Tonight is the Harry Potter midnight premiere. It's a tradition my girls and I started about the third movie (or whichever one the theaters started showing the midnight show of). So, tonight I will bear the brunt of wind, rain, and possibly hail (check the Portland Oregon forcast, it's not pretty) to watch the seventh movie in the series.
My sister thinks I'm nuts. And maybe I am. But, there's something kind of magical about being in a theater of people who all are excited about the the same story. Plus, you kind of bond with people in line, seeing as you're all going through the standing there freezing your tootsies off in the rain scenario.
When you consider all the people across America standing in line to watch that movie at midnight, you have to admit that JK Rowling is in a class all by herself. There are few series that have maintained that degree of loyalty and through seven movies and books. Even the Star Wars & Star Trek series haven't been able mainstream their series without criticism and a couple of faltering steps.
For me, Rowling is the grandmaster of series writing. She took an eleven-year-old kid and matured him with her intended audience. Along the way, she interwove a complex, endless plot, threw in a few wizards, and created magic.
I want to be just like her when I grow up.
Ahh...what a great post Margie. I'm a huge fan of the Harry Potter series, and even more so since I decided to try my hand at writing! The worlds and words she created, the characters...that's major talent there!
ReplyDeleteOh, me, too. My daughter and grandsons will be there tonight, too. I think J. K. Rowling is an unadulterated genius. I admit to loving the books more than the movies, but they're all exciting.
ReplyDeleteHave fun!
Never read Harry Potter or saw the movies, but my kids couldn't get enough of them.
ReplyDeleteObviously, I totally concur, ladies.
ReplyDeleteI'm heading to bunco now and then to the movie. I'll give you a review around 3am PST, which is about the time Liz will be getting up in her time zone. LOL.
Shawn,
ReplyDeletethey're not just for kids, you know. That's the beauty of Rowling. Her universality.
Hope you have fun tonight, Margie! And I agree, Rowling is in a class by herself.
ReplyDeletefor me, the Harry thing never caught on. I couldn't get into the 1st book and so the rest have fallen by the wayside...
Margie,
ReplyDeleteI guess I should have mentioned my kids are 27, 21, and 17 :)
I'm with Kristi. Never completely fell for the Harry Potter gang. But have fun! There's something wonderful about the fun of standing in line for someting.
ReplyDeleteI just exchanged comments with a few writers on our loop who agree that Rowling is not for them. In fact, one author went so far as to say she put one book down when it seemed like all Rowling wanted to do was prove that kids would read an 800 page book - all meandering with no point, and has never picked one up again.
ReplyDeleteJust goes to show that not every reader will get all the layering that might go into your story!
I think she's magic, and brilliant, and this is literature and not genre fiction. (though the movies have left a little something to be desired).
Claudia,
ReplyDeleteit's funny because the comments went straight down the line on the likes/don't get Rowling on this post :)
And I agree, she's magic.
As for my movie review..three thumbs up from my daughters and me. I was on the edge of chair throughout the entire movie. I didn't even realize how tense I was until it was over and I was able to breath again. And the weather held off for us. We got a little drizzle but compared to the storm the night before and the night over, I'd have to say we had some magic intervention ;)