Thursday, July 5, 2007

Potter Back Story

We’re all so excited to find out more and more back story of why and when and who in the Potter stories, but I’m curious to hear about other back stories.

How/When/Why did you start reading Harry Potter?

I, I am almost embarrassed to admit, was vehemently against reading the books. I had no interest. I didn’t want to sit around and read children’s books. I had other things to do. My friend, a rabid Potter fan, took me to see the movie and I was still unmoved. The movie was cute, yes, and I did buy it on DVD, but I still wasn’t feeling the need to read the books.

It wasn’t until 2002 when I enrolled in some courses at the community college that I read the first book. It was part of the Fiction 115 class. I was hooked. I finished the first book, got into my car and drove straight to the store to buy the rest of them. I resisted buying Goblet of Fire, as it would be out in paperback when I finished all my classes, so I decided that it would be my present. I've been hooked ever since.

So what’s your Potter back story?

5 comments:

Kim said...

I bought the first book in 1998 because some of my students were talking about it but I didn't actually get a round to reading it until 1999. When I did I was hooked and bought the others in print at the time(I want to say CoS and PoA were both out but I could be wrong).

I LOVE these books. I love what they have done to get people to read who normally don't. I love the storyline and how invested people get in the characters. I love rereading them; it feels like I'm curling up with old friends. And I love that I was around when they all came out to enjoy the mania that increased with each one--this will be something I can share for years to come.

Anonymous said...

I never read them until my older cousin dragged me into the first movie. I LOVED it and immediately bought the first three books and read them back to back. I got the 4th one sometime after it came out, I can't remember exactly how long. By the time the 5th one came out I insisted on having it the day it came out, but not until HPB's release did I go to any store to buy the book at midnight. I think I'm finally going to attend a midnight Potter party on July 20, because it's my last chance.

aksunflour said...

I don't remember as my life at that time was very chaotic. I do believe that DD had both CoS and PoA (gifts from DM) before I read them. Chances are that my family was out on a boat and I had nothing else to read so I read them then.

Emily said...

Great question Knit Whit! I wish I had come in on Harry mania earlier, but I mirror a little bit of what you were saying. I didn't actively not read the book, but I might have laughed a little at the people waiting in line at midnight in costumes for the release of the next book. ;-)
Oh, how far away those days are. I don't know why, but I remember it was around Christmas, maybe '03?, and I decided to check out Sorcerer's Stone from the library. And I went down the same rabbit hole everyone else has described. I checked out the last four books- Order of the Phoenix was out in hardback at that point- and started reading. When I'd read all five, I went back and re-read them all over again. And when I'd checked them all out of the library again The Hubba surprised me with the paperback group of 1 through 4 and the hardback of OotP. Still one of my favorite surprises ever (cue wistful sigh here)...
I'm torn about catching on to the trend so late in life. Sometimes I'm glad because waiting for H-B P to come out made me a little nutty. Multiply that nuttiness by one hundred for Deathly Hollows. But there would have been something nice about being involved earlier on...
Thanks for the question!

Scarves For All Reasons said...

Iwas lucky enough to purchase the original as a reader. I read a lot (underline a lot) and it is mostly SF. So, a new author, new book I grapped it. Great read and when I saw the name again (Harry Potter) I bought that book. Hooked my daughter, her husband, step daughter, son-in-law, and grandchildren on series so that now I have pre-ordered 4 books.
Karen A.
Hufflepuff House