The article, Part 2

[Danemead]

Original Yahoo! HPFG Header:
No: HPFGUIDX C3262
From: Danemead
Subject: The article, Part 2
Date: 7/3/00 5:45 pm  (ET)

Part 2 of the AP article:

I don't know why these children books appeal to other grown-ups, but I
know why they've captured me. Partly it's because I've just never outgrown
my taste for magical adventure. "The Chronicles of Narnia," the Oz books,
"The Lord of the Rings" - I've read them all.

As a 6-year-old, I'd sit on the staircase with a book in my hand, locked
in my own private world. I couldn't even hear my parents call my name
from a few feet away because I was in Oz with Dorothy and the Scarecrow.

I still turn to fantasy as often as possible, be it Robert Jordan's
"Wheel of Time" series or anything by Terry Pratchett.

How can you not love a fairy tale? A story where anything is possible,
where people do things beyond the ordinary? When was the last time you met
someone who, like Harry, can talk to snakes in their own language? Haven't
you secretly always wanted a magical power? I have. Imagine what I could
do if I could be invisible, like Harry.

There's plenty of magic in these books - spells, mythical creatures,
wands. But that's not what draws me the most.

Fundamentally, J.K. Rowling is a great storyteller. These may be labeled
children's books, but that doesn't mean they're simple or uncomplicated.