Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’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, Harry Potter and
the Half-Blood Prince, and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, by J. K.
Rowling.
“Back in the 90's when I first saw Harry Potter books on
drugstore [Eckerd’s] shelves I was vaguely interested. The idea for children
going to a magic school was one that had always appealed to me (in fact my
brother John and I had developed a rather long saga in our "playings"
on this theme); but I was put off by the goofy style of the illustrations.
Later when the "phenomenon" began to crank into full swing, I found
the faddish brouhaha also off-putting. At last I read it for myself, to give it
a fair shake, and found it a competent and enjoyable fantasy, no better (it
seemed to me) than many another children's fantasy series. The adulation was
puzzling unless one considered the publicity that fed back into itself, not
only about Harry Potter, but about Rowling herself ("Single Mom On Dole
Makes Millions, With Just The Craft Of Her Own Fair Fingers!"). To me,
Rowling is remarkable for a few facts. First, she was able to show that two
genres that most critics had thought to be dead as the dodo (the Dickensian
Tale and the School Story) could still grip the attention and please millions
of readers. Second, she became the Leaf for a whole generation. J. R. R.
Tolkien, using a metaphor for the constant renewal of stories with each
retelling, said that leaves come forth every year, and they are all much the
same, but each time they may be the first time a new generation has seen them,
and they become the leaves they compare all other seasons to.”
I wrote that in 2009; now 11 years later after constantly playing the woke compliance
game Rowling is in trouble for her stance on the trans issue; we have yet to
see if she rolls over to public pressure again. She has reveled in the personal
adulation the fandom of her books brings her; but now her worshippers are quite
ready to nail her to the cross if she puts a toe out of line. Are we about to
see an eclipse of her fame? Will the fans tear the work from its creator?
Illustrations by Mary GrandPre (which didn’t do the books any favors when I was
first considering them). Published by Scholastic Press.
Ranking: Keepers.
File Code: Fantasy. Novel. Hardbacks.
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them “by Newt Scamander”, and
Quidditch Through the Ages “by Kennilworthy Whisp”, by J.K. Rowling.
A boxed set, feigned to be actual books from the “Wizarding
World”, one on magical creatures and one on that inexplicable game played on
broomsticks. Oh, and another thing, when I first saw “Sorcerer’s Stone” I
thought, “Boys don’t ride broomsticks.” So I had that against it. “In 2001,
Rowling penned two companion books to the Harry Potter series, Quidditch
Through the Ages and Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, for British charity and offshoot of
Live Aid, Comic Relief with all of her royalties going to the charity. As of
July 2008, the books combined are estimated to have earned over
$30 million for Comic Relief. The two books have since been made
available in Hardback.” – Wikipedia. The Hardbacks are what I have.
Ranking: Keepers.
File Code: Fantasy. Hardbacks.
The Tales of Beedle the Bard, by J. K. Rowling.
Another book feigned to exist in the Wizarding World, it
played an important part in the 7th Harry Potter book, ‘Deathly
Hallows’. “Translated from the Ancient Runes by Hermione Granger. Commentary by
Albus Dumbledore.” Introduction, Notes, and crappy Illustrations by Rowling
herself. Originally there were only seven handwritten copies auctioned off for
charity, then when the potential became obvious, published publicly for
millions of pounds.
Ranking: Keeper.
File Code: Fantasy. Anthology. Hardback.
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child: Parts One and Two, by Jack
Thorne.
“Based on An Original New Story by J. K. Rowling, John
Tiffany, and Jack Thorne.” Touted as “The Eighth Story. Nineteen Years Later.”
Shows why you shouldn’t let your babies into other people’s hands and keep time
travel to a light minimum. Harry and Draco’s sons become friends, get a Time
Turner, and meet Voldemort’s daughter. What a mess. Should be called Harry
Potter and the Damnable Money Grab.
Ranking: Keeper. (Bleh)
File Code: Play. Fantasy. Hardback.
The Lexicon: An Unauthorized Guide to Harry Potter Fiction
and Related Materials, by Steve Vander Ark.
What it says on the label. I like Guides; they help you
locate a fact when you want to prove a point or find a reference.
Ranking: Keeper.
File Code: Guide. Fantasy. Softcover.
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