Why I Continue To Be a Harry Potter Fan

(This one’s been lying in the drafts for ages. Inspired by Unmana’s post, I’m publishing it now )

I am one of those people who shed a tear when a good thing comes to an end. Maybe the tears are not visible, but the eyes do mist up and the heart grows heavy. I feel like that when a particularly awesome ride in an amusement park comes to an end. I feel it when I return home after a long journey. I feel it when I lick off the remnants of a black forest pastry from my fingers   . I also feel it when a book series comes to an end.

I felt similarly heavy-hearted when I read the last installment of the Harry Potter Series – The Deathly Hallows. The end, though a happy one, left me feeling empty, aching for more, but aware that there were no new Harry Potter books to look forward to . The movies brought some respite though. I have watched ALL the Harry Potter movies and have LOVED them like none other (The LOTR series comes a very close second though) . I even watched the Part-1 of Deathly Hallows all by myself .

(On an aside, there was this rather peculiar fake HP -Deathly Hallows e-book that released before the actual book. A friend had forwarded that e-book to me , since she knows I am a HP fan . Has anyone else read it? Though the book had a serious tone, the crux of it was that Harry had to battle the biggest villain of all, his libido *snigger* . If you ever get it, please don’t read it! Its pathetic )

I saw Deathly Hallows Part-2 with good friend from work, SK. Though not a Harry Potter fan herself, she was kind enough to indulge me and give me company throughout. Needless to say, I loved it, albeit I had my reservations about some of the cuts. I know its impossible to consider all the characters while making the movie, but somehow, I was a little unhappy that some of the characters and instances from the book were missed out in the movie

Clearly, I’m a Harry Potter fan. Not the kind who would queue up at 5 AM to buy the book, but definitely one who picks up the book whenever I have time to spare. I can pick it up and randomly flip to any page and start reading. Believe me, the books are so enjoyable, that I never know what I’ve missed. Frankly, what draws me to Harry Potter is not the story itself. I really couldn’t care two hoots for Harry. What draws me to it intensely is the writing. The style, the subtle humour, the charm,  the clever, CLEVER word play!! I can never get enough of it .

Talking of wordplay, I’ve been collecting all the little witty names, titles which fill me with mirth while reading it. I’ve compiled a sample list. Fellow HP fans are welcome to add to it.

• Knockturn Alley = a play on the word “nocturnally”.
• Mirror of Erised: the inscription reads “‘Erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi” which is ”I show not your face but your heart’s desire” if spelled backwards and the spacing changed.
• Knight Bus: a Knight that comes to the rescue in the night
• Pensieve = a play on ”pensive” and “sieve”
• Diagon Alley = diagonally
• Number 12, Grimmauld Place  =  a pun “grim old place”
• Grawp = grow-up?!
• Slytherin = short of Slythering, the movement of snakes.
• Severus Snape = Severe Snake?!
• Serius Black = Serious?
• Weasley = a play on Measly with the ‘M’ upturned (also, the financial status of the Weasleys).
• Quirrell = A person whose physical characteristics mirrored that of a Squirrel.
• Umbridge = A play on Umbrage (resentment, indignation)
• Prof Sprout = one who grows plants
• Kreacher = creature!
• Squib = a firecracker that burns but doesn’t explode…or a born magician who cant do magic
• Narcissa = narcissist? one who loves self
• Firenze = Friends?

There are many, many more….I would say, if you haven’t read the book already, its time you did . Read it to see how many puns and word plays you ‘get’ .

Also, there’s a wealth of different tracks you can follow on the HP series. There’s women power , there’s fight against racial discrimination, there are fantasy animals,  there is the moralistic tale of friendship, loyalty and love. I believe it has everything for everyone…you just need the drive to read the books or the patience to sit through the movies. For me, it was worth it . I now await the movies to come out on DVD after which, I plan to buy the entire box set – The movies as well as the books (I’ll be honest here and confess that I’m actually waiting for the prices to come down . Can’t help it…..good things are expensive   )

If you are a HP fan, chip in and let me know what you like best (Unmana, darling, you needn’t bother. You’ve already got me hooked to your HP posts! I gobble them as though having breakfast )

I'm one of them





Note: Images sourced from Google images.

About these ads