Harry Potter changed the world – not just his fantastical world of magic, but also the world in which we all live. Written in 1997 by Joanne Kathleen Rowling, the Harry Potter series has taken readers on a journey through the childhood and adolescence of a young, skinny, orphaned boy who discovers he is a wizard and bears the responsibility of defeating evil while displaying love, selflessness and bravery.
Rowling has been highly praised for exposing the world to her unique brand of imagination and for creating “books [that] have turned a generation of kids into avid readers.” (Fanning 1) This book was intentionally created for children but is enjoyed by young and old alike. Very few works have had the scope to cross as many gender, age, political and cultural borders as this series has done so efficiently. Works like the Bible and the Quran have also done so, but rather than being carried through missionary efforts, Harry Potter spread through an infectious obsession. “The popularity of Harry Potter emerged with school yard chatter, not with marketing hype.” (Gupta 8) According the Katrin Berndt, “when Harry Potter hit the book market, fictional heroism had been eking out a miserable existence in pulp fiction and pop romances.” (Berndt 1) In this way the series has revived an entire genre. “No other contemporary story has been more read, watched, discussed and lived than this narrative.” (Garrett 15) As of 2011, over 450 million copies of the books had been sold worldwide and were available in 67 different languages.
Even with its great success, the series was not accepted by all. According to many conservative activists, the series is “bad for children because it contains and promotes witchcraft” and “causes an unhealthy interest in Satanism.” (Garrett 7) Many people went as far as to ban the books in certain American schools because they were seen as “offensive to Christian values.” (DeMitchell 160) Also, book stores in Middle Eastern countries faced bomb threats for just stocking them on their shelves. J.K Rowling’s response to these allegations was “people tend to find in books what they want to find, and I think my books are very moral.” (Berndt 3) Regardless of being the most banned books of the 21st century, these books are still simultaneously the most read fiction in history (Reagin 17).
There are many explanations as to why these books are so captivating. Harry Potter is full of imperfect characters – they are neither beautiful nor popular but they show that the most unlikely people can do extraordinary things. “The fact the Harry continues to develop and change throughout the series helps young readers identify with him.” (Beach 104) As Harry grows up, Rowling “attempts to help children understand” the new emotional challenges he encounters. (Natov 6) Through the messages of the importance of love, moral goodness and never giving up, J.K Rowling has created a book that both adults and children can draw hope and determination from.
Out of these books has sprouted an entire Harry Potter empire for children to experience the world outside of their imagination. This includes everything from toy wands to an amusement park dedicated to the fantastical literary adventure. The literature has spawned a “film series adapted from the books more popular than either long running James Bond and Star Wars.” (Garrett 6) The first film was released in November 2001 drawing in 90 million dollars from the US alone. (Kaye 1)
The book series has created many readers out of young children, and many writers out of those readers. There are over 60, 000 written narratives on fanfiction websites, set in the imaginative world of J.K Rowling by fans who were inspired to put their own spin on the much loved fantasy.
These books have created their very own generation of readers who feel quite strongly that they grew up alongside Harry. (McCulloch 45) Harry Potter has opened a world to that fits right into and is hidden by our very real and tangible one and, over a decade later, there are still millions of fans dedicated to the boy who lived.