There is no need to cast the voice-projecting “Sonorus” spell to amplify the anticipation of literature’s most hyped hero in his finest fantasy hour. The final installment of J.K. Rowling’s seven-book “Harry Potter” series, to be released Saturday, will be sure to top Witch Weekly’s ““ or, rather, The New York Times’ ““ bestseller chart.
And with this epic release, Potterholics are simultaneously celebrating and mourning July’s Harry Potter hysteria and the end of a nearly 10-year phenomenon. As will be seen at bookstores across the country, these Potterholics come in swarms.
“I don’t have any friends who don’t like “˜Harry Potter.’ They don’t make it into my inner circle, that’s for sure,” Giovanna Forsyth, a fifth-year English student, said.
Although the series features the kinds of wizards and dragons found in other fantasy classics such as the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy, “Harry Potter” stands in its own Hogwarts-pedigree class.
“(J.R.R.) Tolkien of “˜The Lord of the Rings’ set the standard for fantasy fiction writing, and a lot of fantasy fiction writers since then have tried to plug it into a formula,” Tamara Williams, a fourth-year English student, said. “But “˜Harry Potter’s’ completely original and … it’s not trying to copy Tolkien. Even for people who don’t read fantasy, there are other things about “˜Harry Potter’ that make it appealing.”
Throughout the series, readers discovered Harry’s fears, ambitions, and relationship anxieties and could relate to his dilemmas despite the unique world he exists in.
An orphan with unkempt black hair, startling green eyes, wire-rimmed glasses, and a lightning-bolt shaped scar tearing across his forehead, Harry is not dashingly handsome or particularly wise but rather a normal teenage boy trying to understand his developing magical powers.
“It’s like the kind of story you grow up with, this really normal kid and all of the magical stuff that happens to him,” said Anna Rozenbaum, a third-year microbiology, immunology and molecular genetics student. “It doesn’t read like fantasy just because it has elements of fantasy in it because it’s not all epic; it’s more interested in character development, relationships and the central battles.”
Although the “Harry Potter” series involves the familiar story of a hero coming of age, the series’ success as a franchise is entirely modern.
With Warner Bros. Studios distributing the “Harry Potter” films, the cross-media marketing extends to lines in the clothing, toy and game industries.
These central struggles weave in and out of the magical world as Harry not only battles dark forces but also overcomes his average adolescent problems.
“I was pleased with how he went through the stages of being a frightened kid to the angry teen to being the adult,” Rozenbaum said. “In the sixth book, it was so satisfying to see him be in command and in control after being pushed around for his whole life.”
The merchandising exposed the wizarding world to readers who may have been unlikely to pick up the books. With this synergy, the “Harry Potter” franchise continues to reach a wider audience.
“I don’t think I would have ever read a book written for an 11 year-old at 19 or 20 for no reason,” Forsyth said. “I think the fact that the movies and the books come out simultaneously has been a huge part of their success, because they drive each other.”
Although most Potter products target younger fans, the college student market remains active.
Students invest in not only DVDs, but also in outfits for midnight movie premieres, book releases and everyday wear. Most college students are unashamed to wear their Potter pride on their sleeves.
“The people who started reading it when they were younger have grown up with it ““ it never became cheesy to read “˜Harry Potter’ books. You could keep doing it,” Forsyth said.
And while Rowling may not hold magical powers, fans can anticipate a dramatic midnight release akin to a “Specialis Revelio” unveiling spell as Muggles around the world pick up copies of the seventh book and embark on the final chapter of Harry Potter’s adventures.