As you probably know, I started reading and watching Harry Potter books/movies almost a year ago, because I search for the inspiration while writing my next book, the fantasy book about dragons and fate entitled Unknown Future – Your Destiny. So, I’ve already seen the half of it, so it’s time to write this blog post now.

When I was a kid, I had to read three chapters of the first book, and it was too tough for me. It was a torture! After all these years I decided to finally read all these books, and I’m really happy about it. I’ve always believed that it’s one of examples of fantasy canon, and it’s simply a masterpiece. I have known four first movies the best as a kid (I still have old school cassettes with these movies), and then I stopped watching, because it got too scary to me… But after few years I watched next four, and in the end last year I started watching and reading at the same time to compare both things. So, you may probably already know it well but let me live you all these titles below.

1. Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone;
2. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets;
3. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban;
4. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire;
5. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix;
6. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince;
7. Harry Potter and Deathly Hallows.

I’m about to start reading the 5th book soon. The same thing with the movie which I saw only once, so I will talk about things that I noticed based on first four titles.

I think the first movie is the closest adaption, and then books get bigger in size, so I’m not surprised that so many scenes and elements didn’t make it to movies. But I also realized that some details were changed, and it made some things feel completely differently in both mediums. So, I completely understand the idea of making a series which would be closer to books. I don’t know how it is with next three titles yet, but I guess there are only more and more threads that were cut off from movies. The last book got two movies, so maybe it’s not so far, but those previous ones definitely are… So, it may be an interesting thing to watch and compare. I mean the whole trio. Are you excited about the series? Or do you wish there was the continuation? Well, I would love to see next two movies from Fantastic Beasts at first, and then maybe the drama Harry Potter and the Cursed Child in a form of recorded play with the same actors from movies. But well, it’s not up to me…

So, now few things about other things. I’ve noticed that there are university courses about Harry Potter. Let me remind you, I studied Polish Philology at the University of Warsaw for 5 years… It’s definitely a cultural phenomenon that deserves to be examined, but also… They are extremely popular, because all spots were always taken in just few seconds… I have never made it, but I really tried to register for any of them!

The last thing to discuss is a religious aspect. I believe that it’s a harmless fantasy, but I wouldn’t give these books to read for my own little children. I found it hard to read it in primary school, so I think that maybe 12+ is a better age though I enjoy these books now when I’m 25… So, I wouldn’t throw these books to the fire like some people do. It’s based on folklore themes that have been here for centuries in the end… And you know, folk stories are really fascinating to me, because it’s very often something that people really believed in, but right now it’s just relics of a very distant past… And let me say it one more time – what is already dead (culture and beliefs here) is simply harmless.

So, that’s all today. Another post is coming on Friday, and it will be about Only Murders In The Building.

Greetings!

A.A.