The Movies Eliminate Information
Speaking of cutting for time… the movies cut SO MUCH INFORMATION. I’m still peeved that the movies didn’t show Harry mending his wand with the elder wand, or Wormtail’s hand turning on him, or even Rita Skeeter as a beetle. The books have a much richer world because of all this extra information. Not only do these big events raise interesting and important themes, small details such as descriptions of Hogwarts make the book that much richer.
Muggles Cant Make Potions
And thats because you cant make potions without wands. Merely adding dead flies and asphodel to a pot hanging over a fire will give you nothing but nasty-tasting, not to mention poisonous, soup, Rowling wrote on Pottermore. Though her least favorite subject in school was chemistry, she admitted that I always enjoyed creating potions in the books, and researching ingredients for them. Many of the components of the various draughts and libations that Harry creates for Snape exist and have the properties I gave them.
The Plants In Harry Potter Come From A Real Book
I used to collect names of plants that sounded witchy, Rowling told 60 Minutes, and then I found this, Culpeper’s Complete Herbal, and it was the answer to my every prayer: flax weed, toadflax, fleawort, Gout-wort, grommel, knotgrass, Mugwort.” The book was penned in the 17th century by English botanist and herbalist Nicholas Culpeper you can read it here.
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The World: The Details That Create The Magic
Oh, the world.
You can say what you want from Harry Potter. That the plot is predictable and full of clichés. That Voldemort is basically Hitler and its poorly developed. And the plot holes. Oh, the plot holes.
HOWEVER, you cant say that the world isnt well-developed.
And I can even agree that many things in the world dont make sense, like the law system. Its bad! And how on Earth did Harry and Rony become Aurors without even a high school diploma?
However, what she SHOWS us is extremely well-developed, and it lives on the details.
I recommend you read my article about worldbuilding. No author knows it all. We paint a picture of what the readers will see. We only have to show what will be needed for the story.
And Rowling goes above and beyond that. The magic makes sense and its full of rules. There are full books out there for you to learn all the spells used. The potions have specific and magic ingredients. Its shown in detail how to make a polyjuice potion, for example. Even the magic candy, the magic beer.
It makes the readers dream. Dream about being there and how it would be like.
All the worldbuilding is fantastically incorporated in the story. For example, she shows us different types of magic candies and how they are used by Fred and George.
She tells us what the students should take to school and where they bought it. And how the stores were.
This is also the difference between showing and telling. She shows us.
Why Do People Love Harry Potter
The first thing people love about Harry Potter is obviously the universe in which the story takes place. There is something about being in this amazing reality in which magic is real and you even go to a special school that helps you master your magical ability that draws people to get involved with the story.
An amazing universe would be nothing without interesting, well-written characters to fill it and the Harry Potter series definitely doesnt lack in that department. The character also creates strong friendships which only evolve as the protagonists grow throughout the series.
Aside from the characters, the universe is filled with many amazing magical creatures which make the plot even more interesting .
The plot is extremely captivating and because it has elements which rely heavily on character relationship as well as parts which delve into darker themes which are why the series is suitable for readers and viewers with different preferences.
As you explore the plot more and rewatching or rereading the series you will discover some hidden plot elements you may have overlooked the first time, such as the scene describing Fred and George throwing snowballs at professor Quirrels head.
Aside from the interesting plot, an important part of the series is the values the series teaches, and as such it is an amazing choice for younger children to start their reading journey with.
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Believe In Imagination & Yourself
Harry Potter also taught me how to use my imagination and believe in the impossible. If I can believe in a world where there are witches and wizards fighting an evil lord, and goblins guarding a bank that is built with an extravagant cart system guarding billions of wizard dollars, then why isnt it possible for me to believe in myself and my dreams?
Of course it is happening inside your head, Harry, but why on earth should that mean that it is not real? Dumbledore
The Felix Felicis Scene
Felix Felicis, the luck potion that is key to Harrys retrieval of Slughorns memory, makes for an interesting bit of storytelling in both the book and film. While the sequences play out fairly similarly, theres one key and hugely important difference. That difference comes in Daniel Radcliffes performance, which seems to be based on the idea that side-effects of the potion mimic drunkenness.
As Harry enacts his plan to retrieve the memory from Slughorn, viewers are treated to one of the more hilarious sequences in all of Harry Potter, as Slughorn, Hagrid, and Harry mourn the death of Aragog. In the end, the results are the same. Harry gets the crucial memory from Slughorn, and Dumbledore and Harry are able to move on in their fight against Voldemort. Thats great, but the movie turns this plot machination into something more than just plot. It becomes masterful comedy, if just for a moment.
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Jk Rowling Shot Down One Of Alfonso Cuarns Ideas
Rowling wasnt precious about all of the details of her books . Inevitably, you have to depart from the strict storyline of the books, she told Radcliffe. The books are simply too long to make into very faithful films. But that didnt mean shed let everything slide: Sometimes I would dig my heels in on the funniest things, she said. Id say yeah, change the costume, thats not a problem And then all of a sudden Id say, Why would they do that spell? They wouldnt do that there.
Take, for example, one shot that Cuarón wrote into Prisoner of Azkaban, which Rowling called rather bizarre. I think Flitwick was conducting, and there were miniature people in an orchestra inside something, she told Radcliffe. I said to him, but why? I know its visually exciting, but part of what I think fans really enjoyed about the literary world is that there was a logic that underpinned it. There was always a logic to the magic, however strange it became. And I know its intriguing to go through the mouth of whatever it was and see these little people, but why have they done it? For you to film it, thats just what it feels like. Normally, with the magic, theres a point. So we had a bit of discussion.
Prisoner Of Azkaban Director Alfonso Cuarn Asked Watson Grint And Radcliffe To Write Essays About Their Characters
Alfonso Cuarón wanted Watson, Radcliffe, and Grint to write essays about their characters from a first person point of view. According to Heyman, they all responded very much in character Dan wrote a page, Emma wrote 10 and Rupert didn’t deliver anything. Grint told Entertainment Weekly, I didn’t do mine, because I didn’t think Ron would. Or that was my excuse. At the time, I was actually quite busy with the real schoolwork involved with my exams, and I just didn’t do it. But in the end, it felt right because that’s what Ron would have done.
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Its Harry Potter Time: Why The Books Are Better Than The Movies
J. K. Rowlings beloved book series has warmed readers hearts for decades. What makes them better than their film counterparts?
Recently, J. K. Rowling has been getting a lot of hate for her . The controversy was initially sparked in June when she tweeted the following in response to an article about menstruation: People who menstruate. Im sure there used to be a word for those people. Someone help me out. Wumben? Wimpund? Woomud?
Members of the LGBTQ community were outraged at the implication that cisgender women were the only people who menstruate, and Rowlings follow-up remarks did not help her case. The controversy continued when Rowling published a new book, Troubled Blood, that features a cross-dressing serial killer.
The news surrounding Rowling recently has been all but positive, but we cant forget the joy that shes brought to countless people in the past, specifically through the beloved Harry Potter series. Harry Potter was an absolute essential part of so many peoples childhoods, mine included.
Screen media, on the other hand, is not quite so healthy. The blue light from screens decreases the production of melatonin a hormone that induces sleep which can lead to insomnia. Additionally, screen time has been linked to a decrease in gray matter in the brain and an increase in anxiety and depression in young people.
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Why The Harry Potter Books Are So Influential All Around The World
As Robinson Meyer reported yesterday at the Atlantic, to a question that went viral on the social media site over the summer: What books have stayed with you? J.K. Rowlings Harry Potter series topped the list of most-mentioned books in Italy, the Philippines, Brazil, India and France and came in at No. 3 in Mexico.
I adore the Harry Potter series and, in fact, spent the first part of my holiday break last winter marathoning and live-tweeting all seven books in a row. But I am fascinated by their persistence, in part because of how much they improved as Rowling continued to write them: the characterization gets deeper, the ideas more sophisticated, and Rowlings prose improves dramatically from the early awkwardness of Sorcerers Stone to the occasional passages of Deathly Hallows that achieve a real lyric effect.
Certainly I think one reason Rowlings novels have a strong international audience is that she makes a studied effort to have the Harry Potter novels be multicultural and multinational, even if those details come in at the margins of the novel, rather than at the center. Harry Potter, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger may all be white Brits, but their friends at the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry include Dean Thomas, who is black, and Padma and Parvati Patil, who are British students of South Asian origin.
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The Tale Of Three Brothers
In the book, Hermione reads The Tale of Three Brothers. Its an interesting story about arrogance and misguidedness, and it works well as a fairytale, but it also puts a huge pause on the action of the film. In Deathly Hallows–Part 1, the filmmakers got creative with the sequence. While Emma Watsons voice narrates the story, some really wonderful animation tells us the moral tale of three brothers who outsmart death, but are eventually bested by him anyway.
Apart from the crucial information that the story eventually uncovers, the animated segment also gives us a sense of what Harry Potter is truly about. Its about struggling against death, and ultimately recognizing that its not a menacing enemy, but is instead an old friend that can be greeted and treated like an equal. Theres nothing terrifying about death, and the beautifully animated segment drove that point home in a thrilling, new way.
Growing Up With The Characters
Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone came out when I was 8 years old. It made its way to the US when I was 9, and became a number one bestseller when I was 10.
I distinctly remember being in Chapters with my mom and the first 3 books were on the table when we walked into the store under the Must Reads section. My mom asked me if I was interested in trying this book that everyone was raving about. I asked her what it was about, and she told me it was about a little boy who finds out he is a wizard and its set at a castle in England.
Nah, Im not interested.
My mom bought it anyway because she wanted to read it herself, and later convinced me that we should read it together.
From the very first chapter, I was totally captivated by the world of Harry and his friends. I was so captivated that when my 11th birthday rolled around shortly after, I was genuinely disappointed that I didnt receive my Hogwarts letter.
I will be forever grateful that my mom chose to buy the book even though I said I wasnt interested because it set the tone for some of my most formative years.
As each Harry Potter book came out after that, I found that I was able to grow and learn alongside Harry, Ron, and Hermione. As I read about their awkward teenage adventures, I experienced my own awkward teenage adventures in my mediocre muggle life. Because I was growing up as they were growing up in the novels, I felt connected to them in a way I havent felt with any other characters in a story ever.
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The Breadth Of Imagination
Not a stone left unturned, the wizarding world is a fully-formed alternative that at once feels far removed from life as we know it, but still familiar and completely plausible. It’s Rowling’s ability to shape and invent a wizarding parallel for even the most mundane of tasks that contributes to the overall magnificence. It’s also the unknown. There are things we are yet to find out, but that’s what Pottermore is for, right?
Why Are The Harry Potter Books So Good
So lets get into it. Harry Potter is partially popular because of the brilliant writing by J.K. Rowling and the scriptwriters for the movies. In other words, Harry Potter is popular because people can relate to it. Though it takes place in a fantasy setting, the problems that Harry deals with are all too human.
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The Overall Feel Of The Movie:
For some reason, the nature of the film is totally off. There is no warmth between any of the characters and lacks humor in the entire movie series. All the characters are in danger most of the time and someone or the other keeps dying. It is just about action scenes and scary discoveries which leaves the movie with not much of an entertainment factor.
Harry Potter And The Not Very Good Writing
In this post, Harry Potter And The Not Very Good Writing, our blogger looks at the writing of one of the most popular authors of all time.
Now, now, Potterheads. Put down your wands. Im warded against your curses anyway. I dont want to bash your fandom just explore the not very good writing as the series progressed.
I love Star Wars, but George Lucas is a poor filmmaker. Hes not Rian Johnson bad, but, there, I said it: Sometimes, something I love isnt always very good.
But why must you ruin my childhood, you you dabbler in the dark arts! Harry Potter fans scream into the void.
Well, I say, I liked the Harry Potter books too, and I mostly still do. I re-read the first Harry Potter, you know, Harry Potter and the Regionally Dependant Title, not long ago.
I thought, lets see what made this such a good childrens book. So, I went to my bookshelves and rooted around, then remembered Im 30 and sold those books along with my piles of Animorphs 12 years ago. Dont worry, I still kept all my Asterix books. Im not heartless.
So, I downloaded it to my iPad and began reading. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and I thought, lets keep going. And boy was that a mistake.
Most writers improve with age.
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No Other Series Can Compete With The Magic Of Harry Potter
Many other long series with intricate plots and interesting characters exist in our world today, but none can compare with that of Harry Potter. Harry Potter is so magical and captivating because Harry starts off as someone just like you and I a normal person with problems in his life and big dreams ahead of him. He becomes everything that we strive to be honorable, brave, compassionate, and a hero. It is the best underdog story ever, and will inspire you to be as great as Harry Potter and, like him, save your own little world.
Harry’s Confrontation With Snape
Sometimes its important to vent. Although Snape is ultimately redeemed in a scene that plays beautifully in both the book and the film, Deathly Hallows– Part 2 also lets Harry get out some of his anger at Snape, the man who killed his mentor and then had the gall to step into his place. Of course, this was all part of Dumbledores larger plan, but Harry had no way of knowing that.
Snapes relationship with Harry was often fraught, and though Snape ultimately worked hard to protect Harry in Lily’s memory, the movie allows Harry to confront Snape in a way the book doesnt. In the book, Harry spends much of the final battle sneaking around under an invisibility cloak. In the film, he gets to vent a little, and all of us can appreciate how important that is. Snape and Harrys relationship was complicated, sure, but in this moment, Harry finally got to do some good old fashion yelling.
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