Wondering

[Carol]

Hi all. I know I don't post here, but I read a lot. I've been a
member for a couple of months now.

I'm a big Harry Potter fan though now after reading all the posts, I
don't think I'm quite as much of a fan as most of the people here,
because it's not all I think of all day like it appears a lot of you
do.

Here's the one thing I don't understand. Why are these books,
specially more than any other, taken SO seriously?? I really am
curious, not trying to be stupid or anything. I mean these are just
books, fiction. No one in them is real, and from most of the posts, I
swear people think they are real people. All of the trying to figure
out things kind of baffles me. I mean I am curious about some things,
but not enough to rip the entire series apart. I've always thought of
reading fiction as something I do for entertainment, enjoyment. So
many don't even seem to have enjoyed the books and yet read them all
anyway.

I am also a children's author. Definitely nothing like the HP series,
but none-the-less, so I am truly wondering the answers. I used to
think that I wanted to be JK Rowling. She was a broke, single mom,
teacher, writer, and now she is rich and famous. I am a broke, single
mom, writer, teacher (I did it in that order), and want to be rich
and famous. But then I've been reading all the horrible things that
have been written and said about JKR, and I now have no desire to be
her. Honestly, it's almost frightening. There are even lists with
people that want to kill her, and now with this gay thing, well,
that's just one more reason for people to talk so bad about her.

I guess I don't see why it's gotten so far. I can't imagine her life
and wouldn't want it, though I still want to be fairly rich and
famous. hehe Other novelists have awesome books and rich and famous
but people don't talk so horribly about them. So it just made me
wonder why these? Why do people treat them like real people, take the
books so seriously, and talk about JKR like she's the devil instead
of just a writer that wrote a few books. I really hope this doesn't
ruffle feathers. I don't mean it to. Just as a writer, I'm curious to
know.

Thank you everyone,

Carol