Did you know that the ultimate lazy way to burning a load of calories equivalent to four chocolate bars without even lifting a finger is to read the seventh and final book in the Harry Potter series: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows? Moreover, those with the secret ambition of travelling around the equator in an innovative manner will be happy to know that it could be a simple matter of placing all the Harry Potter books that were ever sold end to end and hopping gleefully across them (actually all of them would go around the equator over 1.6 times). Whatever view one may hold on the matter, there is no doubt that our country is once again inundated by Pottermania. The Harry Potter frenzy escalated in Malta with the new film release The Order of the Phoenix last week. Amid excited speculations regarding which characters are more likely to be bumped off, the final Harry Potter book Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows was also released for sale today. This event took place at exactly 1.01a.m. (the local equivalent time of 12.01am in the UK).
I confess that until a few months ago I was as indifferent to Harry Potter as the Muggle world is oblivious to the world of wizardry. This circumstance was altered by my son's sudden insistence to wave around a stick that suspiciously resembled a wand at anything that took his fancy. After enduring all sorts of muttering, which I luckily could not make head or tail of, and a regrettable episode with the "wand" in question where the dear boy nearly poked his brother's eye out, I decided to take matters in my own hands. Acknowledging my complete ignorance of J.K. Rowling's young hero at that time, but somewhat reluctant to be the next runner up to Laura Mallory's Washington Post "Idiot of the year award", Potter's realm was soon being analysed by yours truly.
I have honestly never managed to read such a long narrative as The Harry Potter series, without nodding off in boredom or radically altering any respectful view I might harbour of the author's abilities. However, in spite of serious misgivings, I was soon hooked by the magical world of Hogwarts, and shamefully resorted to all sorts of underhand tricks to lure my bewildered offspring and husband elsewhere and engross in a few hours of reading. No wonder that the Harry Potter book sequels have sold around 325 million copies! The series has also been translated into about 65 languages and won numerous awards including The Children's Book of the Year at the 1997 British Awards and the Smarties Book Prize. In her literary works, J.K. Rowling highlights the traditional elements of a mythic-heroic narrative and instils in it elements of fantasy, mystery and adventure to attract a crossover age group among different nationalities and social classes. There is no doubt that J.K. Rowling's work is a masterpiece infused with allegories and symbols. This has prompted critics to compare her work to that of the Inklings, and therefore great writers such as C. S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien. Marked on the forehead with a lightening-shaped scar representing the deadly confrontation between the evil Voldemort and his parents, Harry's story unfolds as he is transformed from a nerdy orphan living in a cupboard under the stairs into a renowned hero. This ideological evolution reflects each child's yearning for a successful transition into the public sphere. Anyone who has first-hand experience of the effects of marginal-isation and abuse will also recognise J.K. Rowling's psychological insight, as she delicately builds her tale around the theme of bullying. Harry Potter offers empowerment and hope to kids suffering from exclusion, and to those who are tormented by their peers. Young Harry endures the taunting of bullies both at home and at Hogwarts School, but emerges victorious. Bullies are depicted as cowardly dunces. Though they seem powerful, they are doomed to be losers. An emphasis is made on retaining one's morality even if the victim is scarred by the persecutor. Harry's gradual discovery of his infinite value highlights the notion of each individual's unique self worth, while friendship, trust, honour and loyalty are illustrated by the challenges undertaken by Harry and his two friends Ron and Hermione. J.K. Rowling's vision has not only earned her vast fans all over the world, but also a coveted Order of the British Empire (OBE) medal of achievement from the Queen of England in 2001, and an estimated fortune of $1 billion.
Harry Potter casts his spell
Whether one's favourite pastime is a Quidditch match or the sly organisation of an "anti-Potter" movement, few can deny Harry Potter's huge success in the motion picture industry. The Harry Potter movies seem to bewitch thousands of people, and glue them firmly to the screen. Amid the occasional grumble about the actors' skills, the five motion pictures produced to date by The Warner Brothers are a huge success and certainly do not disappoint fans. The Harry Potter movies are listed in the 20 highest grossing films of all time, and have generated about $3.5 billion to date. Daniel Radcliffe's (the great Potter himself on screen) fame as a teenage icon has also escalated by his nudity scenes in 'Equus' and his recent immortalisation at Madame Tussauds. The Pottermania is also responsible for all sorts of items including PlaySstation games, magical memorabilia and action figures. The Wizarding World of Harry Potter theme park at Orlando, is also expected to open in 2009.
However, any fans intent on brewing some Felix Felicis potion should be warned that the Harry Potter World of wizardly might behold hidden dangers, especially to a susceptible young audience. Allegations that Harry Potter opens a porthole to the occult have been making headlines for the past decade, and by now it is obvious that this is not just a publicity stunt craftily designed to increase sales. Following the surge of a Harry Potter fad in February 2002, the Archbishop's curia in Malta advised parents to "...teach their children to avoid all these practices and things which lead to increased interest in occult practices". Those who willingly ignored the statement can hardly disregard Rome's chief Exorcist - Rev. Bagriele Amorth's warning last year that "Behind Harry Potter hides the signature of the king of the darkness, the devil". Controversy regarding this fact has been imminent in the Vatican during these past years. Vatican priest Fr Peter Fleetwood praised the Harry Potter series, however in 2003 Cardinal Ratzinger (now Pope Benedict XVI) supported Gabriele Kuby's negative criticism in her book Harry Potter: Gut oder Böse? (Harry Potter: Good or Evil?)
Attempts by several movements to stamp the life out of "the boy who lived" include a couple of book burning events held in 2001 in Alamagordo, New Mexico, and in Penn Twp, Pennsylvania and the DVD Harry Potter: Witchcraft Repackaged. Various literary works brimming with negative criticism about J.K. Rowling's series have also emerged, including Richard Abanes's book in 2000 Harry Potter and the Bible: The Menace behind the Magick. These were met by furious protests from J.K. Rowling herself, and writers such as Christianity Today columnist Charles Colson. The Italian expert in religious movements, Massimo Introvigne further argued that if we insist on supporting the fundamentalist view of distrusting magical fantasy, we should also take a stand against "...Mary Poppins, Peter Pan and Sleeping Beauty and insist that Cinderella puts a burkha on". However, the reason behind the attack on Harry's world is partly explained by Steven D. Greydanus who points out that J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis confined magic to alien realms with their own laws, whereas J.K. Rowling's world coexists with our own. Within this framework one cannot help wondering: "Could the perils regarding Harry Potter lie within the readers'/audience's cultural context where at the mere click of a button one can have liberal access to the occult on the net, rather than in the portrayal of sorcery itself?"
Among other critiques, the Harry Potter sequels have also been depicted as immoral mainly because the main characters resort to unethical behaviour by constantly breaking all sorts of rules, and are almost never punished. Furthermore, critics such as Elizabeth E. Heilman, author of Harry Potter's World: Multidisciplinary Critical Perspectives maintain that J.K. Rowling promotes a dominant cultural pattern of inequality and depicts women in subordinate roles. Defenders of the Potter Empire have fiercely warded off such comments by claiming that Harry and his friends mostly break regulations for good causes, and that this aids readers to develop their own ethical principles rather than limit themselves to dumbly obey any rules thrown at them. Fans have also pointed out that every fictional story has both primary and secondary characters, viewed in specific roles and patterns of inequality. This does not mean that the plot is necessarily sexist.
Harry might lead Dumbledore's Army in Harry Potter and The Order of Phoenix, but not everyone has such faith in the young wizard's abilities. The Muggle world seems to be thrown into stalemate by two opposing teams. J.K. Rowling's books are supported by those who highlight their literary and educational significance, and creative value. Others are convinced of the series' detrimental harm to children especially with regards to the occult controversy. Who can blame them for attempting to ban material that could allure our young generation to dab in dark supernatural practices, and possibly lead them to dispose of us doddering old folk in the future by some evil curse? A solution might lie in recognising Harry Potter's relevance in kids' lives and involving our young ones in theme exploration, critical analysis and discussion. After all, if this fails one can always refer to J.K. Rowling's work for a spot of problem solving: "What is the equivalent weight of 25,000 African elephants, two million Komodo dragons, or 70 million snowy owls?" Those who have failed to find the solution should not worry! An answer will be promptly provided by the author to each reader via owl service. Happy weekend!
Did you know? • If all the Harry Potter books ever sold were laid flat, they would cover the area of about 1,200 football pitches. • They could also be used to carpet Monaco 4.4 times. • The total number of all the Harry Potter books ever sold is more than the population of the US. • If all the books sold in the UK on the first day were stacked up, the pile would be 11 times higher than Mount Everest. • If all the Harry Potter books ever sold were placed end to end, it would take a person about a year and a half to walk along them all. • It would take a Formula 1 car (driving at top speed) a week to drive along them. • Since the publication of the first book, Harry Potter books have sold at an average rate of around 90,000 per day. That's as many books sold every day as there are seats in the new Wembley stadium. At the same rate, in the time it has taken to read this fact, 15 more books will have been sold. • If all the words in all the Harry Potter books ever sold were distributed evenly among everyone in the world, each person would end up with nearly 8,000 words. • It would take one person 2,600 years to read every copy of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince sold in the UK alone on the day of its release.
The information has been supplied by Agenda Bookshop
What Jason Cockcroft, jacket illustrator for Harry Potter 5,6 and 7 had to say
"I remember when I was asked to produce the cover artwork for Harry Potter and The Order of The Phoenix I was very busy with a number of picture books. I'd holed myself up in the workroom, and wasn't answering the phone. My agent, Eunice Mcmullen, left an urgent message on my answer-machine, telling me that I had an offer for a cover and that I should drop whatever I was doing, because: 'You will want to do this!' Now there's plenty of very desirable jobs in children's publishing, but when your agent tells you to drop everything and call her back immediately then you've got a pretty good idea what job she's talking about. I think my first reaction was excitement. That lasted about 30 seconds. Then the fear kicked in.
"Even though I knew the covers of The Order of the Phoenix and The Half-blood Prince had been well-received by the publishers, and by the author, I wasn't at all confident that I'd be asked back for the final book. I wasn't counting my chickens - I seldom do when it comes to publishing. I had thought there might be a unique 'impact' design to the last cover - maybe there wouldn't be an illustration at all, maybe only a symbol. So, it goes without saying that I was very pleased, and proud, that I was chosen to complete the work for the final book.
"I can honestly say that the Harry Potter covers have been by far the most enjoyable jobs I've had as an illustrator. You don't get many opportunities in a career to be part - no matter how insignificant that part - of a project as widely appreciated and therefore as culturally significant as the Harry Potter books have proved to be. And for that opportunity I'm profoundly grateful."
I confess that until a few months ago I was as indifferent to Harry Potter as the Muggle world is oblivious to the world of wizardry. This circumstance was altered by my son's sudden insistence to wave around a stick that suspiciously resembled a wand at anything that took his fancy. After enduring all sorts of muttering, which I luckily could not make head or tail of, and a regrettable episode with the "wand" in question where the dear boy nearly poked his brother's eye out, I decided to take matters in my own hands. Acknowledging my complete ignorance of J.K. Rowling's young hero at that time, but somewhat reluctant to be the next runner up to Laura Mallory's Washington Post "Idiot of the year award", Potter's realm was soon being analysed by yours truly.
I have honestly never managed to read such a long narrative as The Harry Potter series, without nodding off in boredom or radically altering any respectful view I might harbour of the author's abilities. However, in spite of serious misgivings, I was soon hooked by the magical world of Hogwarts, and shamefully resorted to all sorts of underhand tricks to lure my bewildered offspring and husband elsewhere and engross in a few hours of reading. No wonder that the Harry Potter book sequels have sold around 325 million copies! The series has also been translated into about 65 languages and won numerous awards including The Children's Book of the Year at the 1997 British Awards and the Smarties Book Prize. In her literary works, J.K. Rowling highlights the traditional elements of a mythic-heroic narrative and instils in it elements of fantasy, mystery and adventure to attract a crossover age group among different nationalities and social classes. There is no doubt that J.K. Rowling's work is a masterpiece infused with allegories and symbols. This has prompted critics to compare her work to that of the Inklings, and therefore great writers such as C. S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien. Marked on the forehead with a lightening-shaped scar representing the deadly confrontation between the evil Voldemort and his parents, Harry's story unfolds as he is transformed from a nerdy orphan living in a cupboard under the stairs into a renowned hero. This ideological evolution reflects each child's yearning for a successful transition into the public sphere. Anyone who has first-hand experience of the effects of marginal-isation and abuse will also recognise J.K. Rowling's psychological insight, as she delicately builds her tale around the theme of bullying. Harry Potter offers empowerment and hope to kids suffering from exclusion, and to those who are tormented by their peers. Young Harry endures the taunting of bullies both at home and at Hogwarts School, but emerges victorious. Bullies are depicted as cowardly dunces. Though they seem powerful, they are doomed to be losers. An emphasis is made on retaining one's morality even if the victim is scarred by the persecutor. Harry's gradual discovery of his infinite value highlights the notion of each individual's unique self worth, while friendship, trust, honour and loyalty are illustrated by the challenges undertaken by Harry and his two friends Ron and Hermione. J.K. Rowling's vision has not only earned her vast fans all over the world, but also a coveted Order of the British Empire (OBE) medal of achievement from the Queen of England in 2001, and an estimated fortune of $1 billion.
Harry Potter casts his spell
Whether one's favourite pastime is a Quidditch match or the sly organisation of an "anti-Potter" movement, few can deny Harry Potter's huge success in the motion picture industry. The Harry Potter movies seem to bewitch thousands of people, and glue them firmly to the screen. Amid the occasional grumble about the actors' skills, the five motion pictures produced to date by The Warner Brothers are a huge success and certainly do not disappoint fans. The Harry Potter movies are listed in the 20 highest grossing films of all time, and have generated about $3.5 billion to date. Daniel Radcliffe's (the great Potter himself on screen) fame as a teenage icon has also escalated by his nudity scenes in 'Equus' and his recent immortalisation at Madame Tussauds. The Pottermania is also responsible for all sorts of items including PlaySstation games, magical memorabilia and action figures. The Wizarding World of Harry Potter theme park at Orlando, is also expected to open in 2009.
However, any fans intent on brewing some Felix Felicis potion should be warned that the Harry Potter World of wizardly might behold hidden dangers, especially to a susceptible young audience. Allegations that Harry Potter opens a porthole to the occult have been making headlines for the past decade, and by now it is obvious that this is not just a publicity stunt craftily designed to increase sales. Following the surge of a Harry Potter fad in February 2002, the Archbishop's curia in Malta advised parents to "...teach their children to avoid all these practices and things which lead to increased interest in occult practices". Those who willingly ignored the statement can hardly disregard Rome's chief Exorcist - Rev. Bagriele Amorth's warning last year that "Behind Harry Potter hides the signature of the king of the darkness, the devil". Controversy regarding this fact has been imminent in the Vatican during these past years. Vatican priest Fr Peter Fleetwood praised the Harry Potter series, however in 2003 Cardinal Ratzinger (now Pope Benedict XVI) supported Gabriele Kuby's negative criticism in her book Harry Potter: Gut oder Böse? (Harry Potter: Good or Evil?)
Attempts by several movements to stamp the life out of "the boy who lived" include a couple of book burning events held in 2001 in Alamagordo, New Mexico, and in Penn Twp, Pennsylvania and the DVD Harry Potter: Witchcraft Repackaged. Various literary works brimming with negative criticism about J.K. Rowling's series have also emerged, including Richard Abanes's book in 2000 Harry Potter and the Bible: The Menace behind the Magick. These were met by furious protests from J.K. Rowling herself, and writers such as Christianity Today columnist Charles Colson. The Italian expert in religious movements, Massimo Introvigne further argued that if we insist on supporting the fundamentalist view of distrusting magical fantasy, we should also take a stand against "...Mary Poppins, Peter Pan and Sleeping Beauty and insist that Cinderella puts a burkha on". However, the reason behind the attack on Harry's world is partly explained by Steven D. Greydanus who points out that J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis confined magic to alien realms with their own laws, whereas J.K. Rowling's world coexists with our own. Within this framework one cannot help wondering: "Could the perils regarding Harry Potter lie within the readers'/audience's cultural context where at the mere click of a button one can have liberal access to the occult on the net, rather than in the portrayal of sorcery itself?"
Among other critiques, the Harry Potter sequels have also been depicted as immoral mainly because the main characters resort to unethical behaviour by constantly breaking all sorts of rules, and are almost never punished. Furthermore, critics such as Elizabeth E. Heilman, author of Harry Potter's World: Multidisciplinary Critical Perspectives maintain that J.K. Rowling promotes a dominant cultural pattern of inequality and depicts women in subordinate roles. Defenders of the Potter Empire have fiercely warded off such comments by claiming that Harry and his friends mostly break regulations for good causes, and that this aids readers to develop their own ethical principles rather than limit themselves to dumbly obey any rules thrown at them. Fans have also pointed out that every fictional story has both primary and secondary characters, viewed in specific roles and patterns of inequality. This does not mean that the plot is necessarily sexist.
Harry might lead Dumbledore's Army in Harry Potter and The Order of Phoenix, but not everyone has such faith in the young wizard's abilities. The Muggle world seems to be thrown into stalemate by two opposing teams. J.K. Rowling's books are supported by those who highlight their literary and educational significance, and creative value. Others are convinced of the series' detrimental harm to children especially with regards to the occult controversy. Who can blame them for attempting to ban material that could allure our young generation to dab in dark supernatural practices, and possibly lead them to dispose of us doddering old folk in the future by some evil curse? A solution might lie in recognising Harry Potter's relevance in kids' lives and involving our young ones in theme exploration, critical analysis and discussion. After all, if this fails one can always refer to J.K. Rowling's work for a spot of problem solving: "What is the equivalent weight of 25,000 African elephants, two million Komodo dragons, or 70 million snowy owls?" Those who have failed to find the solution should not worry! An answer will be promptly provided by the author to each reader via owl service. Happy weekend!
Did you know? • If all the Harry Potter books ever sold were laid flat, they would cover the area of about 1,200 football pitches. • They could also be used to carpet Monaco 4.4 times. • The total number of all the Harry Potter books ever sold is more than the population of the US. • If all the books sold in the UK on the first day were stacked up, the pile would be 11 times higher than Mount Everest. • If all the Harry Potter books ever sold were placed end to end, it would take a person about a year and a half to walk along them all. • It would take a Formula 1 car (driving at top speed) a week to drive along them. • Since the publication of the first book, Harry Potter books have sold at an average rate of around 90,000 per day. That's as many books sold every day as there are seats in the new Wembley stadium. At the same rate, in the time it has taken to read this fact, 15 more books will have been sold. • If all the words in all the Harry Potter books ever sold were distributed evenly among everyone in the world, each person would end up with nearly 8,000 words. • It would take one person 2,600 years to read every copy of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince sold in the UK alone on the day of its release.
The information has been supplied by Agenda Bookshop
What Jason Cockcroft, jacket illustrator for Harry Potter 5,6 and 7 had to say
"I remember when I was asked to produce the cover artwork for Harry Potter and The Order of The Phoenix I was very busy with a number of picture books. I'd holed myself up in the workroom, and wasn't answering the phone. My agent, Eunice Mcmullen, left an urgent message on my answer-machine, telling me that I had an offer for a cover and that I should drop whatever I was doing, because: 'You will want to do this!' Now there's plenty of very desirable jobs in children's publishing, but when your agent tells you to drop everything and call her back immediately then you've got a pretty good idea what job she's talking about. I think my first reaction was excitement. That lasted about 30 seconds. Then the fear kicked in.
"Even though I knew the covers of The Order of the Phoenix and The Half-blood Prince had been well-received by the publishers, and by the author, I wasn't at all confident that I'd be asked back for the final book. I wasn't counting my chickens - I seldom do when it comes to publishing. I had thought there might be a unique 'impact' design to the last cover - maybe there wouldn't be an illustration at all, maybe only a symbol. So, it goes without saying that I was very pleased, and proud, that I was chosen to complete the work for the final book.
"I can honestly say that the Harry Potter covers have been by far the most enjoyable jobs I've had as an illustrator. You don't get many opportunities in a career to be part - no matter how insignificant that part - of a project as widely appreciated and therefore as culturally significant as the Harry Potter books have proved to be. And for that opportunity I'm profoundly grateful."