Caved

I'm not sure why I resisted reading Harry Potter for so long. It was probably because of the commitment involved--7 books and who knows how many pages. But over Christmas I watched the fifth movie with Andrew's mom, and then started reading the first book... and the rest is history. I'm now midway through the third and I'm ready to go to Hogwarts with my fellow witches and wizards and learn Transfiguration, Divination, and the Care of Magical Creatures. I often find myself wondering what Harry and Hermione are up to or what the latest Quidditch scores are. I have entered a world and I'm convinced it exists.

Now, some may argue (and I must point out that you would be in the minority since Harry Potter readers comprise no small niche) that there may be other, more productive ways to spend one's time. After all, there are real world issues begging to be researched and contemplated: upcoming elections, tragic world events, a looming recession, etc. And if that weren't enough, we have a plethora of literature, classic and contemporary, that we've always been meaning to read. But Harry Potter is not to be disregarded as something outside the realm of important, relevant reading material. First of all, Rowling has truly created a phenomenon. The first six of the seven books have sold over 400 million copies and have been translated into over 64 languages, and combined with the unprecedented success of the seventh and final installment, the series has made Rowling the highest-earning novelist in history (click here for previous musings on Rowling's achievement). Second of all, it engages the epic battle between good and evil (tell me that's not relevant). Third of all, it employs all the elements of high fantasy fiction, elevating it to the status of classic works such as The Lord of the Rings and The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. And for all these reasons, I felt that I owed it to future generations to read these books and be familiar with the world they create. I'm convinced that our copies of Harry Potter will grace the bookshelves of generations to come until the bindings break and the pages rip. I'm not sure what kind of mother or grandmother I would be if I had to look my kids in the eye and said I never read those books when they were first published.

Most of all, I can't think of a better way to spend a cold, wintry Chicago day than to fix a cup of tea and escape into a world of danger, courage, defeat and triumph. It's even possible that we could learn a thing or two from Harry, a boy called by conviction to work for good despite the forces who would wish otherwise.

And if you need further proof of the weight of Rowling's sweeping success, she's scheduled to speak at Harvard's 2008 Commencement.