The Novel Series
Harry Potter is a seven book fantasy series written by British author J.K Rowling. It is named after the main character and is about the adventures of the young wizard and his friends, Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley, while he tries to defeat the dark wizard Lord Voldemort. The first book was released in June of 1997 and was concluded in January of 2007, a ten year-long literary journey.
As of June of 2011, the book series had sold over 450 million copies, making it the best-selling book series in history. It has been translated into 67 different languages. The last four books, consecutively, set records for the fastest-selling books in history. It’s hard to believe that in the beginning, two publishers refused to print the book because it was too long and slow for children.
All seven books have been made into movies, the first released in 2001. The final book was filmed in two parts, the first of which was released in 2010 and the second in 2011.
In perhaps an example of accidental pathos, the fact that each novel of J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series grows in length as its titular character grows in maturity allows for an emotional connection as young readers grew up alongside their heroes, as well as adults being able to follow the rise of a hero from awkward childhood to defiant, reluctant victim of destiny, to the eventual fulfillment of his destiny and reward of peace and family.
The artwork seen most often for the book series shows a common, some may say geeky, boy as he develops into an everyman hero. As for the movies, different directors made various aesthetic choices, but the setting of a grand school and magical wonders remained. In this, viewers were allowed to live within the same world as Harry Potter, a boy who was unaware of the magical world just as much as the people in the theaters or in their homes. They experienced the same new hopes and dreams opened up by magic as Harry, who before was a powerless orphan locked away from even the mundane world.
As of June of 2011, the book series had sold over 450 million copies, making it the best-selling book series in history. It has been translated into 67 different languages. The last four books, consecutively, set records for the fastest-selling books in history. It’s hard to believe that in the beginning, two publishers refused to print the book because it was too long and slow for children.
All seven books have been made into movies, the first released in 2001. The final book was filmed in two parts, the first of which was released in 2010 and the second in 2011.
In perhaps an example of accidental pathos, the fact that each novel of J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series grows in length as its titular character grows in maturity allows for an emotional connection as young readers grew up alongside their heroes, as well as adults being able to follow the rise of a hero from awkward childhood to defiant, reluctant victim of destiny, to the eventual fulfillment of his destiny and reward of peace and family.
The artwork seen most often for the book series shows a common, some may say geeky, boy as he develops into an everyman hero. As for the movies, different directors made various aesthetic choices, but the setting of a grand school and magical wonders remained. In this, viewers were allowed to live within the same world as Harry Potter, a boy who was unaware of the magical world just as much as the people in the theaters or in their homes. They experienced the same new hopes and dreams opened up by magic as Harry, who before was a powerless orphan locked away from even the mundane world.