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*[[List of spells in Harry Potter]]
*[[List of spells in Harry Potter]]
*[[Magic in Harry Potter]]
*[[Magic in Harry Potter]]
*[[Potions in Harry Potter and the real people who died trying to make them]]
*[[Real Children who killed real animals doing "magic"]]
*[[People trapped in a fantasy mind frame who deny those two things]]
*[[Magic, Fantasy vs. Total BS]]
*[[Al Franken's take on Harry Potter and other observations on why it's totally overrated]]
*[[The Real Harry Potter]]
*[[New people who claim to be Harry Potter]]
*[[People who will delete these things I wrote and probably ban me because they haven't compared this kind of literature with anything good, even in children's literature, and these things are too blunt and "incorrect"]]
*[[Magical beasts (Harry Potter)|Magical Beasts of Harry Potter]]
*[[Magical beasts (Harry Potter)|Magical Beasts of Harry Potter]]
*[[Magical objects in Harry Potter]]
*[[Magical objects in Harry Potter]]

Revision as of 04:59, 30 August 2005

This article is about the Harry Potter book series. For information about the character, see Harry Potter (character).
File:Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone.jpg
Cover of the original novel in the series, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. This original edition was distributed throughout the English-speaking world outside of the United States.

Harry Potter is the name of a series of fantasy and wizardry novels by J. K. Rowling and the movies based on them. The main character is a fictional young wizard, Harry Potter. The first novel, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone in the United States), was released in 1997, but takes place in 1991 (see Dates in Harry Potter). The Harry Potter books have attained a profile unparalleled by any other series of children's books, with worldwide sales exceeding 275 million copies. They have been praised for encouraging children to read, while also drawing criticism from some quarters. A series of films based on the books is under production. Her publishers are Bloomsbury.


Overview

Despite J K Rowling's assertions that she did not have any particular age group in mind when she began to write the Harry Potter books, her publishers initially targeted them at children aged around 9 to 15. However they have acquired fans of all ages, and the books have more recently been released in two editions, one with the original 'children's' cover artwork and one with artwork more consciously aimed at adult readers. Additionally, as the series has developed, Rowling's writing style has become more sophisticated, and the content of the books has matured as the lead character, Harry Potter, has grown older. For instance, relationships are discussed as an issue for the teenage characters in later books. Accordingly the reading age for the books, both in terms of content and style, is rising as the series goes on.

The first book was published in the United Kingdom by Bloomsbury, a fairly small independent publisher, in July 1997. Its initial success was based on some positive reviews and word of mouth. Books one ('Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone), two ('Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets') and three ('Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban') all won the Nestlé Smarties Book Prize for the 9-11 age group. By the time book four ('Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire') was published in 2000 the series had become very high-profile, and the launch received much wider publicity in the general media than was usual for a new book. At around the same time Warner Brothers began work on the series of films based on the books. The involvement of a global media conglomerate led to more concerted efforts to maximise the value of the Harry Potter "franchise". The first film, based on the first book, was released in 2001, and was accompanied by video games and other branded merchandise.

The hype escalated with the publication of books five and six ('Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix' and 'Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince' respectively), with midnight launch parties at hundreds of bookshops in the UK, simultaneous launch events around the English speaking world, and intense media interest, leading to unprecedented first day sales in the UK, US and elsewhere. The series is immensely popular around the world in translation. Such was the clamour to read the book around the world that the English language edition of book five became the first English language book ever to top the bookseller list in France.

File:Sorcerer's stone cover.jpg
Cover of the United States edition of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, retitled Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

According to the author, J.K. Rowling, the stories appeared in her head while she was on a train from Manchester to London. Her favourite place to write the first book was at an Edinburgh café table, while drinking endless cups of coffee. Sales from the books, as well as royalties from films and merchandise, have made Rowling the 620th wealthiest person in the world [[1]]. Rowling is richer than Queen Elizabeth II.

Each book chronicles approximately one year in Harry's life at the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry where he learns to use magic and brew potions. Harry also learns to overcome many obstacles - magical, social and emotional - as he struggles through his adolescence.

Rowling has announced that seven books are planned, each a little darker than its predecessor, as Harry ages and his nemesis, Lord Voldemort, gains power. As of July 2005, six books have been published. The latest, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, was published in its English language version on 16 July 2005. Rowling has revealed hints about the plot of each book on her personal website.

With the exception of a few chapters, the books are written in third person limited omniscient mode, with Harry as the central character. The books are generally written from Harry's point of view, with short exceptions in Philosopher's Stone, Goblet of Fire and Half-Blood Prince. This is one reason that readers feel such a strong kinship to Harry; the story is told through his character.

Rowling's main strengths as a writer include her ability to drive elaborate and largely seamless plots over a very wide canvas, the convincing internal logic of her fantasy world, and the acuteness of her characterisation. The three adolescents at the centre of the book are perceptively presented, the main adult characters have substance, and the minor characters are vivid and memorable. The Harry Potter books also contain much humour. On the other hand Rowling's prose style is not a major strength. Additionally, while there is much moral subtletly in many scenes in the books, the central clash between good and evil is drawn in largely black and white terms. Nevertheless, as the series develops, several characters have faced a choice between doing what is good or what is easy (a central theme), and moral 'shades of grey' have been presented.

Rowling lets the ideas of racism, genocide, and other prejudices find their way in; these are the trademark of Voldemort and his Death Eaters, but also occasionally shown in the relationship between wizards and the non-magical (or 'Muggle') population.

The books have been compared to many well-known novels, including C. S. Lewis' The Chronicles of Narnia and J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings. They also fit into a British genre of novels about boarding school life, and sections involving the Dursleys, Harry's relatives, are reminiscent of the works of Roald Dahl.

Aspects of the Harry Potter series have even entered the real world, such as Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans, which inspired an actual product of that name, marketed by the Jelly Belly Company. Also, knitting patterns have been created for the Quidditch Sweater and elf socks.

The series

To read a complete synopsis of the first six books, see the Muggles' Guide to Harry Potter at Wikibooks, Wikipedia's sibling project.
  1. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone in the United States)
  2. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
  3. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
  4. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
  5. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
  6. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
  7. Title unknown
    • Story time: 1997–1998
    • Release: Unconfirmed

The books have become popular enough that bookshops worldwide now hold simultaneous "release parties" on the day Harry Potter books are released, since the earliest time the books can be sold at retail is 12:01 am GMT (or the equivalent local time at the point of sale).

The Harry Potter books have been translated into many languages (see List of titles of Harry Potter books in other languages and Harry Potter in translation series). For the English language, there exists an adapted American English version of each book, with lexical changes like "football" to "soccer," "video recorder" to "VCR," or "do his nut" becoming "go ballistic."

2001 saw the publication of two slim spin off volumes called Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander and Quidditch Through the Ages by Kennilworthy Whisp. These were supposedly reproductions of two Hogwarts textbooks owned by Harry, complete with notes scribbled in the margins by Harry and his friends. These books were written by J. K. Rowling with proceeds going to Comic Relief.

Regarding the existence of Harry Potter novels beyond the seventh, Rowling has said that she might write an eighth book some day. 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' plot to be included in them. 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.

Book Sales (U.S. Edition)

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

  • Hardcover: 6.1 million
  • Paperback: 10.9 million
  • Total: 17 million

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

  • Hardcover: 7.3 million
  • Paperback: 7.5 million
  • Total: 14.7 million

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

  • Hardcover: 7.6 million
  • Paperback: 5.2 million
  • Total: 12.8 million

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

  • Hardcover: 8.9 million
  • Paperback: 3.4 million
  • Total: 12.3 million

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

  • Hardcover: 12.2 million
  • Paperback: 1.5 million
  • Total: 13.7 million

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

  • Hardcover: 6.9 million in first 24 hours
  • Paperback: (not yet released)
  • Total: 6.9 million

The films

For details of which actor plays which character in the various movies, see the Harry Potter cast article.
  1. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone in the United States)
  2. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
  3. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
  4. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
  5. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
    • Release: Expected Spring 2007 (June)
    • Director: David Yates
  6. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
    • Release: Expected Autumn 2008 (November)
    • Director: Unknown

The first three films ranked 1st [2], 2nd [3], and 2nd [4] respectively in world wide box office grosses for their years of release. They grossed a total of over $2.6 billion worldwide. [5]

Controversy

The books have provoked various kinds of controversy.

Accusations of promoting witchcraft

Some religious groups have attacked the books for allegedly promoting witchcraft or undermining Christianity. Most of this controversy has occurred in the parts of the United States, where religion plays a prominent role in public life. In the United Kingdom, Harry Potter's country of origin, the controversy has been negligible. Other religious figures have praised the books, and some consider the criticism so detached from the actual nature of the books that the most appropriate response to it is parody.

According to the American Library Association, the Harry Potter novels have been among the most frequently challenged in school libraries in the United States since 1998. The complaints allege that the books have occult or Satanic themes, are violent, and are anti-family.

Some highly conservative Christian groups in the United States have denounced the series for promoting witchcraft or Satanism. "It contains some powerful and valuable lessons about love and courage and the ultimate victory of good over evil," said Paul Hetrick, spokesman for Focus on the Family, a national Christian group based in Colorado Springs. "However, the positive messages are packaged in a medium — witchcraft — that is directly denounced in scripture." [6]. The official exorcist of Rome, Father Gabriele Amorth, believes that the Harry Potter books can be a bad influence on some children by getting them interested in the occult (see Christian views on witchcraft).

Chick Publications produced a comic book tract called "The Nervous Witch" about two teenaged girls who get seriously involved in occult witchcraft and become demonically possessed as a direct result of reading Harry Potter books.[7]

It has been argued that when Pope Benedict XVI was Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith he also condemned the books in a letter expressing gratitude for the receipt of a book on the subject, stating they are "a subtle seduction, which has deeply unnoticed and direct effects in undermining the soul of Christianity before it can really grow properly." [8] (It can be noted here Pope John Paul II was reputed to like Harry Potter and also promoted it see further down.) However no evidence is provided that those "they" which are "a subtle seduction" actually refers to the Harry Potter books, nor is this at all clear from the original German text of the Cardinal's letter, which in any case shows signs of being dashed off in rather a hurry. (For example, the ungrammatical use of "dies" rather than "diese".) Monsignor Peter Fleetwood, a Vatican priest, wrote that these remarks were misinterpreted, and that the letter was likely to have been written by an assistant of the then-cardinal. [9]. Indeed, the letter appears to have been written by an underling, but was issued under the Cardinal's signature. This letter and a second that allowed publication of the first have been posted to the Internet by Gabriele Kuby, who had sent her book, Harry Potter - Good or Evil, attacking J.K. Rowling's best-selling series about the boy wizard, to the Cardinal.

However, other Christian readers have pointed out themes in the Harry Potter books which reflect values exemplified or preached by Jesus. Lily Potter sacrificed her own life to save her child (John 15:13). Harry's Muggle guardians attempt to keep him from knowing of his gifts, yet he is taken away and sent to learn to use his powers responsibly (Matt. 5:13-16). Harry comes close to death in several stories, yet is more determined than ever to fight evil. It is also said in the books that love is the strongest magic (1 Cor 13:13). Some Christian bookstores even sell the Harry Potter series. J.K. Rowling is on record saying she did not emphasize Christian ideals in the book because her goal was never to preach or dictate a philosophy of life, but to tell a story; besides, if she had, intelligent readers would be able to guess important plot details.

Other members of the Catholic Church gave the series their approval, saying that it is imbued with Christian morals, and that the good versus evil plot is very clear. The late Pope, Pope John Paul II, praised the books for their message about the evils of racism and genocide. Christian Congregationalist minister John Killinger also argued that rather than corrupting children's minds, the novels encourage young readers to follow the teachings of Jesus. The book The Hidden Key to Harry Potter: Understanding the Meaning, Genius, and Popularity of Joanne Rowling's Harry Potter Novels, written by John Granger, a Reader in the Orthodox Church, claims to uncover Christian themes in its analysis of the story. Granger also cites the fact that Rowling is a professed member of the presbyterian Church of Scotland.

The controversy was spoofed on the television show The Simpsons. In one episode, ultra-Christian Ned Flanders "reads" Harry Potter to his son and says "…and Harry Potter and all his wizard friends…went straight to Hell for practicing witchcraft". His son cheers and Ned throws the book into the fireplace. The Harry Potter was also parodied in The Onion, when an article titled Harry Potter Books Spark Rise in Satanism Among Children satirically reported the thousands of children attracted to the dark arts and denying religion due to the books. As reported on Urban Legends Reference Pages, some who were unaware that the article was a pastiche employed it as evidence in the demonisation of the books. The entire action and reaction is recorded on this page.

Accusations of plagiarism

Rowling prevailed in a lawsuit alleging copyright infringement, filed by Nancy Stouffer, writer of The Legend of Rah and the Muggles and allegedly of Larry Potter and His Best Friend Lilly. The first book features creatures called "muggles". U.S. District Judge Allen G. Schwartz rejected Nancy Stouffer's claims that she was plagiarised, and fined Stouffer $50,000 for "submission of fraudulent documents" and "untruthful testimony", but stopped short of having Stouffer criminally charged with perjury. Stouffer was required to pay a portion of the attorney's fees incurred by Rowling, her U.S. publisher Scholastic Press, and Warner Bros. Films.

While no known legal action has been taken, a Bollywood (Indian) film 'inspired' by Harry Potter was released in 2005. Called "Aabra Ka Daabra: School of Magic", it claims to be 'inspired by' Harry Potter. It follows a young wizard as he enters magic school, following the apparent death of his wizard father. The film follows very closely to Rowling's story, and many of the sets and costumes are extremely similar.

Other analogous works

Comic book fans have noted that a comic book series first published in 1990 by DC Comics called The Books of Magic, by Neil Gaiman, shares many similarities to Rowling's book. These include a dark haired young boy with glasses, named Tim Hunter, who discovers his own potential as the most powerful wizard of his age after being approached by magic-wielding individuals, the first of whom makes him a gift of a pet owl. Rowling officially denies being aware of this series, and Gaiman has gone on record stating that he believes similarities to be either coincidence, or drawn from the same fantasy archetypes.

Recent viewers of the 1985 film Young Sherlock Holmes, scripted by Chris Columbus, director of the first two Harry Potter movies, have noticed similarities between its characters, setting, events and tone, and those of the Harry Potter series.

The Ken Akamatsu manga Mahou Sensei Negima is often regarded as a Harry Potter clone, despite the only similarity being a 10-year-old wizard from Wales. The manga is probably better described as combining elements of both Harry Potter and Love Hina, Akamatsu's previous manga.

The manga and anime series Naruto shares many similarities with the Harry Potter series, if only for their similar premise - a coming-of-age journey of an orphaned main character surrounded by comrades, set in a microcosm of sorts and accentuated by supernatural elements. The long path from rejection and loneliness to discovering the importance of friendship features in both; the choice of fighting for the sake of one's friends and family versus fighting and caring only for oneself is a striking point of similarity, probably being the most important theme in both works. In what is either a very odd coincidence or an obvious tribute, one of the major villains in Naruto, Orochimaru, is extremely similar to Voldemort; Orochimaru can summon snakes, is very snake-like himself, has largely conditioned immortality (as to discover all the ninja techniques in the world, much like Voldemort, who tries to do much of the same but with magic), and is seen to embed his subordinates with cursed seals.

Readers of classic fantasy fiction have noted a very strong resemblance between the premise of Harry Potter and Ursula K. LeGuin's A Wizard of Earthsea (1968), in which a boy with unusual gifts of magic is recognized and sent to a special school for wizards. A school rival in the book is almost a dead ringer for Draco Malfoy.

LeGuin was not the first to propose a special school for witches and wizards. Eleanor Estes was apparently the first, in her book The Witch Family (1960), and The Worst Witch series follows the same line. A young adult book by Jane Yolen entitled Wizard's Hall, which takes place in a more overtly fairy-tale-esque world, also predates Harry Potter and has as its basic premise a school of wizardry and a boy protagonist with magical talents. By analogy, the mutants of the X-Men world, with their seemingly magical powers attend Professor Xavier's School for Gifted Children, with Xavier serving a Dumbledore-like role.

Injunction against purchasers of early copies

A grocery store in Canada accidentally sold several copies of the sixth Harry Potter book before the authorised release date. The Canadian publisher, Raincoast Books, obtained an injunction (PDF copy) from the Supreme Court of British Columbia prohibiting the purchasers from reading the books in their possession. This sparked a number of news articles questioning the injunction's restriction on fundamental rights [10] [11]. Canadian law professor Michael Geist has posted commentary on his weblog [12]. Richard Stallman has posted commentary on his weblog calling for a boycott until the publisher issues an apology [13]. Some versions of this creed have been circulated by email including a spoiler for one of the major plot points in the novel; whether this was actually the original posted version and was modified by Stallman is as yet unclear, though the tone of the sentence is substantially the same as that of the rest of the message.

See also


Harry Potter in Foreign Languages

Wikiquote has quotations related to Harry Potter.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Harry Potter.

See MuggleNet and The-Leaky-Cauldron.org for articles on two major fansites which have won awards from JKR.

For further fandom links, including "unofficial" websites, see Harry Potter fandom.

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