you in the challenge.
The first time i ever read HP, it was actually the second book, so I didn’t quite understand a few references. Got me hooked anyway!
I’m fond of these books, but unfortunately I haven’t spare time to re-read them.
Well, I’m a fast reader, so I guess it’s easy for me..
*sigh*
Coming back to it now, I’ve remembered I did complete them all in time [cramming in the last one in the night before the other was released], yet never blogged about it.
Go me and my constant blogging breaks!!
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[...] is, should you be a speedy reader, just enough time to get through all of the previous books, particularly if you read them before. If you read them before but you were drunk, it counts as [...]