Why is Harry so Famous?

The hours leading up to July 8, 2000 were strange ones for me. I got a tattoo and a new pair of glasses, and after working a full eight-and-a-half-hour shift during the day, I voluntarily went back to work at 11:30 p.m. and stayed until well after midnight—all this to promote a book in a series that I had avoided since its inception.

As I left the bookstore in the early hours of the morning, I pondered why I now had a pair of Harry Potter glasses in my purse and a lightning bolt on my arm (in defense of my sanity, I did not go so far as to put it on my forehead). I also walked out with a copy of the new, much-hyped fourth book in the Harry Potter series, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. I had purchased the book partly because a cousin of mine was desperately counting on me to get it for her, but something else made me stand in a line that snaked throughout the store for an hour. Simply speaking, I got caught up in the hype.

The question I asked myself that night has been raised many times: “Why are the Harry Potter books so popular?” If I knew the answer to this I would be publishing books myself, but all I can do is guess. The unexpected popularity of this series probably comes from a mixture of novelty, trendiness and entertainment value.

People generally like to be up to speed with the general trends society is following, which is why fads come so quickly and then die when new fads replace them. The rapid rise to prominence of the Harry Potter books created an “in” group—suddenly, you were not cool unless you knew what Hogwarts’ was. Before I had begun to read the series, I would hear people of all ages—from my small cousins to my friends to my mom—rave about the latest Potter book and what had happened in the magical world of Harry and his friends. All too quickly it would become clear that I did not share their understanding of Quiddich and the rest of Harry’s adventures, their appreciation of trolls and giants, of mean classmates and invisibility cloaks. When people asked me if I had read them, I would look down and mumble something about not having time, embarrassed by my ignorance.

There must be something else about the books that keeps people coming back for more, that makes seemingly rational people descend in hordes upon bookstores at midnight just to get the latest book at literally the minute it is released. As strong as the desire to be able to participate in water cooler Harry Potter talk is, the content of the books is their biggest appeal; it retains readers and leaves them eagerly anticipating the next book. Once you read the first one, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, you are hooked, and as more and more people have found themselves under the spell of the Harry Potter books, their popularity has skyrocketed.

J.K. Rowling succeeds in painting a vivid picture of a magical world that forces the reader to use his or her imagination and enter Harry’s world. It is easy enough to relate to Harry’s life with his aunt and uncle, because people like that certainly exist in everyday life; however, it takes a leap to put oneself in the world that begins on Platform Nine and Three-quarters at the train station. Part of the draw of these books is that exact leap, stretching one’s imagination further than normal life allows. Perhaps people today are losing the ability to use their imaginations. The escapism and entertainment provided by the Harry Potter books are just what people need to let themselves go, to enter another, sometimes more friendly but always more exciting, world for just a little while.

Also, part of the series’ popularity stems from their ability to appeal to such a wide spectrum of people. These are books that parents can read with their children and actually enjoy in the process. Though the reading level is suitable for children as young as 10, the content appeals to everyone; the books can be interpreted on different levels, and there is something for everyone in the audience. It is rare to find books filled with whimsical, childlike fantasies that adults are not ashamed to say they enjoy as much as their sons and daughters. Another bonus: the books make children want to read more than 700 pages, something virtually no parent will argue against.

We may never understand exactly how the Harry Potter mania began in the first place, but what is clear is that its effects are far-reaching and will be here until a new, better fad comes along, which does not seem likely any time soon. What could replace lovable Harry and his idiosyncratic friends? What adventure could be more exciting than a day at Hogwarts? And perhaps with the new Harry Potter movie promising to break box office records and further cement Harry’s place in popular culture, the real question should be, who can stop Harry?