The Harry connection?

[-dagger-]

i've had potter conversations with complete strangers plenty of times, and they're not always kids/teens!
hp definitely brings people together.

[vegheadHPfan]

I would simply die without them

[spartan-lover]

The world without HP would be a devestating world.. and i find it sad most people dont like them

[spartan-lover]

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Captivating_Persona wrote:

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Nadine wrote:

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The_Sibyl wrote:
Most definitely.

However, the radicalists who attempt to ban Harry Potter from being read because it supposedly perpetuates the occult are, I think, deluded. These people seem to miss the entire point of the series to focus on a single detail like witchcraft, without noticing that the books are really a great struggle between good and evil, and in fact, that the books emphasize values like loyalty, courage, kindness, and determination, all of which are values emphasized in THEIR OWN RELIGION.

Second, a lot of the people attempting to ban Harry Potter.......have never read Harry Potter.....never even attempted to pick the book up, and see what it was really all about.....sad, but true. That's just close-mindedness, really.

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I think this topic must be getting weak with those who object to Harry Potter. Soon they will be the only ones who have never read Harry Potter. It is hard to deny a book with such a following. The final book and the OotP movie will completely dominate everything in July and now a new Theme Park in Orlando Florida puts it on par with Disney. How can a parent keep denying a book to child when the book is being read and talked about by virtually most of the other children. The child will probably get to read it somehow and then start challenging the credibility of the parent and possibly the religious standpoint that condemned it. That is somewhat regrettable since it then calls into question in the child's mind values that might be important. They will be questioning if anything a parent or their religion says has validity. I think this whole thing will die a natural death. Actually, all this noise about the satanic elements in Harry Potter probably fueled its popularity in the early days--and, incidentally, made a lot of anti-Harry Potter authors very rich so I guess in the end everyone made out well.

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actually, it can be inerpreted as religious in the symbolism of serpents and darkness and 'the Dark Lord' being trampled and defeated by 'The chosen one'. No one tries to even talk about that one.

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wow i neva would have thought about relating this to christianity...that opened a few doors in my head

[CedricFan14]

Yeah...That's how I met one of my best friends. We where probably in the 3rd grade and I had this copy of a HP book and so did she, I noticed it was the same book but her cover was different so we immediately started talking about that and became the best of friends And I also have a few friends who I would call Harry Friends!

[lhsnlife]

It makes me so mad when my family members or friends say they dont like Harry Potter and have never even opened one of the books! It also kills me when people say they are a big fan but havent read all of them and in order and then ask you questions.. oh but remember thier big fans lol! I only have one aunt who like Harry Potter and she calls me every once in a while if the new book has come out or one of the movies or just to talk about what she thinks! Other than that I have no one to realate to or discuss topics and beliefs so finding that there is a board on BN to talk about it was a great surprise this weekend!

[Witchy_Woman11…]

Half of my friends in High School were Harry Friends. Everyday at lunch we'd get together and discuss the latest book or movie or something cool we "discovered" in the books and see if anyone else in the group had caught it. I really miss that because my family watches the movies but the haven't read the books so I can't really discuss how much I hate Bellatrix, or how sad I am at the fact that once the final pages of Deathly Hallows have turned I'll feel like I've just lost a best friend.

[Rachel-K]

It is a great aspect of these boards (and much online life in general) that we can find communities that don't exist for us in the face-to-face world. I'm glad you found your way here! You may be overwhelmed by the HP camaraderie!

Rachel

[dadrienne_wash]

Oh Wow! - One of my 14 yr. old's favorite expressions. I'm a long time fan of Harry Potter and J.K. Rowling. Picked up the first book in paperback on sale at K&B Toys back in September 2000. It was super cheap - around $4.50. My kid was only 8 yrs. old. I read the book first, enjoyed it so much asked her if she wanted me to read it to her before bed. And that's how we got started on our Harry Potter Adventure.

By the time Order of the Phoenix was published she was reading Harry to herself at night. But we have had a ball through every book release and movie. She complained through the Goblet of Fire Movie - too much of the book story line left out for her liking.

We went to see Order of the Phoenix Thursday nite - She was satisfied -(plus I threatened punishment if she talked and complained through this one like the last.

We are eagerly awaiting the release of the 7th and final book. J.K. Rowling has become one of my literary heroes. I want to be just like her when I grow up!!!
But when I read the news article about her finishing the book and her comments on the process and her reaction I have to quote the famous Star Wars line - "I have a bad feeling about this".......

Whatever the case, we will be in line waiting to purchase our reserved copy/copies Friday night at stroke of Midnight.

[iheartbooks]

harry potter is and forever will be a legend and an american custom. especially now that they are building that amusement park which will open i believe in late 2009 (cant wait!). well it seems like harry potter has reached people from all over the world and given them some common ground. i find myself talking to complete strangers about the past books and the upcoming book. i speak for anyone when i say that when i finish book 7 i cant even imagine what im going to do. most probaly cry. maybe read all 7 again. all i can say is that harry potter will never die because we wont let it. we will keep it going to our grandchildren. and our granchildren will then live on the legend to their grandchildren, until maybe millions of years from now these books will be found & who knows? maybe they will decide that they are the modern bibles & everyone will worship them as a religion. maybe the book that we now so call "the bible" was once merely a top selling fiction book. :/

[iheartbooks]

i think im going to have to be put in a mental house when i finish the seventh book. that or ill go through severe depression. has anyone ever thought that people might take harry potter so seriously that someone is going to like commit suicide or something after the 7 book? i wouldnt be surprised to see something like that happen. neither would i blame them. such an addiction isnt healthy.

[ConnieAnnKirk]

That's why it's healthy to remember: a.) that these are "only" books, however beloved they may be, and b.) there are many, many other books out there that other people love just as much as Harry Potter. Keeping things in perspective on this is very important! Also, fans should be sure to reach out and not isolate themselves when they feeling bad.

~ConnieK, 5 days

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iheartbooks wrote:
i think im going to have to be put in a mental house when i finish the seventh book. that or ill go through severe depression. has anyone ever thought that people might take harry potter so seriously that someone is going to like commit suicide or something after the 7 book? i wouldnt be surprised to see something like that happen. neither would i blame them. such an addiction isnt healthy.

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[Mrsdev]

I became interested in the HP books when one of my grandsons started to read them. We are avid readers and I borrowed the first one from him and was instantly hooked. I immediately purchased my own copy and have each one of the series. To say that they appeal to some older readers is an understatement! I've been to the midnight book parties the past two years and am eagerly awaiting Friday's party and you would be amazed to see the number of older people who are dressed in capes and hats and are just as committed to the books as the younger readers. I am 74 and I have reread the books numerous times and will continue to do so. As one of your other writers said, the books deal with all of the relevent social issues of the day and reinforce the positive values we all strive for. My grandsons and I have long discussions about the books and the possible outcome and the ineractions with them are priceless to me. My daughter also reads the books and the four of us go to the book parties together. We also buy 4 books because they each have their own copy. I too will be sad that this is the last book in the series and I hope J.K. Rowling will continue to provide us with entertaining reading in the future. I'm glad I was here to participate in this event and my grandsons, who right now are 13 and 19, will, in years to come, talk about how they read all the books along with their mother and grandmother and were all a part of an unique happening!

[KaylaK1986]

I have grown up with Harry Potter and his friends. I was a 6th grader when I read the first book and am now a sophomore in college and still love reading all of the HP books. I could not understand it when people would tell me they started to read the books and then quit because they "just couldn't get into it." I even convinced my grandmother to read the first book and now she is just as excited about the last book as I am. We have spent long afternoons discussing the book we currently were reading and speculating on what was to come. I know it will be a bittersweet day when I receive the 7th and final HP book (which I preordered in February, none the less!). I cannot wait to find out what happened but at the same time, I don't really want it to end. At least there will be two more movies to look forward to (although they are nowhere near the caliber of the books). I look forward to the day when I can pass my collection of Harry Potter novels onto my children and grandchildren. I only hope they can appreciate them as much as I have for almost 10 years and will for many years to come.

[Ginnyweaslyfan]

These books are awesome. IF i find myself sad Harry cheers me up. When im bored, I can reread one of the books and be completely absorbed. My mom finds that annoying. I can watch the movies over and over again even after ive memorized them. I would go crazy if i never could find out what happens.

[harmony_jam07]

Absolutely I do. Before I convinced a few of my friends to read the beloved series, whenever I would tie my thoughts to HP, they would roll their eyes.
But now, thankfully, they are all obsessed like me, so we can roll our eyes at others! =D

[OPHermione]

At the end of HPDH i was completely sobbing not only because of Dumbledore's honesty and Harry's will to die for everyone else, i was crying simply because this was the last book in the Harry Potter Story. When I finished the book i gave the book to my dad who wanted to read it and told him i would read the Harry Potter Story one last time before stopping my long lived obsession. I had given up some of my obsession after the 5th grade and realized after i had finished reading this last book that i was always in love with Hogwarts and the rest of the wizarding world...

LONG LIVE HARRY POTTER!!!!!

[OPHermione]

Me too
my dad cant stand how i reread and reread the HP books when ever a new movie or book comes out. Or how i just read the books just for fun. He asks me if i ever get tired of them. I say NO!!

[MikeNM]

I had a similar reaction.

I hope these books remain popular as time goes on. I hope a LotR like following develops around it, so that people like us will always be able to find others who are still thinking about the books.

[RyRob813]

I think people will always be thinking about these books, I know I will for one.

Like millions of others, I've literally grown up with Harry Potter. I was a few years younger than the three main characters of the books when they first came out and I became interested, and as the gaps betweeen books began occuring, it ended up that Harry and the gang were 17 in the final book, as I am. Nerdy as it is, it's literally like they've been friends to me that I've grown up with. No matter what point I was at in my life, or what other interests I had at the time, Harry Potter has always outlived everything else, and I'll continue to keep rereading the books forever. They have changed my life.

Like many of the posters above me, I have wet marks all over the last 50 pages of my copy of Deathly Hallows, I just cried my eyes out the whole way through the end of the book. It's just wonderful to know everyone else feels so strongly about this story as I do.

And hey, the story is not over! Although the books are completed, there are still countless generations to come who will read the books, and feel the same amount of excitement and amazment as we all did as kids growing up reading the books, so the magic will never cease!