By: J.K. Rowling
Narrated By: Jim Dale
I went in to this year with the goal to reread the Harry Potter series in June. Well, I did not account for the global pandemic, or the global Anti-Racism riots. The series took me longer to get through than I expected, I ended up listening to them on Audible, and I did not finish the series until August.
I always learn something new, or discover new details when rereading the Harry Potter books. I am always so shocked that Book Harry is SO SO SO much less annoying than Movie Harry. I am also increasingly shocked about Hermione’s lack of recognition and credit. I mean, we get it, she’s a smarty, but like…everyone would be dead without her. And that is important to remember. Also, as I get older, I find it less enchanting that the little kids wont just ask the grown ups for help. I mean, there wouldn’t be much of a story, true. But those eleven and twelve-year-olds had no business busting through the chamber(s) of secret(s).
I also began this reread just as the author was making yet another round of anti-trans statements via twitter. Some of my strongest criticisms about the book are steeped in how she explores gender roles. (Hermione could literally destroy dark magic all by herself (except she’d need to call in Harry for like 5 seconds right at the very end), but she is also the first to cry when anything unfavorable happens. I mean, it’s not impossible, it’s just a little…obvious.) So I am not surprised that the author has said what she says. I don’t agree with her, and I’m struggling to figure out if that means it’s time to break up with Harry Potter? Maybe this will be the last re-read that I do for awhile, as I explore fantasy with a more diverse authorship and cast of characters.
