Monday, June 27, 2011
Book II, pages 1-160
Book II has really taken off, and one thing sticks in my head: exclusion. Rowling is starting to develop serious themes that have wider implications, and they're popping up everywhere. Hermione being a Mudblood, Filch being a Squib, Nearly Headless Nick not being good enough for the Headless Hunt. I can really see how this book really can be morally educational for children, helping them understand that everybody stands apart somehow, and that people shouldn't be treated differently because of that. I think her wide set of examples (which I imagine will only widen as the books continue) will help to make this theme more universal and more applicable to her readers' lives.
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Book I Complete
Just finished the last page of Book I, and I've got to say I'm quite pleased. All the urgent ends got tied up and a few ideas were left hanging to keep me coming back for more.
My only problem, though it may be a nitpicky one: The enchantments guarding the Sorcerer's Stone seemed a bit...less than difficult. Though I know getting to Quirrell would have been difficult without our heroes getting through the curses and trials, it does seem like these were dulled down to the level that an eleven year-old could accomplish. You'd think that a cadre of wizarding faculty would protect something as valuable as the Sorcerer's Stone with curses that would stump dangerous, experienced wizards.
Despite my complaints, I'm ready to jump right in to Book II.
My only problem, though it may be a nitpicky one: The enchantments guarding the Sorcerer's Stone seemed a bit...less than difficult. Though I know getting to Quirrell would have been difficult without our heroes getting through the curses and trials, it does seem like these were dulled down to the level that an eleven year-old could accomplish. You'd think that a cadre of wizarding faculty would protect something as valuable as the Sorcerer's Stone with curses that would stump dangerous, experienced wizards.
Despite my complaints, I'm ready to jump right in to Book II.
A Short Aside During Christmas
I'm taking a quick break on page 203 to write this post. Christmas has arrived at Hogwarts, and Harry just received his Christmas sweater from Ron's mother.
Of all the things to comment on at this point, all I want to say is: I love how Rowling wrote the Weasley family. They just have such an interesting chemistry with one another. They play off one another well, and each has a separate personality (which is a tough thing to do with so many members of the family). Percy is the respectable member of the bunch, Fred and George the troublemakers with good hearts, Ron the youngest, most cynical member. And because they grew up in such a large family, they have no problem pulling Harry into their group and making him feel like a part of it.
Of all the things to comment on at this point, all I want to say is: I love how Rowling wrote the Weasley family. They just have such an interesting chemistry with one another. They play off one another well, and each has a separate personality (which is a tough thing to do with so many members of the family). Percy is the respectable member of the bunch, Fred and George the troublemakers with good hearts, Ron the youngest, most cynical member. And because they grew up in such a large family, they have no problem pulling Harry into their group and making him feel like a part of it.
Friday, June 24, 2011
Book I, Pages 1-87
And our story begins...
Right now it's still a refresher course. I remember a decent amount of this from the movies and from the first time I read it. Strange how many of these jokes I didn't catch the first time, though. Rowling really shows a sharp wit early on in the text.
The Dursleys do seem quite two-dimensional, but they are the only characters that suffer from this problem. Every other character in the book feels like they have an entire backstory already written about them (which they might have by now). Rowling uses foreshadowing, but not to the point where you can predict her story. Each character hints at an iceberg of possibilities under his/her surface, just waiting for the right moment to let them out.
Soon we'll arrive at Hogwarts. For now, it's time for a quick break.
Right now it's still a refresher course. I remember a decent amount of this from the movies and from the first time I read it. Strange how many of these jokes I didn't catch the first time, though. Rowling really shows a sharp wit early on in the text.
The Dursleys do seem quite two-dimensional, but they are the only characters that suffer from this problem. Every other character in the book feels like they have an entire backstory already written about them (which they might have by now). Rowling uses foreshadowing, but not to the point where you can predict her story. Each character hints at an iceberg of possibilities under his/her surface, just waiting for the right moment to let them out.
Soon we'll arrive at Hogwarts. For now, it's time for a quick break.
The Journey Begins
Let's lay some groundwork: My name is Ben Hurst, I'm 21 years old, and I've never read all the way through the Harry Potter series. When I was around 13 or 14 I read the first four books, but never read past that, and barely remember them. I am currently house-sitting, jobless, and need something to keep my mind working this summer.
In this blog, I'm going to keep track of my thoughts and feelings about the books as I read them. I'm going to attempt to get through all seven as quickly as possible, but we'll see how quickly that is.
The Rules
In this blog, I'm going to keep track of my thoughts and feelings about the books as I read them. I'm going to attempt to get through all seven as quickly as possible, but we'll see how quickly that is.
The Rules
- I must read the books in order, and cannot skip sections or chapters that I may remember.
- Whenever I finish a reading session, I must catalog on this site the pages I read and any thoughts I have (related or unrelated to the book).
- Reading sessions must be at least 50 pages in length, no matter how exhausted I am.
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