Mental Meanderings

Harry Potter

Well I've finally done it! I'd read the first 5 Harry Potter books back when they each came out and while I don't think Joanna Rowling started off as a very good writer she had an excellent story to tell. I think the popularity of the novels which allowed her to gain experience from the director and script writers of the movies has really improved her own writing. It gives me hope that I too can become a great author rather than just a good one if the stories are great.

I'm glad I read the first five again before starting number six because all the details were fresh on my mind. Important things happen through each of the books that have a serious effect on the books that follow and I have to admit I'm not too pleased about now having to wait for her to write and publish number seven. I'm also wondering how she's going to wrap number seven up because of the major events that ended number six.

I think these books are great for all readers big and small, young and old. Especially writers will benifit by reading her earlier novels and comparing them with the skill she begins to develop the more she writes. In her earlier novels there is a lot more fluff and the more she writes the more adept she's become at cutting the nonsense stuff out. I think she also increased her target audience. The first two novels are definately written for the primary school age and the immature authorship reflects that. As she writes further and further into the story the language while still being great for kids is also a lot less immature for adults. Then again perhaps this has a lot to do with characters. Each book is another year of development of teenage characters and obviously due to the events in each book they are growing up very fast.

I had wonderful momentum on reading these books. I got the first five last week and read a book a day. The first three books are smaller than the last two so I could read them in a few hours (about 5) but the last two are fairly monsterous. It took me more like 20 hours (burn the candle both ends to finish it) to read number five and yesterday it took me 13 hours to read number six cover to cover. This week has focus on reading those books which is why I haven't been online much, particularly this weekend. Spent two days mostly in bed reading while keeping an ear on the kids and getting up a couple of times to get them meals.

But now it's done. Got at least a year I'd think until the next one is out and number fours movie shouldn't be too much longer in the coming. Now it's time to return to normal life although I must admit I'm inspired into getting back to my novel. I need to edit it and I haven't really started. Been too perfectionist and I'm terrified that it's no good. But having seen the growth Rowling shows as a writer from one book to the next I think the most important thing is getting it written. If this books not great, it's only my first and I'm sure to improve.

So, onward and upward and everyone go out and read the six Harry Potter books (Oh! and keep tissues on hand, you'll get attached to these characters and you'll need them. )