So this week I completed a project of sorts that I've been working on for the last eight or nine months: listening to all seven Harry Potter books on CD.
Yes, I have read them before, and yes I mostly remember all of the story lines. But you can't beat Jim Dale's fabulous narration of the books, complete with different sounding voices for every character. He won a well-deserved award for those performances.
It's been a very long time since I'd read the first two, so it started with me wanting to remember those stories first. The third book is my favorite, so of course I had to continue on to that. And then I needed to read the fourth book too, a pivotal part of the series. The fifth book is always hard for me because it's my least favorite. In fact, I kind of hate it. It's so dark and so many bad things happen throughout that I've never enjoyed it. In fact, that book took me the longest to finish in the car (two months) because I had to stop listening for awhile. Eventually I convinced myself to persist and finished it, so I could then move onto the sixth and seventh books, which contain (drum roll, please) the resolution to the series.
This week I finally finished the seventh book. I don't know whether to feel relieved or disappointed. I suppose that if I want to catch a taste of Harry's magical world that I can always read "The Tales of Beedle the Bard" which I've owned for a couple of years and somehow have never read. . . And really I have a good picture in my mind of how things turn out because of the epilogue in book 7. Lots of people hate it, but I think it's a nice finishing touch for the story and helps those who would clamour for more Harry to feel satisfied.
I must say that I'm impressed with so many things about the series. For example, I have to admire J.K. Rowling for the sheer number of character she continues throughout the series. Literally hundreds of characters from book 1 all the way through 7. So impressive! I love the way the plot lines build and the quality of the story. I love the characterization and watching the characters grow. I love her portrayal of Harry in book 5 as such a clueless teenage boy! So great!
I think what I love the most is discovering just how much I still love the series even years after I first read it. I'm sure these books will be classics for years to come. And I must say that I think they deserve it.
Showing posts with label Harry Potter. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Harry Potter. Show all posts
Friday, August 13, 2010
Sunday, July 19, 2009
How in the World Could this Be?
Oh my goodness! I have something exciting to report. The seemingly impossible has happened! No, it doesn't have anything to do with dating or marriage. Sorry for anyone who thought I was making a big announcement through my blog. I'm actually writing to tell you that I saw the sixth Harry Potter movie on Saturday (gasp!) and I actually liked it!!
I should clarify so you know why this is so significant. I am a huge fan of the Harry Potter books. I was first introduced to them back in the day when only the first three had been released. Like millions of other fans around the world, I waited in anticipation for 4, 5, 6 and, finally, 7. And I was not disappointed with how it all turned out. J.K. Rowling did a masterful job of crafting the series and Jim Dale does a fabulous job with the narration on the CDs. The problem is that I have been less than impressed with the movie adaptations. The first one just felt rushed because it felt like they tried to squeeze every bit into it so fans would be pleased. I liked the second movie well enough, but I was disappointed with the third through fifth movies.
When a friend and I decided we wanted to get together on Saturday and that our get together should involve seeing Harry Potter, I felt only lukewarm about it. I wanted to see it because I like to know what the hype is about, but now I'm glad I did because the movie was great!
For anyone who's not familiar with the Harry Potter storyline, the sixth book involves Harry working with Dumbledore to piece together Tom Riddle's life before he became Lord Voldemort, so he will know how to defeat him. It also deals with teenage angst over relationships, especially liking someone else when they seem to be interested in someone else. I'm not going to give away the end here, but the book ends sadly, especially as it was setting things up for the seventh book.
This was hands down the best movie adaptation of any of the books! I was impressed with the way they managed to incorporate most of the important elements into the movie. They changed a few things, a couple of which I wasn't crazy about, but on the whole I was pleased with the movie! It has enough humor to balance out the darker parts of the film. The action is well supplemented with strong dialogue. And I thought the acting was great! The kids who play the main characters are starting to get older, but the only one who's looking dangerously close to being too old (as my very dear Speak pointed out) is Tom Felton, who plays Draco Malfoy. Even so he manages to pull it off.
Surprisingly enough, I would highly recommend Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. I know, shocking!
I should clarify so you know why this is so significant. I am a huge fan of the Harry Potter books. I was first introduced to them back in the day when only the first three had been released. Like millions of other fans around the world, I waited in anticipation for 4, 5, 6 and, finally, 7. And I was not disappointed with how it all turned out. J.K. Rowling did a masterful job of crafting the series and Jim Dale does a fabulous job with the narration on the CDs. The problem is that I have been less than impressed with the movie adaptations. The first one just felt rushed because it felt like they tried to squeeze every bit into it so fans would be pleased. I liked the second movie well enough, but I was disappointed with the third through fifth movies.
When a friend and I decided we wanted to get together on Saturday and that our get together should involve seeing Harry Potter, I felt only lukewarm about it. I wanted to see it because I like to know what the hype is about, but now I'm glad I did because the movie was great!
For anyone who's not familiar with the Harry Potter storyline, the sixth book involves Harry working with Dumbledore to piece together Tom Riddle's life before he became Lord Voldemort, so he will know how to defeat him. It also deals with teenage angst over relationships, especially liking someone else when they seem to be interested in someone else. I'm not going to give away the end here, but the book ends sadly, especially as it was setting things up for the seventh book.
This was hands down the best movie adaptation of any of the books! I was impressed with the way they managed to incorporate most of the important elements into the movie. They changed a few things, a couple of which I wasn't crazy about, but on the whole I was pleased with the movie! It has enough humor to balance out the darker parts of the film. The action is well supplemented with strong dialogue. And I thought the acting was great! The kids who play the main characters are starting to get older, but the only one who's looking dangerously close to being too old (as my very dear Speak pointed out) is Tom Felton, who plays Draco Malfoy. Even so he manages to pull it off.
Surprisingly enough, I would highly recommend Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. I know, shocking!
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