I still recall one memorable day in grade four when the school librarian, a lovely, elderly and plump woman, said something to my class that I still hold dear to my heart. “Never watch the movie until you’ve read the book.” Despite the time gap between then and now, that insightful message had never been as resilient or obvious until I experienced the Harry Potter phenomenon.
For the lot of you who embraced Harry Potter before the movies were made, consider yourselves the lucky ones. You were given the unfathomable freedom of creating your own Harry, Ron and Hermione. Visions of the picturesque Hogwarts school grounds were already imprinted in your mind. You had already been entertained with the graphics of a lively, action-packed Quidditch game in your imagination. You owned everything in your Harry Potter.
I, however, represent a much less fortunate group. Too ignorant to see what the hype was about and passively labelling HP as a “kids’ book” (oh, how those words torture me now), I never acknowledged Harry until the movie version of The Chamber of Secrets was released. I had seen the cute pictures of Dan, Emma and Rupert on billboards before I had even looked at the book covers. I had seen clips of a Quidditch match on television before I knew what number four, Privet Drive was. I didn’t have my own HP world; I was forced, instead, to welcome Warner Bros.’ Harry, as their HP universe had already enveloped mine. It’s quite magical when one is able to compare one’s own imagination with that of the commercial HP, how things seem to be oh-so different. Which world seems more substantial? Most likely the one you paid ten bucks to go see. Which one seems more genuine? Undoubtedly, your own, because it’s yours. No one else can impose on your creativity.
I am not complaining though, did I seem like I was? The forgiving aspect to this predicament is that JK Rowling manages to save us. With each new book she establishes so many new wonders and never fails to add more depth to Harry’s magical world. I am still able to create my own picture of Durmstrang’s ship and the Graveyard scene before GoF is released. I can still lay claim to my Ministry of Magic and St. Mungo’s before Warner Bros even begins production on OotP.
I do not have a dislike for the movies; believe me, I was the first to drag my ten year old cousin to watch PoA, so I wouldn’t feel embarrassed if someone had thought I was going the see the movie. I honestly feel that a theatrical portrayal was not only inevitable, but also much needed. Movies merely provide a new medium to welcome more HP-fanatics into the already growing community. Once someone sees the movies, they have to feel compelled to rush out and read the books, right? The thought of welcoming more HP fans seems thoroughly exciting -- more people to dispute the canonly obvious R/Hr and H/Hr debate with? That sounds thrilling indeed.
So what is my point? Do I even have one? My parting message is to give you some advice, from a post-movie-fan perspective. I think that the most cherished aspect of not only of Harry Potter, but reading in itself, is that we can tailor the stories we read and inescapably their accompanying imagery to our own personal views. So please, do not use the rendering of magic that you see on the screen to affirm or validate your own creations. The first vision you had of Diagon Alley should be the one you hold dearest and the next time you envision Sirius, you shouldn’t have to see Gary Oldman’s face. My Sirius Black, in fact, to this day looks remarkably different from Gary Oldman, and my Sirius is the only one I can envision when I am reading.
Your HP world is already perfect as it is. Ultimately, there is no need to replace your visions with the ones created by others. I may gloat now about possessing a little bit of my version of the magical world, but still -- if I could, I would Bat-Bogey Hex you lucky pre-movie fans; I am most envious of what you possess. You can whole-heartedly say that more of your Harry Potter belongs to you than I ever could say about mine.
|
User reviews
Review this Editorial |
|
| Manda |
 |
| 2006.04.20 |
I agree that the books do have something magical in them. I'm one of those ...
Read full review |
|
| jacko |
|
| 2006.03.25 |
It wasn't until the first film was released that i got into harry potter, b...
Read full review |
|
| Spacer9182 |
|
| 2006.01.26 |
I think Warner Brothers realized this and tried to fix the problem.I'm not ...
Read full review |
|
| jen l |
|
| 2006.01.19 |
i never read any of the books until after the goblet of fire was released. ...
Read full review |
|
| Phoenix Feather |
|
| 2005.12.15 |
I really enjoyed reading your thoughts on the 'potterverse' and i think mos...
Read full review |
|
| mud blood |
|
| 2005.12.11 |
i read the book before the movie...and even watching the four movies.....wh...
Read full review |
|
| Antonio |
|
| 2005.11.28 |
I total agree with you. If Harry Potter hadn't become this huge phenomena, ...
Read full review |
|
| Sean |
|
| 2005.11.08 |
Emily, I think you are right! Sometimes I wish I couldv'e read the books be...
Read full review |
|
| padfoot99 |
|
| 2005.10.31 |
you very right and if anyone is reading this to get interested in hp READ T...
Read full review |
|
| Nimbus2000 |
|
| 2005.10.30 |
i got into harry potter in 3rd grade. but, i had seen commercials of dan, ...
Read full review |
|
| Orlin |
|
| 2005.10.08 |
I firstly read book 3 first , then went back and read 1 2 and then the 4th ...
Read full review |
|
| uglyfairycow |
|
| 2005.09.08 |
Yes! thank you so much for finally saying that! all these years ive been te...
Read full review |
|
| sirius black rox |
|
| 2005.08.02 |
i wholeheartedly agree with you. i am one of those lucky people who read th...
Read full review |
|
| emily |
|
| 2005.07.05 |
i agree with all of that. i saw the first 2 movies before reading the books...
Read full review |
|
| Tia |
|
| 2005.06.30 |
Brilliant! Extremely well written! I have read all 5 Harry Potter books and...
Read full review |
|
| Ben Ramsdale |
|
| 2005.06.29 |
Hi, I read your article and enjoyed it a lot. I am one of the lucky people ...
Read full review |
|
| Hermy n' Ron Forever! |
|
| 2005.06.28 |
wow, you are sooo incredibly right!...
watchin-g the movie before readin...
Read full review |
|
| Ron Luva |
|
| 2005.06.28 |
That was an amazing and insightful piece!! I appreciated your views and th...
Read full review |
|
| Loony Chutney |
|
| 2005.06.28 |
I totaaalllllyy agree with you....but thanks to you ;) i had the chance to ...
Read full review |
|
| Dark Lord Héctor |
 |
| 2005.04.21 |
I perfectly agree with you. I'm one of those who watched the movies before ...
Read full review |
|
| Fredesguapo |
|
| 2005.04.14 |
I agree. I unfortunately was part of the group that saw the movie first. Af...
Read full review |
|
| sirius is dead-deal with it |
|
| 2005.04.12 |
i too am one of few who read the books before the movies came out. i was al...
Read full review |
|
| Long Live the Weasel King! |
|
| 2005.04.06 |
Well, I read the books way before seeing the movies . . . PROTEGO!
Anywa...
Read full review |
|
| HermyOwnPuckle |
|
| 2005.04.03 |
YES!!! I agree! There are very few things about the movie that match what's...
Read full review |
|
|
