How is it that the Harry Potter series, stories by an unknown Scottish author written both about and for young adolescents, turned into the current phenomenon that is taking the United Kingdom and the United States by storm?
Although the answer is a combination of a variety of factors, the most basic response is that the stories feature a universally appealing hero who resides in an intriguing world of wizards and magic.
Now that J.K. Rowling's three books, "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone," "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets" and "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban" have been comfortably ensconced on the New York Times Bestseller list for many weeks, they have made enough of a name for themselves that readers are flocking to them regardless of age or gender.
This is not surprising; it is a treat for anyone to get blissfully lost in the exploits of Harry and his closest friends Ron and Hermione as they leave the land of the Muggles (ordinary people such as ourselves who are not witches or wizards and deny the existence of magic) and embark on their six-year career at the prestigious Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
When we meet him in "The Sorcerer's Stone," 11-year-old Harry is leading a miserable life with his aunt, uncle and cousin who seem to have nothing better to do than entertain their own gluttony and force Harry to reside in a spider-infested broom closet.
Who can resist cheering when he is rescued by the friendly giant Hagrid and swept off to the mysterious Platform Nine-and-Three-Quarters (invisible to Muggles) at a busy London train station, where he catches the Hogwarts Express to his new school? Or, better yet, in "The Chamber of Secrets" when he and pal Ron steal Ron's family car and fly it to school (to the confusion of many in the English countryside) for a rowdy start to their second year?
The important question, however, is not why these well-written, fanciful, and entertaining tales are irresistible, but how they were initially able to gain the worldwide recognition that has put them in the hands of so many. That adolescent boys are not the most avid readers is common knowledge, but these books--seemingly targeted at them-- are spanning the globe.
Perhaps there haven't been all that many good books aimed at boys until now. The kid's action genre has long been suffering at the hands of such rudimentary collections as the "Choose Your Own Adventure" series. Finally, Rowling has fed young boys something closer to a homestyle breakfast of eggs, bacon and fresh-squeezed orange juice than to Sunny Delight and Cookie Crisps. This improved version is wolfed down, enjoyed and shared.
As a result, girls of similar age hear about the books. A look at the infinite quantity of fiction from the Sweet Valley high series to their even more pathetic late-'90s successors indicates there is an acknowledged market among this genre. But certainly girls must be tired of reading about others just like themselves doing the same things they do. Thus, the enchanting story of Harry Potter (featuring a female, Hermione, as one of the three main characters) is immediately the new commodity for this established lucrative faction.
These are possible explanations for what got them started on their world-wide spread, but it can be left to the books themselves to stand as argument for what keeps the momentum going. The third book, "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban," was released in the US three weeks ago, and bookstores and internet warehouses such as Amazon.com are having difficulty matching the huge demand for it, or any of the other books in the series. After all, it took "Azkaban's" arrival to displace the first and second books from their spot at number one and two on the New York Times Fiction Bestseller list.
Each book describes the day-to-day routines and one climactic adventure that Harry and his friends share for each year they are students at Hogwarts. The series will be completed in seven books, and the fourth is due out in the United Kingdom early next summer and in the United States by September of 2000.
Those who still have the entire series ahead to relish are in an enviable position. However, here are some facts and rumors concerning the upcoming sequels for those who have already read the released books to enjoy.
In Book Four, Harry and his friends will be 14 years old. Harry may have romantic feelings for the first time and Hermione will get her first date. The evil wizard who killed Harry's parents, Voldemort, will kill multiple characters.
In Book Five, Harry will be 15, and 16 in Book Six. Book Seven will complete the series and see Harry graduate Hogwarts as a full-fledged wizard. The rumor mill hints that the final word in the final book of the series will be "scar."
To those eagerly anticipating the arrival of the newest books, rereading the old ones is a rewarding experience. And to those who have not sampled them yet, doing so is a must.
