By KATIE KIERSTEAD
Arts Editor
I have a confession, I’ve never read the Harry Potter books.
But wait! I skipped school in fourth grade to see the Prisoner of Azkaban movie the day it came out, I’ve taken online quizzes that told me what house I’m in, (Hufflepuff pride!), I’ve even been to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios and had a few sips of butterbeer. I’ve participated in the culture that surrounds this legendary serie, but I’ve never read the books. I know, I’m not a real fan. The books are way better than the movies, they say.
Let me amend my confession. At age 20, I am just beginning to read the Harry Potter books.
When sickness struck me last week, I decided I should read something uplifting instead of just staring at my phone all day. I peered at the neglected bookshelf in my room, housing all of the Harry Potter books. I picked up the first one with excitement.
As of the time I’m writing this, I’ve made it about halfway through the first book, “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone”, only to find that my approach in reading the series is severely tainted.
Since I’ve already seen all the movies, my imagination can’t put new faces to familiar names. Hard as I try, I cannot separate Hagrid or Hermione or Harry or anybody from the actors that play the characters in the films. The vast landscapes and quaint locations have already been drawn out for me by animators. All of the creative work has been done for me. My first read is influenced entirely by what I have already seen on screen.
Is this a bad thing?
I almost wish I could erase all the preconceptions of the series and its characters from my mind so I could experience the magic all by myself for the first time. It feels redundant and pointless to have seen the movies and just now start reading the books; it’s the same story, right?
Maybe the reason I’m reading the books, besides curing my boredom, is to culture myself and see exactly where this phenomenon originated and how it grew into what it is today. Pop culture is a way for people to connect, and this series has become common knowledge to my generation. I don’t want to be the only person I know that hasn’t read the Harry Potter books.
There is still some benefit to reading the books after seeing the movies. I get to deepen my understanding of what I already know exactly as the author intended it. There might be more downsides to doing it backwards, though. My imagination is, for the most part, hindered when it comes to visualizing places or people because it feels near impossible to ignore the movie portrayals and replace them with my own interpretations.
I regret not reading the books sooner when they were first coming out. I was a better reader when I was younger, anyway! I would have probably become obsessed with the series in my pre-teen years, perhaps leading me to read more series in the same literary vein. In truth, I stopped reading for fun once I got to high school because my English classes made me hate books. Now, ironically, I work at Barnes & Noble, so I have no excuse for not reading enough.
All in all, I am enjoying reading the magical fantasy series, despite hopping on the train (figuratively) a bit late. It’s a fantastic escape from reality. I will make sure to organize a marathon of all the movies after I finish the books, because there’s never too much Harry Potter.
