Harry Potter Movies

The objections raised by some fundamentalist Christians to the Harry Potter books continue to make the news.

The Christian attacks on the Potter series aren’t an attack on witchcraft and magic, so much as an attack on the imagination and freedom of expression – and by extension an attack on literature. The Harry Potter books aren’t ‘How To’ manuals on witchcraft, nor is the author, J.K. Rowling, advocating the practice of witchcraft.

The themes in the Harry Potter stories pit the good against the dark side. Magical themes happen to be an effective way to play out the drama in a manner that is engaging, especially for younger readers.

Professor Dumbledore, the Hogwarts headmaster, is clearly the personification of good and urges Harry to use the power of love when dealing with the dark side personified by Lord Voldemart. On one level the Potter books are morality tales that happen to take place in a make-believe world that is magical – but then a lot of literature contains magical themes, including books by famous Christian authors.

C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkein are examples of Christian authors who created magical worlds with plots that at root are moral and even Christian in philosophical intent. The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe by Lewis creates an intermediary zone between the real and imaginary worlds using a prop – the magical wardrobe. Enchantment and make-believe allow the ‘other world’ beyond the wardrobe to become a possibility. Similarly Tolkein in Lord of the Rings invokes the powers of wizardry and magic. But it is used as a device to enable characters and events that couldn’t feasibly exist in the ‘ordinary’ world. This doesn’t mean that either Tolkein or Lewis were promoting magic or attempting to ‘corrupt’ the minds of young readers.

The problem with the criticism coming from a section of the evangelical community is that their interpretation of the books is much too literal. They seem to think that young readers are incapable of divining meaning and truth beyond the trappings of the tale. They get hung up on the trappings themselves rather than probe the deeper meaning of the stories. When they do look a little deeper, they often misconstrue the author’s intent and try to spin the plot as evidence of literary evil doing. Fortunately, a few leading voices in the evangelical community have had the good sense to take a more objective view of the content, and have resisted the temptation to try and subvert a fictional fantasy in order to smoke out the devil.

In attempting to ban the Harry books or in other ways suppress them, the detractors ironically succeed in adding to their allure and power. When something is ‘forbidden’ it becomes a lot more tempting. When the D.H. Lawrence novel Lady Chatterley’s Lover was banned, it did more for the sale of the book than any promotional campaign could ever have done. The same went for Ulysses by the great Irish writer James Joyce.

Moreover when you consider the amount of material on magic and witchcraft that is freely available in book stores these days, on the internet, in magazines, via certain video games or just by word-of-mouth – it makes it almost absurd to try and suppress Harry Potter books.

If Harry Potter gets banned in the bailiwicks of the offended – what’s next on the list? Grimm’s Fairy Tales? Rupert the Bear? Teletubbies? We live in a society in which diversity of opinion is an integral part of our fundamental freedoms. People who for personal or religious reasons attempt to create a chill by pushing for a ban of material as innocuous as Harry Potter, cater to a mean spirited approach that diminishes us all. Objectors can refuse to buy the books or have them in their home, and that’s as far as it should reasonably go.

We are talking about tales for young readers after all – not Anton La Vey’s Satanic Bible.

British examination standards have reached an all time low following confirmation that the book Harry Potter, by J K Rowling is to be included in the A-Level examination syllabus from next year.

Groan. Harry Potter is undeniably an imaginative piece of work; so imaginative it borders on gobbledygook. J K Rowling has managed to corner the children´s literature market admirably with her tales of the boy wizard and his adventures in the land of wherever. Not so admirably, I might add, as her PR machine has managed to corner the product support market, with such items as Harry Potter school bags, dolls, souvenir diaries and so on. It is this marketing machine that is responsible to the greater degree for the incredible success of the book series, not Ms Rowling´s dealthless talent as a writer.

The books were hailed as cult ‘must-have’s’ from their first inception, making J K Rowling deservedly a millionairess overnight, with movie offers coming out of the woodwork. That does not, however, make her books appropriate curriculum material for students striving for university entrance. For some of us, it still did not make her books interesting enough to get past page fifty. In my case, I believe the books good enough to borrow but not to buy; a definite case of one man´s meat, methinks…

Such decisions taken by our boards of examiners might lead one to believe that we are fast running out of contemporary material for A Level study. Certainly we are going down a slippery slope if we are to accept that the standard now aspired to within the terms of literary success may be described at best as entering the realms of fantasy.

With all of the controversy surrounding Harry Potter, including cries to ban the book from schools, the novels have done something that American parents and teachers, as a group, have failed to do. They have made our children read.

A recent study by Scholastic notes some intriguing statistics among the kids of Harry Potter’s world. Parents and kids both credit Potter with getting kids to read for fun; just over half of the kids surveyed said they neglected to do so before latching on to the series. Almost two thirds – 65% – have noted improvements at school since they started Rowling’s works.

More important than grades, however, is the entire shift in attitude towards reading. Previous surveys have found that children’s reading drops after the age of 8. The average Harry Potter reader, however, start the series at 9 and continue to read – and reread – the books as they get older.

Reread the books. This single statement spoke volumes to me. Most people I know read a book once and then never again. Most people, who will watch the same movie over and over, refuse to read a book they have already enjoyed because ‘they know how it ends’. They watch the same television shows with the same expected, overused endings. Yet we have kids now reading and rereading books. The idea boggles the mind.

Speaking of mindboggling, you do realize that most adults read less than five books after they graduate school, be it high school or college. Reading is apparently too difficult for most people. But Rowlings has lured her audience to read not one but six books, and eagerly anticipate the seventh. Not only that, but according to the aforementioned survey, half of Harry Potter readers will seek out a new series to devour. One in three – that is 33% – intend to reread the series. Oddly, only 27% intend to look for a new Rowlings book; perhaps the rest are afraid of being sucked into another ten year series.

You can put me down for all three sections, personally (no word was spoken on overlap, by the way). I will reread the entire series immediately before Book 7 comes out, trying to time it so that I receive my book ‘just in the nick of time’. That’s how I managed the last two books. I will continue to seek out new books and new series to read. And I will eagerly anticipate Rowlings next book – although I might wait until she concludes her next series before I start reading this time around.

For Harry Potter fans, July 21 2007 will be a date to celebrate and rue in equal measure. The last instalment of JK Rowling’s spine-chilling Harry Potter series, called Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, will hit the shelves on this day and ultimately put an end to the phenomenon that has had the world gripped since Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone first debuted ten years ago.

The books, which follow the life of social outcast-come-legendary wizard Harry and his friends Ron and Hermione as they battle the evil forces of Lord Voldemort, has had children and adults of all ages enthralled – and the Deathly Hallows looks to be no exception. The title of the book was thrillingly revealed via a hangman puzzle on Rowling’s website on December 21 2006 and the author reportedly finished the book while staying in Edinburgh’s famous Balmoral Hotel – carving a concluding note on a marble bust in her room which reads: “JK Rowling finished writing Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows in this room.”

But what can Harry Potter fans expect from this final tome in the Harry Potter series? As always, Rowling has remained tight-lipped, but has expressed deep satisfaction with the closing of the book. In an interview, she claimed:

“While each of the previous Potter books has strong claims on my affections, ‘Deathly Hallows’ is my favourite, and that is the most wonderful way to finish the series.”

Even the term ‘Deathly Hallows’ has caused consternation amongst many Potter-philes eager to shed some light on the book’s conclusion. While ‘hallow’ is generally used as a verb in the English language, Rowling uses it as a noun in her latest title – although it is still generally seen to have overtones of its original meaning – “to make holy or sacred”.

While it’s expected that readers will learn more about Harry’s family – in particular the relationship between Harry’s mother Lily and his aunt Petunia – it’s also likely that more will be revealed about other key characters, including Professor Snape; apparently a murderer but whose loyalties still remain in doubt, and Peter Pettigrew – a former friend of Harry’s father’s who carried out a terrible betrayal which is said to have cost Harry’s parents their lives.

But while the plot of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows may confound critics and fans alike, it’s certain that the book will be one of the fastest selling of all time. In fact, so many people have decided to pre-order Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows that major retailers – including Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Border – are currently reporting that they’ve received more orders for the book than any other in history – a victory that’s sure to stand the series in good stead over the course of time, whatever the final verdict on its plot may be.

When I first started reading Harry Potter, I was immediately fascinated by the fantastical universe that J.K. Rowling created. This thing rarely happens to me and therefore I knew that I had laid my hands on something majestic.

Harry Potter is a story about a ten-year old boy who is living at his uncle’s house because his parents died when he was just a baby , and discovers that he has magical powers. At his 10th anniversary, he is invited to join Hogwarts, a prestigious school of magic where young wizards from all over the world are taught to control their special powers.

As time goes by, Harry finds out the cold truth about his parents – they were killed by Lord Voldemort who tried to kill him too, but a powerful spell protected him, defeating Voldemort and giving him a thunder-like scar on his forehead. Along the story, Harry must face a lot of challenges which threaten his life. His two best friends, Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley offer him a great deal of support whenever he needs it.

Harry Potter is composed of a series of seven books full of excitement, magic and action. Their titles are: “The philosophers’ stone” , “The chamber of secrets”, “Prisoner in Azkaban”, “Fire Chalice”, “Order of the Phoenix”, “The Half-Blood Prince” and “The Deathly Hallows”. The reader will encounter giant spiders, three-headed dogs, dementors, ghosts, centaurs and last but not least, werewolves. All in all, Harry Potter is a must and I would definitely recommend it to anyone, young or old, who enjoy reading a good book.

For several decades, the alluring world of Fantasy novels was dominated by such stalwart offerings such as the classic Lord of the Rings Trilogy by J.R.R. Tolkien. In recent years, huge hordes of readers surged towards the imaginative magical world of Hogwarts in the Harry Potter books by J. K. Rowling. In both cases, the genre of fantasy novels was redefined and extended to include new visions of fantastic locales, amazing characters and new styles of storytelling for this popular genre.

Now, thanks to a newly published effort by American author R. Leigh, called The Winds of Asharra, the Fantasy fiction genre has been radically redefined once again, this time for grownups seeking fantasy characters with some sizzle and sex appeal. In short, The Winds of Asharra is genre bending, a combination of Fantasy and Romance novels, with equal parts adventure and sizzle. It’s enough to fog Harry Potter’s glasses or make Tolkien’s hobbits blush.

The Winds of Asharra is 600+ pages long, set in the sensual world of Asharra, a place with twin suns and a purple sky. Unlike traditional fantasy fiction, there’s not a wizard, witch or troll in sight. Instead, the reader is treated to such unique and diverse characters as evolved feline-like creatures, intelligent telepathic trees, musical dragons and dream inducing mystical crystal beings. The main characters, two 18 year old Earth teenagers, Victor and Zoe, unexpectedly arrive on the surreal and sensual land of Asharra and embark on a journey of self discovery in a world where adventure, love, sex and home all have new meanings. When Ionera, a troubled Asharran girl with a mystical secret enters Victor’s life, his priorities turn upside down and new challenges present themselves including the beginning of an epic quest which will benefit all of Asharra if successful.

While these elements, although unique, sound appealing, there are two reasons why The Winds of Asharra represents a distinct change in popular Fantasy Fiction. Apart from the adventure elements, WOA (as its fans refer to it) adds great romance and humor to its story, elements which are often lacking in modern fantasy fiction. In fact, we found it difficult to categorize the Winds of Asharra. Was it Romantic Fantasy, Fantasy Romance or something else? In any case, it’s Fantasy fiction for adults, definitely not for the pre-teen set.

The final reason why WOA should be regarded as decidedly different is the successful effort to develop and insert a complex fantasy philosophy into the book. Much like L Ron Hubbard had done in years ago with Dianetics, Author R. Leigh introduces a plausible philosophy of the Asharrans into WOA, a creative, positive, life affirming worldview that is refreshingly optimistic in these troubled times.

Even the author of WOA is decidedly different and uniquely mysterious as the back cover of the book suggests: “Author R. Leigh is a mystery to local neighbors, appearing enigmatic and ageless, and wearing an ever present red crystal pendant. Some have guessed this author’s secret other-worldly origin, speculating that the tales of Asharra might somehow be true. Outskirts Press does not confirm this and will not comment on rumors that the manuscript for this novel appeared in our offices out of nowhere. We urge you to read this book and decide for yourself.” True or not, this made us smile and secretly hope that there are elements of the fantastic in our world, waiting to be discovered.

In conclusion, The Winds of Asharra is unabashedly different, worthy of examination by any graduate from the Harry Potter books who is eager to take the next step into a new fantasy universe, the world of Asharra.

Potential readers can visit their official website at http://www.thewindsofasharra.com.

The Winds of Asharra is published by Outskirts Press and available in Paperback and Hardcover from selected retailers and online booksellers around the world. US wholesale distribution is through Ingram and Baker & Taylor

Audio books are here to stay, say the experts. Judging by their steady year-on-year growth, this is not a marketing statement, but a fact. Now these same experts are predicting a dramatic upsurge in the sale of audio book downloads over the next two years.

The prediction makes sense in view of the following:

* The market penetration of MP3 and iPod devices is significant. This penetration is set to increase as some publishers are giving away MP3 players free of charge with purchases in order to encourage future downloads.

* Such downloads are quite a bit cheaper than printed books.

* Current generation readers enjoy the convenience of books which they can download from the comfort of their homes – even at 2 o’clock in the morning!

Purchasing an audio book online doesn’t mean that you will only be offered older books or that you will have to make do with a limited variety. On the contrary, all the latest and greatest print releases are freely available as downloads nowadays. The same applies to all-time favorite novels, such as Harry Potter and all-time favorite authors such as Stephen King.

Harry Potter audio books

In spite of the controversies surrounding the six Harry Potter books, it became an overnight success: All these books have been translated into 47 languages with millions of copies sold worldwide; the seventh book is due for release; the fifth Harry Potter movie is in production; and all these titles are available in download format.

The readability of the Harry Potter series precludes children under the age of ten from comfortably reading it in print. This makes purchasing these books in digital format a worthwhile consideration. The popularity of Harry Potter’s books has resulted in the series becoming available in most digital formats.

Jim Dale, the narrator, has won a Grammy Award, two Grammy nominations, and two AudioFile Earphone Awards for his work on the Harry Potter series.

A further plus-factor for purchasing the Harry Potter books in digital form is the price. You could save as much as 25% per book! The seventh book in the series, The Deathly Hallows, can now be pre-ordered. It may be a good time to order this pending release when you purchase the other Harry Potter books in the series.

Stephen King audio books

Stephen King is a firm favorite. Since his first book “Carrie” was published in 1973, Stephen King has written more than 60 novels, short stories, plays etc; twenty of his stories were made into films; and all his best selling books are available in digital format.

Of significance to the Stephen King fans, is the fact that he is about to retire, so in view of this imminent retirement, it could be worth considering purchasing one of the ‘Stephen King Live’ audio downloads available on the internet.

It is a live recording made in 1998 of a reading he made at London’s Festival Hall, with Stephen King himself as the narrator. The recording is available on CDs or as an online download, but interestingly enough, not in printed format at all.

The unavailability of Stephen King Live in the printed media is an interesting phenomenon. What if emerging authors had to decide not to publish in print? Offering book downloads instead, could mean a wider reach, better sales and improved margins.

Audio books to download

There are literally thousands and thousands of these, and the numbers are increasing exponentially every day. So Who knows? Only the future can tell whether book downloads will one day rule. In other words, is the tyranny of the printed word coming to an end in a future near you? Bye-bye Gutenberg?

Years back during the summer of 2000 and in between semesters of college I worked at a summer camp in New Hampshire. When the mailman showed up on our campgrounds with a different vehicle, I knew that something was up. Instead of the familiar white truck where the steering wheel is on the right side for easy access to mailboxes, he showed up in a cargo van like the kind a plumber uses. Just as soon as he stopped, our camp director greeted him and so began helping him carry several armloads of packages. Since I wasn’t busy at the moment, I walked over to see if I could help.

“Wow,” I said. “There sure is a lot of mail today. What’s the occasion?”

“It’s the release of the new Harry Potter book,” the director said. “Just about every camper asked their parents to send them a copy.”

There must have been at least fifty hardbound copies of “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire” that day. A little while later, just about every camper in each age group had their noses in their books desperately trying to absorb as much as they could. I was amazed by the popularity of the books then, but didn’t begin reading the book that was at the time, taking the literary world by storm.

It wasn’t until the following year that I began reading the Harry Potter books–a girl I was seeing in college was heavily into to them and was constantly harassing me to try reading them. Safe to say, I gave it a shot and got instantly hooked. Here’s why:

The characters are so unique from one to the next and Harry, as you will learn, is just like every other boy out there–an “everyman” if you will.

The magic in the story is incredible. One example is the sport of Quidditch in which students of Hogwarts play a mix of hockey and soccer aboard broomsticks. There are also potions in which can make its user change into a different person and the “Mirror of Erised” (which is ‘Desire’ spelled backwards) that shows you exactly what your heart desires among other things.

There are many themes prevalent in the story; such as irony, a battle between good and evil throughout, the ability to cope with death, the power of love and friendship which in reality, Harry’s greatest strength rather than his knowledge and talents as a wizard.

Watching Harry Potter as he grows up and change from a child to a young adult is to me at least amazingly accurate. The psychology behind his thoughts is believable to the reader as he struggles between his desire to live as a normal boy, yet is “marked” for death by his arch nemesis, the Lord Voldemort.

Aside from this, the most prevalent of theme in all the Harry Potter series is that it’s pure fun for the reader. It is an absolute treat to read, even if you’ve seen the movies with or without your children. I highly recommend the books to everyone, young or old. There are indeed themes within the series that parallel Greek Mythology as well. For instance, Professor Minerva McGonnagall in all fairness is really Athena, just as her name implies. But don’t let me spoil all of it for you. After having read J.K. Rowling’s books, you certainly won’t regret it.

The Hunger Games, a science fiction novel by bestselling author, Suzanne Collins, was published on September 14, 2008. It has already become the hot book for teens, having received great reviews and even better word of mouth buzz. Although categorized as “Young Adult”, The Hunger Games, due to its violence, may be too intense for preteens. However, teens of all ages, and adults are eating it up. The author has two more books planned to create a trilogy.

The Hunger Games takes place in a postapocalyptic Earth in the (hopefully) very distant future. The actual games are a combination of the reality show “Survivor” and the Coliseum of Ancient Rome. From the book jacket:

“In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. Each year, the districts are forced by the Capitol to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the Hunger Games, a brutal and terrifying fight to the death, televised for all of Panem to see.”

The heroine of the book is 16 year old Katniss Everdeen. She takes her sister’s place in the Hunger Games and then struggles with the fight to survive and life versus humanity and love.

The overwhelming sentiment by nearly all readers is that they can’t put the book down. It is fast paced and action packed. You can learn more about the Hunger Games at the Scholastic web site and on Amazon.