Finally in the Loop... A Little Late

Oh, Harry Potter. I never thought I would bring myself to read any of the Harry Potter books, because I tend to be the kind of person who strays from the crowd and avoided all the hype of the Harry Potter movies and books alike. At least until now. I actually experienced a double whammy-- for I not only read the book for the first time, but I also watched the movie because it was oh so conveniently on TV the weekend before my paper was due. Prior to this class, I had never read a single Harry Potter book and was never really interested, I got enough of a summary from all my friends who were absolutely obsessed anyways. I always kind of laughed off my friends' obsessions with the magical world that Harry Potter created, for it all seemed too mystical to be interesting. I could not have been more wrong. I have to admit, after reading the first book and seeing the movie, I have actually taken an interest in the series and may even *GASP* read the rest of the books eventually. Or, at least see the rest of the movies. It truly is amazing how Rowling can create such an alternate world that seems to close to that of reality, for it is so easy to find myself caught up in the characters and their lives. I think it was Randy that talked about how real the story seemed to him as a child and I can now see what he means. You honestly do feel like you know Harry Potter personally and can identify with him in many ways. While none of us, to my knowledge, can fly on broomsticks, cast spells, or play quiddish with remarkable talent, we all know what it feels like to be mistreated and the importance of having good friends (like Ron and Hermione in Harry's case). I am excited that this course basically forced me to read Harry Potter, because I am now interested in the story line and the magical world that is Hogwarts.