Greater Satellites

I’m a little tired today in work. And why might I be tired? Well, for one I had to wake up for work this morning. Beyond that, I was up until 4:30 in the morning finishing one of the most satisfying series of books I’ve ever read: Harry Potter.

Now, chuckle if you must, but you shouldn’t knock it if you haven’t even tried to read it. If an author, any author, has the ability to tell a tale that spans the course of seven books and several years, then it speaks to reason that it’s a tale worth telling (if you’re into fiction, that is). The only other series that was this expansive, this engrossing, and, ironically, seven books long was Stephen King’s Dark Tower Series… Another one of my favorites.

I started reading the Harry Potter books in October and finished approximately three months later (earrrly this morning). The stories became, in my opinion, progressively better and darker as the protagonist moved from the innocence of childhood (he was 11 in the first book) to a young adult (18) faced with existential and philosophical conundrums.

In the writing itself, the word choice seemed very deliberate, down to earth, and matured as the characters (and, I assume, readers) grew older. The author wasn’t trying to disillusion you with huge amounts of fantastical spells and esoteric words you would need a dictionary to understand. Reading the book was like listening to a good friend tell you a story. It was paced in such a way that the end of each chapter, and each book, made you crave more. Part of me regrets not having started reading these books in my youth, but a larger part of me is grateful because the wait between each of them would have felt excruciatingly long.

As for the movie-book comparisons, I think the films do the books justice with the main storyline (which is basically good vs. evil) and a few of the more crucial sub-plots. The movies definitely nail the imagery. The way I envisioned certain spells, locations, or characters to look based on their descriptions match up uncannily with what the directors, set designs, and makeup people had in mind as well. To some degree, it’s evident the people involved in the creation of the movies are also fans of the books, and I base this simply on the attention to detail in each.

I’m not going to rate this series with stars or numbers, because it’s simply too deep and multi-faceted to slap an arbitrary figure upon. I’ve seen books writing about these books: the philosophy behind them, the mythology, and many other interesting takes. I would say that this series is as perfect as it could’ve been in capturing the heart of readers, both young and old. You persevere through the moments of sadness and revel in the joyous experiences throughout, relating as best you can in the moments of basic human nature and curiosity. It’s a refreshing, easy read that just gets better as you go.

Expecto Patronum, ya’ll.