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Harry Potter
Country United Kingdom
Language English
Genre(s) Fantasy, Thriller , Bildungsroman
Publisher Bloomsbury Publishing, et al.
Publication date 26 June 1997 (first volume)
Media type Print (Hardback & Paperback)
Harry Potter is a series of seven fantasy novels by English author J. K.
Rowling about an adolescent boy named Harry Potter. The story is mostly set
at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, a school for young wizards,
and focuses on Harry Potter's fight against the evil wizard Lord Voldemort,
who killed Harry's parents as part of his plan to take over the wizarding
world.
Since the release of the first novel, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's
Stone (retitled Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone in the United States)
in 1997, the books have gained immense popularity, critical acclaim and
commercial success worldwide, spawning films, video games and assorted
merchandise. The six books published to date have collectively sold more
than 325 million copies[2] and have been translated into more than 63
languages.[3] The seventh and last book in the series, Harry Potter and the
Deathly Hallows is scheduled to be released on 21 July 2007.[4] Publishers
announced a record-breaking 12 million copies for the first print run in the
U.S. alone.[5]
The success of the novels has made Rowling the highest earning novelist in
literary history.[6] English language versions of the books are published by
Bloomsbury in the United Kingdom, Scholastic Press in the United States,
Allen & Unwin in Australia and Raincoast Books in Canada.
The first four books have been made into highly successful motion pictures
by Warner Bros. The fifth, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, began
filming in February 2006, and is scheduled for release on 11 July 2007.[7]
Origins and publishing history
In 1990, J. K. Rowling was on a crowded train from Manchester to London when
the idea for Harry simply "popped" into her head. Rowling gives an account
of the experience on her website saying:[8]
“ I had been writing almost continuously since the age of six but I had
never been so excited about an idea before. I simply sat and thought, for
four (delayed train) hours, and all the details bubbled up in my brain, and
this scrawny, black-haired, bespectacled boy who didn't know he was a wizard
became more and more real to me. ”
In 1995, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone was completed and the
manuscript was sent off to prospective agents. The second agent she tried,
Christopher Little, offered to represent her and sent the manuscript to
Bloomsbury. After eight other publishers had rejected Philosopher's Stone,
Bloomsbury offered Rowling a £3,000 advance for its publication.[9]
Despite Rowling's statement that she did not have any particular age group
in mind when she began to write the Harry Potter books, the publishers
initially targeted them at children age nine to eleven.[10] On the eve of
publishing, Joanne Rowling was asked by her publishers to adopt a more
gender-neutral pen name, in order to appeal to the male members of this age
group, fearing that they would not be interested in reading a novel they
knew to be written by a woman. She elected to use J. K. Rowling (Joanne
Kathleen Rowling), using her grandmother's name as her second name, because
she has no middle name.[11]
The first Harry Potter book was published in the United Kingdom by
Bloomsbury in July 1997 and in the United States by Scholastic in September
of 1998, but not before Rowling had received $105,000 for the American
rights – an unprecedented amount for a children's book by an unknown
author.[12] Fearing that American readers would either not understand the
word "philosopher" or not associate it with a magical theme (as a
Philosopher's Stone is alchemy-related), Scholastic insisted that the book
be given the title, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone for the American
market.
Word-of-mouth buzz, especially amongst young males, has been even more
important than positive media reviews and Rowling's publishers' marketing
strategies in the tremendous success of the series. This is
notable because for years, interest in literature among this group had
lagged behind other pursuits like video games and the Internet. Rowling's publishers were able to capitalise on this buzz by the
rapid, successive releases of the first four books that allowed neither
Rowling's audience's excitement nor interest to wane while she took a break
from writing between the release of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire and
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, and also quickly solidified a
loyal readership.[13] The series has also gathered adult fans, leading to
two editions of each Harry Potter book being released (in Canada and the
United Kingdom, not the United States), identical in text but with one
edition's cover artwork aimed at children and the other aimed at adults.[14]
Story
Plot summary
The story opens with the unrestrained celebration of a normally-secretive
wizarding world which for many years had been terrorised by Lord Voldemort.
The previous night, Voldemort had discovered the refuge of the hidden Potter
family, and killed Lily and James Potter. However, when he attempted to kill
Harry, the Avada Kedavra killing curse rebounded upon him, and Voldemort was
destroyed, becoming nothing more than a spirit: neither dead nor alive.
Harry, meanwhile, was left with a distinctive lightning bolt-shaped scar on
his forehead, the only physical sign of Voldemort's curse. Harry is the only
known survivor of the killing curse, and his mysterious defeat of Voldemort
results in him being dubbed "The Boy Who Lived" by the wizarding community.
The following night, a wizard (Hagrid) delivers Harry to what will be his
residence for many years afterward. The orphaned Harry is subsequently
raised by his cruel, non-magical relatives, the Dursleys, who, in an attempt
to rid him of his magical powers, hide his magical heritage and give him
severe punishments after any strange occurrences.
However, as his eleventh birthday approaches, Harry has his first contact
with the magical world when he receives letters from Hogwarts School of
Witchcraft and Wizardry, which are delivered by owls. The letters are taken
from him by his Uncle before he has a chance to read them. On his eleventh
birthday he is informed by Hagrid, the gamekeeper of Hogwarts, that he is in
fact a wizard and has been invited to attend the school. Each book
chronicles one year in Harry's life, which is mostly spent at Hogwarts,
where he learns to use magic and brew potions. Harry also learns to overcome
many magical, social, and emotional obstacles as he struggles through his
adolescence, Voldemort's rise to power, and the Ministry of Magic's constant
denials of Voldemort's return.
For a detailed synopsis of the novels, see the relevant article for each
book.
Universe
The wizarding world in which Harry finds himself is both utterly separate
from and yet intimately connected to our own world. While the fantasy world
of Narnia is an alternative universe and the Lord of the Rings’ Middle-earth
a mythic past, the wizarding world of Harry Potter exists alongside ours and
contains magical elements analogous to things in the non-magical world. Many
of its institutions and locations are in towns and cities, including London
for example, that are recognisable in the primary world. It possesses a
fragmented collection of hidden streets, overlooked and ancient pubs, lonely
country manors and secluded castles that remain invisible to the non-magical
population (known as "Muggles" e.g.: The Dursleys). Wizard ability is
inborn, rather than learned, although one must attend schools such as
Hogwarts in order to master and control it. However it is possible for
wizard parents to have children who are born with little or no magical
ability at all (known as "Squibs" e.g.: Mrs. Figg, Argus Filch). Since one
is either born a wizard or not, most wizards are unfamiliar with the Muggle
world, which appears stranger to them than their world does to us. The
magical world and its many fantastic elements are depicted in a
matter-of-fact way. This juxtaposition of the magical and the mundane is one
of the principal themes in the novels; the characters in the stories live
normal lives with "normal" problems, for all their magical surroundings.
Structure and genre
The novels are very much in the fantasy genre; however, in many respects
they are also a Bildungsroman, a novel of education, set in Hogwarts, a
British boarding school for wizards, where the curriculum includes the use
of magic. In this sense they are "in a direct line of descent from Thomas
Hughes's Tom Brown's School Days and other Victorian and Edwardian novels of
British public school life".[15] They are also, in the words of Stephen
King, a "shrewd mystery tale".[16], and each book is constructed in the
manner of a Sherlock Holmes-style mystery adventure; the books leave a
number of clues hidden in the narrative, while the characters pursue a
number of suspects through various exotic locations, leading to a twist
ending that often reverses what the characters had been led to believe. The
stories are told from a third person limited point of view; with very few
exceptions (such as the opening chapters of Goblet of Fire and Philosopher's
Stone and the first two chapters of Half-Blood Prince), the reader learns
the secrets of the story when Harry does. The thoughts and plans of other
characters, even central ones like Hermione and Ron, are kept hidden until
revealed to Harry.
The books tend to follow a very strict formula. Set over the course of
consecutive years, they each begin with Harry at home with the Dursleys in
the Muggle world, enduring their ill-treatment. Subsequently, Harry goes to
a specific magical location (Diagon Alley, the Weasleys' residence or Number
Twelve, Grimmauld Place) for a period before beginning school, which he
commences by boarding the school train at Platform 9¾. Once at school, new
or redefined characters take shape, and Harry overcomes new everyday school
issues, such as difficult essays, awkward crushes, and unsympathetic
teachers. The stories reach their climax near or just after final exams,
when Harry confronts either Voldemort or one of his Death Eaters. In the
aftermath, he learns important lessons through exposition and discussions
with Albus Dumbledore.
Recurrent elements
Blood purity
Wizards in general tend to view Muggles with a combination of condescension
and suspicion; however, for a few, this attitude has evolved into bigotry.
These characters tend to class those around them based on the number of
magical ancestors they had, with "pure-blood" wizards (those with an
entirely-magical bloodline) at the top of the hierarchy, "half-blood"
wizards in the middle (those with both wizard and Muggle ancestry), and "Muggle-borns"
(those with no magical ancestors) at the very bottom. Supporters of blood
purity believe pure-bloods should control the wizarding world, and don't
consider Muggle-borns real wizards. Some have even gone so far as to murder
them or demand that they should not be taught magic. Most
blood-purity-believers are pure-blood themselves, though it should be noted
that Voldemort, one of the most radical supporters of blood purity ever
known, is himself half-blood. Also, very few, if any, true "pure-blood"
families actually exist as many have intermarried into the Muggle-born
population to stop the families from dying out. Many of these families have
covered this up, however. One example of this is the removal of certain
members on the Black family tree.[HP5]
Owls
Owls are perhaps the most visible aspect of the Wizarding world. They appear
at the start of the first novel, presaging what is to come, and play a very
visible role in every novel following. They act as the principal form of
communication among wizards (somewhat like carrier pigeons) and also as
pets. Harry has a snowy owl named Hedwig.
Houses
Like most boarding schools, Hogwarts is divided into four separate houses,
named after the four Hogwarts founders, and students are sorted into their
respective houses at the start of their first year. They are Gryffindor,
named after Godric Gryffindor, which favours courage; Ravenclaw, named after
Rowena Ravenclaw, which favours cleverness; Hufflepuff, named after Helga
Hufflepuff, which favours fairness and loyalty; and Slytherin, named after
Salazar Slytherin, which favours ambition and Blood Purity (See above). Upon
arrival, Harry, along with his friend Ron, and Hermione, who would later be
their friend, are sorted into Gryffindor.[HP1]
Quidditch
A spectator sport in the Wizard world, played up in the air on brooms,
Quidditch is similar in style to polo and association football. Harry is a
great player at Hogwarts and has helped Gryffindor win a number of games.
Harry is the Seeker for his team whose role is to try to find and catch the
Golden Snitch.[HP1] The quidditch matches at Hogwarts were usually
commentated by Lee Jordan, until he graduated from school. J.K. Rowling has
stated that there will be no Quidditch matches in book 7, unlike all the
previous books.[17]
Themes
According to Rowling, a major theme in the series is the theme of death. She
says:[18]
“ My books are largely about death. They open with the death of Harry's
parents. There is Voldemort's obsession with conquering death and his quest
for immortality at any price, the goal of anyone with magic. I so understand
why Voldemort wants to conquer death. We're all frightened of it. ”
While the books could be said to comprise many other themes, such as love,
prejudice, and choice, they are, as J.K. Rowling states, "deeply entrenched
in the whole plot"; the writer prefers to let themes "grow organically",
rather than sitting down and consciously attempting to impart such ideas to
her readers.[19] Along the same lines is the ever-present theme of
adolescence, in whose depiction Rowling has been purposeful in acknowledging
her characters' sexualities and not leaving Harry, as she put it, "stuck in
a state of permanent pre-pubescence".[20]
J.K. Rowling says she is "left wing" and that there are a certain amount of
"political stuff" in Harry Potter, but that "every reader will bring his own
agenda to the book."[21]
Rowling said that to her, the moral significance of the tales seems
"blindingly obvious." The key for her was the choice between what is right
and what is easy, "because that, that is how tyranny is started, with people
being apathetic and taking the easy route and suddenly finding themselves in
deep trouble."[22]
Chronology
The books mainly avoid setting the story in a particular real year. However,
there are a few references which allow the books and various past events
mentioned in them to be assigned corresponding real years. In particular,
that Harry is born in 1980, and the first book commences 1991. A timeline
was first suggested by HP-Lexicon, and has since been confirmed by
publication of an official version on the DVDs of the films by Warner Bros.,
from comments by Rowling and by her separate donation of a copy of the Black
family tree to a charity auction.
Criticism and praise
Literary
Early in its history, Harry Potter received overwhelmingly positive reviews,
which helped the series to quickly grow a large readership. Upon its
publication, the first volume, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, was
given unanimous praise by most of Britiain's major newspapers: the Mail on
Sunday rated it as "the most imaginative debut since Roald Dahl"; a view
echoed by the Sunday Times ("comparisons to Dahl are, this time,
justified"), while The Guardian called it "a richly textured novel given
lift-off by an inventive wit" and The Scotsman said it had "all the makings
of a classic".[23] Following the 2003 release of Harry Potter and the Order
of the Phoenix however, the books received strong criticisms from a number
of distinguished authors and academics.
Yale professor and literary scholar and critic Harold Bloom raised pungent
critiques of the books' literary merits, saying “Rowling's mind is so
governed by clichés and dead metaphors that she has no other style of
writing." Moreover, Bloom disagreed with the common notion that Harry Potter
has been good for literature by encouraging children to read, contending
that "Harry Potter will not lead our children on to Kipling's Just So
Stories or his Jungle Book. It will not lead them to Thurber's Thirteen
Clocks or Kenneth Grahame's Wind in the Willows or Lewis Carroll's
Alice."[24]
In a widely quoted article in the Wall Street Journal (7/11/2000) Bloom says
Rowling's work appeals "to millions of reader non-readers because they sense
her wistful sincerity, and want to join her world, imaginary or not" in
their desire to feed "a vast hunger for unreality." Although this may not be
bad in itself, Bloom concedes, he also asks, "Why read, if what you read
will not enrich mind or spirit or personality?" He observes that "anything
goes" when, as now, "public judgment is no better and no worse than what is
proclaimed by the ideological cheerleaders who have so destroyed humanistic
study." So whereas Rowling's fans may always outnumber her detractors, Bloom
asks, "Can more than 35 million book buyers, and their offspring, be wrong?"
"Yes," he answers, "they have been, and will continue to be for as long as
they persevere with Potter."
A. S. Byatt authored a New York Times editorial calling Rowling's universe a
“secondary world, made up of intelligently patchworked derivative motifs
from all sorts of children's literature [...] written for people whose
imaginative lives are confined to TV cartoons, and the exaggerated (more
exciting, not threatening) mirror-worlds of soaps, reality TV and celebrity
gossip". Byatt went on to analyse the series' widespread appeal and
concluded that this "derivative manipulation of past motifs" is for adult
readers driven by a desire to regress to their "own childish desires and
hopes" and for younger readers, "the powerful working of the fantasy of
escape and empowerment, combined with the fact that the stories are
comfortable, funny, just frightening enough". The end result being the
levelling "of cultural studies, which are as interested in hype and
popularity as they are in literary merit".[25] Likewise, author Fay Weldon
took issue with the series saying that it was "not what the poets hoped for,
but this is not poetry, it is readable, saleable, everyday, useful
prose".[26]
Charles Taylor of Salon.com took issue with Byatt's criticisms in
particular. While he conceded that she may have "a valid cultural point – a
teeny one – about the impulses that drive us to reassuring pop trash and
away from the troubling complexities of art", he rejected her claims that
the series is lacking in serious literary merit and that it owes its success
merely to the childhood reassurances it offers; Taylor stressed the
progressively darker tone of the books, shown by the murder of a classmate
and close friend and the resulting psychological wounds and social isolation
each causes. Taylor also pointed out that Philosopher's Stone, said to be
the most lighthearted of the six published books, disrupts the childhood
reassurances that Byatt claims spurs the series' success: the book opens
with news of a double murder, for example. Taylor specifically cites "the
devastating scene where Harry encounters a mirror that reveals the heart's
truest desire and, looking into it, sees himself happy and smiling with the
parents he never knew, a vision that lasts only as long as he looks into the
glass, and a metaphor for how fleeting our moments of real happiness are",
then asks rhetorically if "this is Byatt's idea of reassurance?" Taylor
concludes that Rowling's success among children and adults is "because J.K.
Rowling is a master of narrative".[27]
Stephen King agreed with Taylor calling the series "a feat of which only a
superior imagination is capable", along with declaring "Rowling's punning,
one-eyebrow-cocked sense of humour" to be "remarkable". However, he does
write that despite the story being "a good one", he is "a little tired of
discovering Harry at home with his horrible aunt and uncle", the formulaic
beginning of each of the six books published to date.[16] King has also
joked that "[Rowling]'s never met an adverb she didn't like!" He does
however predict that Harry Potter "will indeed stand time's test and wind up
on a shelf where only the best are kept; I think Harry will take his place
with Alice, Huck, Frodo, and Dorothy and this is one series not just for the
decade, but for the ages."[28]
A Telegraph review of the most recent book and the series as a whole
observed that Rowling's success was entirely self-made and not due to hype
of her books by the publishing world, which has instead followed in her
wake. [29]
Feminist
Yet another vein of criticism comes from some feminist circles, Christine
Schoefer prominent among them, who contended that the novels are patriarchal
and chauvinistic. According to Schoefer the series presents a world filled
with stereotypes and adherence to "the conventional assumption that men do
and should run the world." Schoefer cites Harry's courage in dangerous
situations in contrast to Hermione's apparent emotional frailty when
confronting the same, along with her need for Harry and Ron's approval.
Similarly, she contrasts the female Professor McGonagall and her similar
frailty under stress compared to the composed and farsighted Dumbledore. In
addition to this is the attachment of fraud to females (Professor Trelawney,
Professor Umbridge), immaturity (constantly giggling, naïve and catty school
girls), and a general lack of daring, bold heroines.[30]
Of conservative/liberal values
The critic Anthony Holden wrote in The Observer on his experience of judging
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban for the 1999 Whitbread Awards. His
overall view of the series was very negative – "the Potter saga was
essentially patronising, very conservative, highly derivative, dispiritingly
nostalgic for a bygone Britain" and adds that "several of the Whitbread
judges agreed with me".[31]
However, conservative groups such as the John Birch Society, whose articles
are referenced by Rowling's Christian opponents, have criticised her for
supposed liberal/socialist bent and for her admiration for "unrepentant
socialist and death-fetishist extraordinaire" Jessica Mitford, who has been
her heroine since the age of 14.[32] "The Potter books read in places like
diatribes against the modern middle class, especially whenever Harry
confronts his ludicrously dysfunctional and downright abusive adopted
family, the Dursleys."[33]
According to liberal writer Mike Hersch, the books' heroes "defy adults,
break rules, and exemplify bold courage in the face of oppressive authority.
Their "subversive" attitudes refute rigid right wing dogma....This is the
right wing's worst nightmare, because right wingers see the world –
especially morality – in stark, simplistic black and white."[34]
Controversy
The series has faced a number of controversies. The books have been the
subject of a number of legal proceedings, largely stemming either from
claims by the American religious groups that the magic in the books promotes
witchcraft among children, or from various conflicts over copyright and
trademark infringements. The books' immense popularity and high market value
has led Rowling, her publishers, and film distributor Warner Bros. to take
legal measures to protect their copyright, which have included banning the
sale of Harry Potter imitations, targeting the owners of websites over the
"Harry Potter" domain name, and suing author Nancy Stouffer for claiming
Rowling had plagiarised her work.
Awards and honours
J.K. Rowling and the Harry Potter series have been the recipients of a host
of awards since the initial publication of Philosopher's Stone including
four Whitaker Platinum Book Awards (all of which were awarded in 2001),
three Nestlé Smarties Book Prizes (1997-1999), two Scottish Arts Council
Book Awards (1999 and 2001), the inaugural Whitbread children's book of the
year award, (1999), the WHSmith book of the year (2006), among others. In
2000 Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban was nominated for Best Novel
in the Hugo Awards while in 2001 Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire won
said award. Honours include a commendation for the Carnegie Medal (1997), a
shortlisting for the Guardian Children's Award (1998), and numerous listings
on the notable books, editors' Choices, and best books lists of the American
Library Association, New York Times, Chicago Public Library, and Publishers
Weekly.[35]
Commercial success
The popularity of the Harry Potter series has translated into substantial
financial success for Rowling, her publishers, and other Harry Potter
related license holders. The books have sold over 325 million copies
worldwide and have also given rise to the popular film adaptations produced
by Warner Bros., all of which have been successful in their own right with
the first, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, ranking number four on
the list of all-time highest grossing films and the other three Harry Potter
films each ranking in the top 20.[36] The films have in turn spawned five
video games and have in conjunction with them led to the licensing of over
400 additional Harry Potter products (including an iPod) that have, as of
July 2005, made the Harry Potter brand worth an estimated 4 billion dollars
and J.K. Rowling a US dollar billionaire, making her, by some reports,
richer than Queen Elizabeth II.[37][38]
On 2007 April 12, Barnes & Noble declared that Deathly Hallows has broken
its preorder record, with over 500,000 copies preordered through its
site.[39]
Translations
The series is popular around the world in its more than 63 translations. The
first translation was into American English, as many words and concepts used
by the characters in the novels would have been incomprehensible or
misleading to a young American audience. Subsequently the books have seen
translations in languages as diverse as Ukrainian, Hindi, Welsh and
Vietnamese. The first volume has been translated into Latin, Irish and even
Ancient Greek,[40] making it the longest published work in that language
since the novels of Heliodorus of Emesa in the 3rd century AD.[41]
The high profile and huge public demand for a decent local translation means
that a great deal of care is often taken in the task; the Russian
translation of the series' fifth book, Harry Potter and the Order of the
Phoenix, was overseen by Viktor Golyshev, previously best known for
translating William Faulkner and George Orwell.[42] The Turkish translation
of books two to five was undertaken by Sevin Okyay, a popular literary
critic and cultural commentator.[43] Of necessity, these translations take
longer to reach their audience than the English editions, and this often
leads to large numbers of the English books being sold in non-English
speaking countries. Such was the global clamour to read the fifth book that
its English language edition became the first English-language book ever to
top the bookseller list in France.[14] In some countries, pirated
translations of the books are often published ahead of the official
versions,[44] while in others, such as Sri Lanka, pirated translations are
the only versions available in local languages.[45]
Cultural impact
Since the publishing of Philosopher's Stone a number of societal trends have
been attributed to the series.
The most notable trend attributed to Harry Potter has been an increase in
literacy among the young. Anecdotal evidence suggesting such an increase was
seemingly confirmed in 2006 when the Kids and Family Reading Report (in
conjunction with Scholastic) released a survey finding that 51% of Harry
Potter readers ages 5-17 said that while they did not read books for fun
before they started reading Harry Potter, they now did. The study further
reported that according to 65% of children and 76% of parents, they or their
children's performance in school improved since they started reading the
series.[46] Charlie Griffiths, director of the National Literacy
Association, said "Anyone who can persuade children to read should be
treasured and what [Rowling has] given us in Harry Potter is little short of
miraculous."[47] British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, a long time fan, said,
"I think JK Rowling has done more for literacy around the world than any
single human being."[48][49]
In 2005, doctors at the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford reported that
their research of the weekends of Saturday 21 June 2003 and Saturday 16 July
2005 (the dates of the two most recent book releases of the series) found
that only 36 children needed emergency medical assistance for injuries
sustained in accidents, as opposed to other weekends' average of 67.[50]
Notable also is the development of a massive following of fans. So eager
were these fans for the latest series release that book stores around the
world began holding events to coincide with the midnight release of the
books, beginning with the 2000 publication of Harry Potter and the Goblet of
Fire. The events, commonly featuring mock sorting, games, face painting, and
other live entertainment have achieved popularity with Potter fans and have
been incredibly successful at attracting fans and selling books with nearly
nine million of the 10.8 million initial print copies of Harry Potter and
the Half-Blood Prince sold in the first 24 hours.[51][52] Among this large
base of fans are a minority of "super-fans", similar to the trekkies of the
Star Trek fandom. Besides meeting online through blogs, podcasts, and
fansites, Harry Potter super-fans can also meet at Harry Potter symposiums.
These events draw people from around the world to attend lectures,
discussions and a host of other Potter themed activities.
The Harry Potter books have inspired the "Wizard Rock" movement, where a
number of bands were formed whose names, image and song lyrics relate to the
Harry Potter world. Examples include Harry and the Potters and The Cruciatus
Curse.
Harry Potter has also brought changes in the publishing world, one of the
most noted being the reformation of the New York Times Best Seller list. The
change came immediately preceding the release of Goblet of Fire in 2000 when
publishers complained of the number of slots on the list being held by Harry
Potter and other children's books. The Times subsequently created a separate
children's list for Harry Potter and other children's literature.[53]
The word muggle has spread beyond its Harry Potter origins, used by many
groups to indicate those who are not in the know or are lacking in some
skill. In 2003, "muggle", entered the Oxford English Dictionary with that
definition.[54]
Future
There are currently three more Harry Potter films yet to be released. The
fifth film, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, is due to be released
in cinemas on July 11, 2007, and the sixth film, Harry Potter and the
Half-Blood Prince, is due to be released in November 2008.
In December 2005, Rowling stated on her web site that "2006 will be the year
when I write the final book in the Harry Potter series." Updates have since
followed in her online diary chronicling the progress of Harry Potter and
the Deathly Hallows, with the release date of July 21, 2007.
The book itself had been finished on January 11, 2007 in the Balmoral Hotel,
Edinburgh, where she scrawled a message on the back of a bust of Hermes. It
read: “JK Rowling finished writing Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows in
this room (652) on 11 January 2007.”[55]
Rowling herself has stated that the last chapter of the seventh book was
completed some time ago, before writing the third book. According to her,
the last word in the book is "scar",[56] but she has since stated that this
could change.[57]
In June 2006, Rowling, on an appearance on the British talk show Richard &
Judy, announced that the chapter had been modified as one character "got a
reprieve" and two others who previously survived the story had in fact been
killed. She also said she could see the logic in killing off Harry in order
to stop other writers from writing books about Harry's life after
Hogwarts.[58]
On 28 March 2007, the cover art for the Bloomsbury Adult and Child versions
and the Scholastic version were released.[59]
Regarding the existence of Harry Potter novels beyond the seventh, Rowling
has said that she might write another book some day, but it will not
continue the life of Harry and his friends. If she does, she intends it to
be a sort of encyclopaedia of the wizarding world, containing concepts and
snippets of information that were not relevant enough to the novels' plots
to be included in them. Any future Harry Potter books, she said, would also
be written for charity, just as Quidditch Through the Ages and Fantastic
Beasts and Where to Find Them were.[60] She has also said that she will not
write any sort of prequel to the novels, since by the time the series ends
all the necessary back story will have been revealed.[61]
Theme park
On 31 May 2007 Warner Bros., Universal Studios and Leavesden Studios
announced that a Harry Potter area will be built in Orlando, Florida at
Universal Orlando's Islands of Adventure.[62] The announcement described
"The Wizarding World of Harry Potter" as "the world's first immersive Harry
Potter themed environment." According to the Warner Bros. press release, the
section is "Expected to open in late 2009. The new environment will feature
immersive rides and interactive attractions, as well as experiential shops
and restaurants that will enable guests to sample fare from the wizarding
world’s best known establishments. Also debuting will be a state-of-the-art
attraction that will bring the magic, characters and stories of Harry Potter
to life in an exciting way that guests have never before experienced."[63]
In an online announcement it was revealed that plans have been in place for
over a year and a half; with contributions from J.K. Rowling and Stuart
Craig[62]
Series
1. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (June 26, 1997) (titled Harry
Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone in the United States)
2. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (July 2, 1998)
3. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (July 8, 1999)
4. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (July 8, 2000)
5. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (June 21, 2003)
6. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (July 16, 2005)
7. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Scheduled for July 21, 2007)
* All seven books in the series have an audiobook format. The UK editions
are performed by Stephen Fry, while the American versions are performed by
Jim Dale.
Supplementary books
* Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (2001)
* Quidditch Through the Ages (2001)
Other media
Films
* Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (November 16, 2001)
* Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (November 15, 2002)
* Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (June 4, 2004)
* Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (November 18, 2005)
* Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (July 11, 2007)[64]
* Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (November 21, 2008)[65]
* Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (TBA; production is confirmed, but no
date has been set.)
Games
These games follow the plotlines of the books:
* Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
* Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
* Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
* Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
* Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix[66]
* Harry Potter: Quidditch World Cup, this game does not follow the plotline
of the books, rather focusing on their Quidditch aspects
In addition, an unauthorised and unlicensed Famicom game made in China
called Harry's Legend exists.
Specific pages
* Wizarding world
* List of characters in the Harry Potter books
* List of places in the Harry Potter books
* Magic in Harry Potter
* The Dark Arts in Harry Potter
* Spells in Harry Potter
* Magical objects in Harry Potter
* Magical beasts in Harry Potter
* Money in Harry Potter
J. K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series
Philosopher's Stone book (1997) film (2001) game (2001) soundtrack (2001)
Chamber of Secrets book (1998) film (2002) game (2002) soundtrack (2002)
Prisoner of Azkaban book (1999) film (2004) game (2004) soundtrack (2004)
Goblet of Fire book (2000) film (2005) game (2005) soundtrack (2005)
Order of the Phoenix book (2003) (film) (2007) game (2007) (soundtrack)
(2007)
Half-Blood Prince book (2005) (film) (2008)
Deathly Hallows (book) (2007) (film) (unknown)
Other books Other games
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them Harry Potter: Quidditch World Cup
Quidditch Through the Ages Lego Creator: Harry Potter
Characters • Places • Wizarding World • Magic • Spells • Magical objects •
Magical beasts • The Dark Arts
Money • Laws • Government • The Second War • Newspapers and magazines •
Quidditch • Timeline
Films • Fandom • Religious controversy • Legal disputes • Translations •
Parodies
References
1. ^ "Special stamps to mark Potter book release", Australian Broadcasting
Corporation, 2007-22-05. Retrieved on 2007-06-06.
2. ^ Dearbáil Jordan (2007). Time comes for Harry to fly to the rescue.
Times UK. Retrieved on 2007-04-07.
3. ^ "Global Potter sales top 300m mark", BBC, 2005-10-04. Retrieved on
2007-03-10.
4. ^ "Publication Date for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows", Joanne
Rowling. Retrieved on 2007-06-26.
5. ^ McLaren, Elsa. "Harry Potter's final adventure to get record print
run", The Times, 2007-03-15. Retrieved on 2007-03-27.
6. ^ Watson, Julie and Kellner, Tomas. "J.K. Rowling And The Billion-Dollar
Empire". Forbes.com, 26 February 2004. Accessed 19 March 2006.
7. ^ Confirmed: 'Phoenix' flies on July 11, 2007. HPANA (2006-04-05).
Retrieved on 2006-10-23.
8. ^ Rowling, J.K.. Biography. JKRowling.com. Retrieved on 2006-05-21.
9. ^ Lawless, John. Nigel Newton. BusinessWeek Online. Retrieved on
2006-09-09.
10. ^ http://www.kidsreads.com/harrypotter/jkrowling.html
11. ^ Savill, Richard. Harry Potter and the mystery of J K's lost initial.
The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved on 2006-09-09.
12. ^ Rozhon, Tracie. "A Brief Walk Through Time at Scholastic", The New
York Times, 2007-04-21, p. C3. Retrieved on 2007-04-21.
13. ^ "Books' Hero Wins Young Minds", New York Times, 12 July 1999.
14. ^ a b "OOTP is best seller in France - in English!", BBC, July 1, 2003.
15. ^ "J. K. Rowling" by Leslie Ellen Jones, NoveList/EBSCO Publishing,
2003, retrieved September 9, 2005
16. ^ a b ""Wild About Harry"", New York Times, July 23, 2000.
17. ^ Accio Quote: Luna commentated last Quidditch match
18. ^ 'There would be so much to tell her...'. Retrieved on 2007-04-04.
19. ^ "Mzimba, Lizo, moderator. Interview with Steve Kloves and J.K.
Rowling", Quick Quotes Quill, February 2003.
20. ^ "About the Books: transcript of J.K. Rowling's live interview on
Scholastic.com", Scholastic.com, 16 October 2000.
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2006-06-20.
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surveys. Guardian Unlimited. Retrieved on 2007-02-10.
29. ^ It smacks of the dark arts. Telegraph.co.uk (27 May 2005). Retrieved
on 31 May 2007.
30. ^ Schoeffer, Christine. Harry Potter's girl trouble. Salon.com.
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32. ^ Steve Bonta (2002). Harry Potter's Hocus Pocus. The Free Republic.
Retrieved on 2007-05-03.
33. ^ Steve Bonta (2002). Tolkien's Timeless Tale. The New American.
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38. ^ "Harry Potter Brand Wizard", Business Week, July 21, 2005.
39. ^ New Harry Potter breaks pre-order record. RTÉ.ie Entertainment
(2007-04-13). Retrieved on 2007-04-23.
40. ^ HP in Ancient Greek. Accessed 25 November 2006.
41. ^ Greek Harry Accessed 25 November 2006.
42. ^ Steven Goldstein (2004). Translating Harry — Part I: The Language of
Magic. GlobalByDesign. Retrieved on 2007-05-09.
43. ^ EMRAH GÜLER (2005). Not lost in translation: Harry Potter in Turkish.
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44. ^ Harry Potter and the Internet Pirates. Northeastern University (2003).
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tight security. Lanka Business Online. Retrieved on 2007-06-05.
46. ^ "New Study Finds That the Harry Potter Series Has a Positive Impact on
Kids' Reading and Their School Work", Scholastic, 2006-25-07. Retrieved on
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53. ^ Why 'Harry Potter' did a Harry Houdini. CNN (July 21, 2000).
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2007-02-02.
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57. ^ Anelli, Melissa and Emerson Spartz. The Leaky Cauldron and MuggleNet
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58. ^ JKR On Richard & Judy – Transcript
59. ^ Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Cover Art. Retrieved on
2007-04-02.
60. ^ = 2007-05-06 Will you write more Harry Potter books after the seventh?
61. ^ Edinburgh Book Festival
62. ^ a b The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Universal Orlando Resort
63. ^ Majendie, Paul (2007-05-31). All aboard for the Harry Potter
rollercoaster. Reuters. Retrieved on 2007-05-31.
64. ^ Confirmed : 'Phoenix' flies on July 13, 2007. HPANA (2006-04-05).
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on 2006-12-17.
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Further reading
* [HP1] Rowling, J. K. (1997). Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (in
English). London: Bloomsbury/New York City: Scholastic, et al. UK ISBN
0747532699/US ISBN 0590353403.
* [HP2] Rowling, J. K. (1998). Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (in
English). London: Bloomsbury/New York City: Scholastic, et al. UK ISBN
0747538492/US ISBN 0439064864.
* [HP3] Rowling, J. K. (1999). Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (in
English). London: Bloomsbury/New York City: Scholastic, et al. UK ISBN
0747542155/US ISBN 0439136350.
* [HP4] Rowling, J. K. (2000). Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (in
English). London: Bloomsbury/New York City: Scholastic, et al. UK ISBN
074754624X/US ISBN 0439139597.
* [HP5] Rowling, J. K. (2003). Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (in
English). London: Bloomsbury/New York City: Scholastic, et al. UK ISBN
0747551006/US ISBN 043935806X.
* [HP6] Rowling, J. K. (2005). Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (in
English). London: Bloomsbury/New York City: Scholastic, et al. UK ISBN
0747581088/US ISBN 0439784549.
* [HP7] Rowling, J. K. (unpublished). Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
(in English). London: Bloomsbury/New York City: Scholastic, et al. UK ISBN
1551929767/US ISBN 0545010225.
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