[HPFGU-OTChatter] Re: Urgent email opinions request from journalist in Chile (about Potter adult f

[marcelo cordoba]

Many thanks for your help!


--- annemehr <annemehr at yahoo.com> wrote:
> --- 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 caf 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 
=== message truncated ===


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