Urgent email opinions request from journalist in Chile (about Potter adult f

[annemehr]

--- In HPFGU-OTChatter at yahoogroups.com, "marcelocordova2004"
<marcelocordova2004 at y...> wrote:
> Hi:
> 
> My name is Marcelo Cordova and Im a journalist from La Tercera
> newspaper in Chile, South America (www.tercera.cl). I work in the
> Trends section and I send this message because Im writing an article
> for this friday (march 5th) about the phenomenon of adult fans of
> the Harry Potter saga. This because the last book was just released
> here and is already sold out!. Many people who bought it were grownups
> and we would like to get some comments about this trend around the
> globe.
> 
> If any of you have some time could answer these questions? You can
> post your opinions directly here or send them to
> marcelocordova2004 at y... Please put your name (or a nick if you
> want), age, occupation and country. Many thanks in advance:

Anne, age 43, at-home Mom, USA.
> 
> 1. In an article published by The Orlando Sentinel about Nimbus
> 2003, it says that individuals on that event were "college professors
> and college students, advertising copywriters and unemployed computer
> consultants, substitute teachers and wanna-be teachers. They've come
> from California and New York, Australia and England. Above all else,
> they are Harry Potter fans. And they are adults". First of all:
> Could you tell me how did you get fascinated by the saga of this small
> kid? And how could you explain that many adults feel fascinated by a
> book with a kid as a protagonist? From that point of view: Do you
> agree with miss Rowling when she says that "it is my sense of humour
> in the books, not what I think children will find funny, and I suppose
> that would explain some of the appeal to adults"?

I am in the habit of sometimes picking up a book my kids are reading,
so I picked up HP and the Sorcerer's Stone.  I was fascinated right
away.  I remember what it was like to be a kid, so I easily identified
with Harry; I don't know why an adult wouldn't like to read about a
child protagonist as long as the characterisation was believable. 
Even though Harry does not always act the way I would have acted, I
still find his actions believable for him.

I do like Rowling's sense of humor.  There are plenty of things that
both children and adults can find funny.  There are also plenty of
jokes in the book that I "got" and my kids missed completely.
 
> 
> 2. From that point of view: Which are the elements of the books that
> you feel as most appealing to you? Stories, characters? Do you think
> that this is a good read for any adult? You think no one should feel
> ashamed of reading these "child" books?

There is so much that appeals to me: story, characters, and themes.  I
also love how the Wizarding World is portrayed as being *just* out of
our range of vision.  The imagination put into all the names tickles
me, too.

I do think this is a good read for any adult as long as it's to their
taste.  There's nothing that *everybody* is going to like, after all.
 No, I don't think adults should feel ashamed of reading these books,
as if they are wasting their time on them.  I personally get more than
mere entertainment from them, and I also find that I get more out of
them than my children do (ages 9, 11, and 13).

> 
> 3. Bloomsbury spokeswoman Lucy Chapman said in an article from BBC
> that she "thinks that adults can find another level in the Potter
> books". She said that people can read "into the mythology that runs
> through the novels, they pick up on more, such as the Latin school
> mottos." Do you think that is a key for success between adults? From
> that same point of view: It is possible to think, like mister Joel
> Rickett - news editor of the Bookseller website- says, that the "Harry
> Potter phenomenon also coincided with a time when it became
> fashionable for adults to indulge in children's activities, such as
> computer games"?.

I agree with Lucy Chapman.  I would take it farther than what's quoted
here, though, and extend it to adults also picking up on more of the
themes and character relationships, etc.  As for Rickett, I don't
know.  Didn't Bloomsbury put out "adult" covers because adults were
hiding their HP books?  So that sounds like a contradiction.

> 
> 4. Mister Rickett also says that the aura surrounding the author as
> a factor in Harry Potter's appeal to an adult audience. "The books are
> the product of one person which gives them an air of authenticity.
> The romantic image of a single mother writing stories in a café is
> appealing.", he says. What do you think about that?

I had read the first four books before I ever knew about Rowling's
relatively short stint in poverty.  Actually, I think I'd read two of
them before I even knew she was a woman.  I have to think that a lot
of adults began reading them because they picked up their kids' books,
or their kids told them to, or heard the word of mouth about how good
they were.  Apparently, many adults got curious after taking their
kids to a Harry Potter movie.  Then once they'd read a bit, many of
the adults were "hooked."  I can't imagine the "writing in a cafe"
thing has much to do with it.

> 
> 5. "Families were going into bookshops and buying up multiple copies
> on the first day of sale. Adults could not wait for the paperback
> grown-up version to come out," said a Bloomsbury spokesperson. Have
> you gone to midnight sales and waited for the books like hundreds of
> kids? Do you remember any story or anecdote about those events or
> about being an adult fan of Potter? Have you gone with your family
> to buy the books?

I went to the midnight release of Order of the Phoenix, just for fun,
because I'd never done anything like that before.  I had all my kids
with me.  I don't know whether I'll do it again or not -- if my kids
want me to, I'll take them.  Otherwise, I'll probably have them
delivered from Amazon on release day.

I do know other adult fans of Harry in my neighborhood, but though
they like to read the books, they don't discuss them much.  I get all
my HP discussion on the internet.  So, sorry, no interesting anecdotes!

> 
> 6. In the Order of Phoenix Harry is much more mature than in the
> first one. How do you react on this progressive growing process? You
> think this could make him loose some appeal?

This is one of my very favorite things about the series.  As Harry
grows, his point of view matures, and things become richer and more
complicated.  For instance, I love watching how the balance of power
changes between Harry and the Dursleys.  At first, Harry is completely
under their collective thumb.   Gradually, as Harry matures, and with
the help of the wizards who care for him, he gains more and more of
the power.  Once Harry has his birthday in the beginning of the
seventh book he will be "of age" and all the power will lie with him
-- I can hardly wait!  And this is just one tiny aspect of Harry's growth.

I think Harry's maturation gains him more appeal than it loses.  It is
true that a young child who starts with the first several books may
have to grow up a bit before being able to really understand the later
ones.  I don't see that as a problem at all -- that child will just
have something good to read when he's older.

Actually, I don't care how much "appeal" (as in popularity) the Harry
Potter books have, just as long as they are good books.  So far, I
have to say that they are *very* good books.

> 
> Thank you very much for your cooperation and sorry if I used some of
> your time with these questions.

It was a pleasure!  Good luck with your article!  Now I'm going to go
read the other responses...

Anne
> 
> Marcelo Cordova
> La Tercera (www.tercera.cl)
> Phone: 56-2-5507664
> Fax: 56-2-5507999