As most of you already know, I've committed to tackling the Harry Potter series after finishing The Sorcerer's Stone close to a year ago. Which is not an easy thing to accomplish when you factor in that it has SEVEN BOOKS. Four of the seven being REALLY LONG books.
What you might not know is WHY. Why this sudden interest in reading a series that I should have read a decade ago?
Well, I'm here to answer the question you've now developed as a result of that last paragraph. It's not your fault--I'm really clever at mind games.
Self-validation as a Reader and Book Blogger
Because Harry Potter is such an astounding collection of children’s fantasy novels EVERY ONE must read them. There is no excuse powerful enough to overcome people’s endorsement of this series. The Harry Potter series can do no wrong. And it’s full of riveting adventure and rigorous quests and magic featuring a very vulnerable main character. Anybody who has not jumped onto the Harry Potter bandwagon by this point is clearly ignorant of the wonders the series has to offer. And stupid too.
With that being said, without having read the series in it’s entirety, I have no authority on what’s actually good fiction. How can I, when wrenching, relatable, and exciting stories have been staring me in the face for ten odd years? It matters not that I, ten years ago, was a measly little third grader with no concept of imagination and zero appreciation for literature of any kind. I indulged in a total of four full-fledged novels while growing up. Harry Potter is supposed to be this eloquent, captivating, and creative fantasy, so how can I truly determine what books are unmatched in those characteristics if I have not read the king of kings in children’s literature? I even read somewhere on the Internets, though it was acknowledged as an exaggeration, that reading Harry Potter redeems you as a person. So, I’m obviously not only a BAD person for not reading the series by now, but also unworthy. UNWORTHY.
The fact is I don’t owe the redundant Potterheads of this world several hours of my life given up to read this series to gain their acknowledgement and approval as a reader and book blogger. Yet, I feel shamed and chastened nonetheless. So I’ve committed to reading the series.
In other words, I’ve f*cking caved to the peer pressure. xD
Preventing Being Lynched by the Potterheads I Know and Love
Not all Potterheads have been sipping on the Cuckoo juice. In fact, they can be sane and polite, sweet and dorky, and fun. I KNOW some pretty darn exquisite Potterheads. Threats, however, as well as various forms of torture, have been expressed should I refuse to go forth in my reading the series. These threats of punishment loom over me constantly so that I feel hard-pressed to lock up all my doors and windows and shut the curtains while I’m at it.
Am I truly frightened of these friends? Well, why else would I be mentioning it? But, at the end of the day, I do want to understand this deep implicit fascination with this series, particularly since I AM an AVID book reader and have shared and expressed similar obsessions with works of fiction. I’m tired of feeling left out.And threatened. That too.
I Want to Win Arguments with My Fifteen-Year-Old Sister
My love of all things bookish does not just relate to me, but it’s relevant to the lives of everyone in my household. We’re all READERS. How is it, though, reading as long as I have, that my little sister has read every single installment of this series not ONLY before I was willing, but before the movies as well? There were incessant dinner conversations at the table about the latest adventures of Harry Potter and Co. Maybe that was why I was so reluctant to carve out time to start it—all the boasting and chattering about every little thing that happened in the series was exploited for our benefit at every opportunity. There’s only so often you can hear about something before you’re slowly driven mad, or driven to ignore anything in relation to the topic.
Unfortunately, that might’ve been one of the more subtle instances to put a hitch in my stride and elongate my reluctance.
Now, however, it’s MY TIME. I want to be the one able to spout useless, random facts about each of the characters at any given time. I want to be the one to win the Naming Characters quizzes. I want to be able to recall hordes of information, like a BREATHING ENCYCLOPEDIA OF HARRY POTTER, on every moment of the series so that when it does come up in conversation—or even when it doesn’t—I will not only be able to hold my own, I will also be able to put my knowledge to work so that I can kick my sister’s cranium’s ass for once.
I Spent Fifty Precious Bucks on the Whole Boxset
That’s FIFTY dollars cash money, people. That’s some serious guap to spend on solely books. And really beautiful packaging. But nonetheless, I refuse to let it become tagged as superfluous spending, which would be the case if I push off reading each book. And I not only NEED to read each one, but I have to love it as well—it’s the only way to bolster my sadly lacking argument—which merely consists of a shrug and a ‘Well, it IS the Harry Potter series’—with an ‘I loved it so fracking much it had to come home with me, I had to own it.’ That explanation seems to satisfy most people and would help me refrain from ducking my head in shame when the price and with what I used to spend the money comes into question.
Although... I rarely get asked.
This is more of a way to explain to myself why I purchased an entire series I never finished reading because of my childish distaste and boredom—which haunts me as I stare at the set—instead of buying something else I rest more of my faith in loving.
It does seem like a huge gamble… until I read all the quotes, those wise, gut-wrenching, precious dialogue that leaves me wracked with shivers of not JUST mere anticipation but marvel at the power they hold.
I’ve slowly convinced myself it’s more of an investment.
What about YOU? Have you ever frivolously spent a lot of money on something you WANTED to love? What books have you received the most peer pressure to read?
Got something to say? Let me know down in the comments section. Don't be shy!
You look up. And before you can run away flailing or redirect the teacher’s efforts to find you out using your awesome brain manipulation skillz, the teacher walks right up to your work area and bends over. Somebody snickers. But, instead of shooting the brave soul a death glare, your teacher discovers your mysterious contraband. There this killer of dreams and fiction finds a half-eaten pack of Kit Kats and your blinged out kindle open to a particularly stimulating scene in which somebody’s bra is around their waist. You are quite simply mortified. Your blotchy red complexion has given you away more than anything on your desk ever could.
