I decided that over my final winter break as a senior I would start rereading the Harry Potter Series. I finished all the books years ago in 2008. Being that it is 2017, I realized I had not touched the books since then. Not even once. I know all the movies and characters quite well. I have watched all of them countless times, especially the first three movies. In my opinion, those are by far the best. They hold very close and true to more detail than many of the later films. Also, the music is incredible: it's a shame John Williams could not score all of them. The other composers did well, but Williams created a magic within his themes that has not been touched by anyone else.
I find, with the books we read as children, that certain elements never leave you. At least this is the case for those of us who enjoy literature. But we tend to forget the subtleties and nuances that make the stories within the pages real. We retain the characters and the plot, but only in reading can we really be transported there. You have to read it to feel as though you're part of the action. It could be a picture book, a children's' book, a young adult book, a novel, no matter. If you are immersed in the story, then the author has done their job.
In the Harry Potter series, books one through seven do just that. I should clarify, at this point I have only re-read books one and two, but so far I am finding that I am enjoying this series just as much as I did when I was younger. I was worried that in re-reading them I would lose the enjoyment I got from them previously, that the critical eye of the adult would negate the child's imagination and sense of wonder. This has not turned out to be true so far.
Many people are of the opinion that watching movies based on books ruins the books, and when I read these, the actors from the movies do pop into my head. I find that to be a problem though: honestly, what imagined figure could really replace Alan Rickman as Snape?
I think that as adults it may do us some good to re-read books that we grew up with, whether or not we end up still enjoying them. I feel that it provides a learning experience when we find we don't like something we did before, and a healthy dose of nostalgia when we do. I still enjoy reading my Chris Van Allsburg books: they each have a very important message and incredible artwork: many books transcend age limits.
I don't think Harry Potter is a difficult read, but there is a lot of information to process. It wasn't until I was 21 that I finished the Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings trilogy. I started reading those when I was 17: they took me four years to finish reading on and off. J.R.R. Tolkien's universe is even more complex than the J.K. Rowling's, but it too has a timeless quality: both the old and the young get enjoyment from it.
Take a look at your old bookshelf and search for something that reminds you of youth or that you read in your youth. Maybe revisit Moby Dick or Frankenstein for enjoyment rather than for a high school class. Maybe take a look back at Vonnegut or Shakespeare. You may be pleasantly surprised what you remember or what you have forgotten.
