How did Harry Potter become a household word?
I am intrigued by the phenomena of Harry Potter, and this review is
a writer / editor's perspective. The plot and characters are well
known and described in many reviews, so I will not address them.
I purchased all four books over two years ago, but they sat on my
shelf unread. Then, I was away from home without a book, and a
friend loaned me her copy of The Sorcerer's Stone. Within two
weeks, I read all four books. Why?
J. K. Rowlings captures the imagination with prose that draws her
readers in. Details that are not in the movie, such as Harry's hair
that stayed one length no matter how often it was cut, which showed
that he was a wizard, but did not know it.
* He was different from his peer group; isolated in a world of
Muggles. Children often feel isolated and mistreated, as do adults,
therefore most people can relate to this situation.
* He is an orphan who believes his parents died in a car crash, and
he has no pictures of them. He longs to belong, an emotion that is
common in all ages.
* His room was a closet under the stairs, he never received gifts
or a kind word, and was viewed as something to get through by his
guardians. In reality, anyone treated like this is abused. Yet
Harry kept a positive attitude, and enjoyed the privacy the room
gave him. He made the best of bad circumstances.
* His cousin was a pampered slob, but he was created by his parents
overindulgent behavior. He received 36 presents for his birthday,
but it was not enough. Things do not replace guardianship.
* Harry, small for his age, was the object of ridicule. Magic
delivered him. Who does not dream of a magical solution to their
problems? This is a writer's tool known as "deus ex machina" or
"God out of a machine." Commonly, in editing, this is the "hand of
God" tool. It is generally used in an unconvincing plot, character,
or event, however, Rowlings success is because she foreshadowed the
magic as part of Harry's character through the lightning bolt scar
on his forehead.
Other aspects of the writing itself are:
* Rowlings does not talk down to her audience of young adults.
* The same story elements that appeal to a child, appeal to an
adult; and the book is unique and readable.
* Her characters grow, change, and make decisions based on their
own motives.
* Life is not simple; people do die.
* Good and evil exist, as they do in reality, in many guises.
* She takes time to set up the characters, plot, and scenes. I
wondered why she dedicated so many pages to Privet Drive. This
introduced Harry, and because we know how he is treated, we know
why Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry immediately becomes
his home. He was wanted.
* It is easy to read. The text flows naturally, even with strange
words and unusual names.
* Her creativity and descriptions bring life to the story, and you
want to know what happens next.
Rowlings did not expect her marvelous story to capture readers from
all age groups. She was surprised to be compared to Frank L. Baum
who wrote the Wizard of Oz.
Now I, like million of J. K. Rowlings fans from all over the world,
anxiously await the next book. Thus, Harry Potter, became a
household word.