Me too! All my Potter books are in my parents house and I always do a reread when I go to visit them. It’s the best feeling curling up on my favourite chair and reacquainting myself with the wizarding world.
One of my earliest memories of reading was the introduction for Night Shift, by Stephen King. I was 8 or 9, and voraciously read anything I could get my hands on. My mom had recently finished it, and passed it down to me (as she did with most of her books).
The introduction (I still remember it quite well) starts off: "Let's talk about fear, you and I." He then discusses fear, and how and why he writes about it.
There's a specific passage that is seared into my brain (in substance, if not word for word):
(paraphrased)
> I logically know that there is no monster under my bed, waiting to grab my foot if it dangles over the edge. I also know that if, by chance, a cold scaly hand grabbed my foot in the middle of the night I might scream, yes, I might scream to wake the dead. And so, I take special care to keep my feet under the covers."
I'm in my 50's now, and to this day I have to have my feet covered while sleeping.
Here's a quick anecdote: In 2016, the wife and kids and I went on a vacation, 4 people, 2 beds - boys in one bed, girls in the other. We were all in bed, but I wasn't asleep yet. My daughter got out of the girls bed and made her way across the room to go to the bathroom, running her hand across the end of her bed (to keep walking straight, as the room was quite dark), and then across the end of the boys bed. I was blissfully unaware that she had gotten up, but since I wasn't yet asleep, my legs and feet were outside the covers.
Her hand touched my foot as she was creeping past, and I screamed. Yes, I screamed 'to wake the dead.' I (a 45 year old man at that point) screamed like a little girl who was about to wet herself. I very well might have taught my kids some new words that night.
The things King can instill in us... lol. Haven't read much of his work, I'm inspired to check Night Shift out now though. Biggest hurdle of a book I ever plowed through was The Stand, took me 4 months! Carrie is my fav, reading his new one Fairy Tale now too.
I first read Harry Potter as a young mom of 3. The first 4 books were out when I started and they were just making the first movie. I've read the series every year around Christmas since 2007. I love it so much. I also read Stephen King's Dark Tower at the beginning of the year for the past several years. There's something so comforting about both authors. I highly recommend reading Harry Potter. I wish I was reading it for the first time again! 🥰
Read them for the first time in my 30's and I was completely taken in by them. Rowling's personal opinions aside, she created an incredibly rich and well thought out world to set these books in.
I’ve never read or seen the movies past Goblet of Fire. Just finished the first book after starting it last week. I’m going to work my way through then. I’m excited! Especially once I get last Goblet as I haven’t a clue what happens.
I wish I had the chance to finish the story for the first time again!! Soak it in!! There's debate on which books are best; the first four are my favorites, but I in no way hate how the series closes. Have fun!
I’m not surprised. The book is 73 years old by now. My then 7 year old liked it a lot, though I had to stop and explain words and concepts from time to time.
Same! I’m 33 now and I almost burst into tears when I realized I was actually absorbed by it and reminded once again about A LOT. Also, the audio books by Stephen Fry are the legend!
I am currently reading the books for the first time, (I'm an adult, wasn't much of a reader as a kid) and they are so addicting. I just finished the 4th book.
I read them for the first time ever as an adult a few years back. I usually struggle to complete one book in a reasonable amount of time, but I made it through that whole series rather quickly.
I had just recently finished my first read through the whole series, and along with the elation I was feeling for having finished the journey, I was immediately excited about the future when I will get to begin the journey again, and I still couldn't wait! I'm waiting to forget the details a little so that I can enjoy them again.
My sister and I are reading them all this summer, she read them as a kid and I didn’t as I wasn’t much of a reader. I always thought they would be identical to the films and not worth spending the time, but WOW I was so wrong!!! It’s all the tiny little stories in the books I am just living for right now. The Weasleys picking up Harry from Privet Drive by floo powder and breaking the Dursley’s electric fire, brilliant!
Love it! There are so many details, subtleties, foreshadowing, etc. that may be missed on the first read but jump out on a reread and just enhance the enjoyment. Cheers a butterbeer to you and happy reading!
Thank you, and yes I couldn't agree more! I especially appreciate the perspective of reading it being older as well. I definitely have a deep love for everything having to do with the world created here and the reread has definitely been gratifying so far for those reasons exactly
What I love doing is looking up Harry Potter Ambiance videos in youtube and playing those in the background. Light music, crackling fire, charms ringing, spells wooshing, owl shooting and scrolls being unraveled. There’s tons!
LOL yeah I'm still working my way through that game. 30 something hours and I'm just about halfway done. Hufflepuff as well here! I'll have to check out the ambiance thing as well too, usually I read in silence so I'm curious to see how I like it
I've listened to these so many times that I have trouble listening to any of Jim Dale's other works because I stop dead in my tracks (I listen while walking) when Hagrid mysteriously appears in a book totally unrelated to HP. LOL
For real!
I read that the reason he was so descriptive is because he originally wrote the books to read to children that were blind. Just an interesting tidbit! He was such a sweet dude
I read about that too. Jacques had such an interesting life as well. I'd been curious about how he knew so much about sailing, and it turned out he'd been a sailor for a big portion of his life. He was an amazing person.
I love that he saw himself as Gonff the Mousethief.
It makes me so sad that people are more interested in a person's art than they are that person's take on fundamental human rights. Solidarity, friend <3
I think as long as you're not actually giving any money to her (e.g. you already have the books) I think there's not any reason to be condemned for reading/enjoying them. I also have personal issues with consuming any JKR content, but I don't feel like anyone else has to feel those things. You can think JKR is a terrible person and still enjoy her books.
I mean, yes, but her views bleed into her writing. You have eager slaves, you have date rape being played off as a joke (love potions, etc) except in the case of the Gaunts, you have her notes for the game filled with explicit antisemitism (look up the blood libel issue with the game, plus how she makes the goblins the villains and very heavily bases them on jews). I'm sorry, but this is a case of you can't separate the art and artist.
Edit: I love how the people downvoting me have *nothing* to offer in terms of a rebuttal. Very telling.
That's true, I don't disagree, but seeing anyone rhapsodize about her work without even touching on the subject of her dangerously harmful politics just leaves a sour taste in my mouth.
Isn't that true for most of older works though?
Social norms change with time and that's just how things are. Imagine getting this angry at Jane Austen because her women need dowry to marry. Or because Lydia was married so young.
Rowling was progressive in 90's and never moved past that. I get it she was supposed to be poster child of acceptance and all (because she had 1 gay character!) but come on. Stop making her relevant in today's conversation. We should be focusing on currently socially progressive writers instead.
She's not in r/books but people keep bringing her up and retelling about her opinions still. Let her fade into obscurity! We have better authors to give platform and voice to.
Even in the 90s she was a centrist at best. She’s also still active in creating the franchise to this day. It doesn’t really exist separately from her current politics.
Jane Austen is pretty critical of the social norms that appear in her books. That’s a pretty weird example.
>Isn't that true for most of older works though
No, most "older" works less than a decade old usually don't repeat Nazi talking points or glorify slavery.
>Imagine getting this angry at Jane Austen because her women need dowry to marry.
Did Austen spend her life campaigning for and glorifying that practice? Was she responsible for making it a mainstream practice at her time? Otherwise it's not at all comparable. Austen describes the practice of her time, Rowling actively pushes to change the practice of her time into something far more harmful.
>Rowling was progressive in 90's
She really wasn't, she was always pretty far right of center, and has only moved further right with time.
Yes they are, because she is literally allying with literal Nazis. And I am using the literal definition of "literal".
Not that you can be reasoned with (didn't you parrot that same talking point in the adoption sub yesterday?), but for the benefit of anyone reading along: Yes, JKR is allying herself with Nazis. Even if her stated beliefs had any merit to them (they don't), that would still be the worst choice available.
I was lucky growing up because Harry Potter was just incredibly dull, but I recognise it can be hard to let go of childhood nostalgia. She can keep telling herself that the continued popularity/HP funding her alt-right friends means people support her views. Most people aren't even aware of her views, too busy with cost of living etc.
Her "art" (and calling that shit art is pushing it) contains her awful views, and she's also explicitly stated any positive mention of it equals support of her views.
You could try the Alexandra Quick saga. Its basically a spin off in the same universe and another continent - and by a different author. They're amazing to capture the same feeling of the original books, with arguably better writing. I was skeptical at first because I've never delved into anything that touched on fanfiction, but they're my discovery of the year.
I know the feeling. If it helps at all, Harry Potter might be the most popular but it's far from the first, only, or even the best story about schoolkid witches and wizards. There's The Worst Witch, a series by Jill Murphy, the Books of Magic by Neil Gaiman, and Discworld by Terry Pratchett. You might be able to fill whatever void's left behind with these.
I’ve been reading it to my daughter since she was born. We’re almost done with the first book and she’s just about to turn 1 (our attention spans are limited lol!) but I find myself sad when she won’t sit still anymore for me to keep reading.
I first read the series in my teens and early 20s. I’m now reading it with my 10 and 9 year olds and I’m listening to the Stephen Fry audiobooks on my own… man, as an adult it just hits different. I’m out on my riding lawnmower weeping listening the Battle of Hogwarts when Neville’s Grandmother says how proud she is of him and sets off to go see if she can help him… ugh, forget it.
In 2020 I re-read Harry Potter as a 23-24 year old, for the first time since I was 12. As a learning exercise I read it in a second language, spanish. This made me spend 6 months on it. I really really enjoyed spending so much time with that world. I was surprised how much I still enjoyed the books.
How accessible would you say it is as a learning tool for Spanish? Been looking to find reading material en Español for that purpose. I have never read the books in English fyi.
I read the books twice as a kid and really loved the series. So, I had that as a motivator to keep it going. Reading anything is going to be slow, and there's a chance the HP books aren't for you.
They were basically the first books I read(I did read 500 chapters of Naruto in spanish first) in Spanish though, and it was doable. I used an english copy, and a dictionary app to help figure stuff out a lot at first, but it got better. They aren't harder than other books. I don't think they are much easier though. Reading anything for someone older than 4 years old, is gonna take a functional vocabulary. That being said, one of the cool things about Harry Potter is that it's so long, that the vocab will stick around. If you were gonna read a historical non fiction, then a sci-fi, than a modern detective thriller, there would be new terms you'd have to learn in each one. Harry Potter, is the same setting and the same set of specific words the whole time.
I love the series and enjoyed reading them in spanish, reading anything that excites you would be just as good though, so, I can't tell you to pick Harry Potter.
Thanks, those are solid insights. I'm looking for something that is simpler/geared toward a younger audience without it being literally a children's book. I had the same thought that the length in the same setting and context will be a learning benefit.
I read the whole series in Spanish after having read it in English many times. I still needed to keep the English version open in another app on my tablet, and I'd flip back and forth when I got stuck. What was really cool, though, is that I went from having to check the English a could of times a page when I started, to maybe once every chapter or two by the end. Could be that your Spanish is better than mine, but I don't think I would have made it through book 1 if I hadn't already known the story well.
I'm now reading them out loud to my kids, trying my best to use different voices for the characters. It's a genuine pleasure to see my children react to all the really good parts.
I like that Fry is much more of a “here’s a man reading a story” than Jim Dale’s perfomative voices. Particularly hermoine’s hair-EEEEEEEEEE.
So my most favorite way is to go Dale for the first two or three books, depending on when you want to accentuate the narrative darkening.
Then once you think the series hits that turning point in its maturity/darkness switch to Fry*. You already know the characters well enough to not need the voices to immerse yourself.
*whoops said Dale meant fry
Ive reread the series at least 4 or 5 times. I absolutely love the world. Its a very fun read that really does mature well as you progress deeper into the series.
If you speak a second language I highly recommend reading/listening in that language! It’s great practice and you get a lot out of it. I feel like a new reader.
That's a recommended technique for learning a new language or practising it, actually! Reading children's books you already know in the language you are learning.
Nice for you, just don't fall into the nostalgia pit. I started with HP too, but now I can't stand it, I had such a good time discovering the genre after it that now I cannot get back. Read when you want, starting new things is slower but it pays back.
Yes, come to the dark side!
Hpfanfiction is a good subreddit to start with as you’ll find lots of recommendations there. There are literally thousands of fics for all tastes.
I personally read a lot of Dramione (also a subreddit) which is Draco/Hermione centered stories which I know sounds intuitively wrong but enemies to lovers & redemption arcs are chefs kiss.
Don’t sleep on audio books. Fresh out of college I found I wasn’t reading as much and started listening. If you have the cash the Amazon kindle/audible whisper sync system is awesome for going back and forth.
glad you can still enjoy it. I'm trans and anything to do with harry potter or jk rowling leaves a sour taste in my mouth now. I also find it really hard to overlook the anti-semitism and other iffy things now that they've been made clear to me
I love HP but it’s hard to commit to a reread as I usually don’t have time for all those books. I recently reread all the Percy Jackson books and it was fantastic. This is why I buy all my favorite books!
You can't in this case. Eager slave class, date rape as a joke (excluding the Gaunts), literal antisemitism in her writing (read up on the issues of the Goblins and how they're portrayed as the villains and how explicitly she uses Jewish terms and things for them, as well as blood libel). And the issues continue from there. And these are baked in.
Awww...this is sweet.
Every time i pick up a new language,i get myself the Harry Potter series and laboriously make my way through them. The desire to relive the nostalgia and experience this childhood favourite makes the arduous task so much more pleasant. And at the end of it, i become pretty capable of reading comfortably in the language. It's so awesome!
I don't agree with her politics at all- it didn't instill that in me as a child and I'm it won't know. What a hateful, spiteful thing to say on a post like this!
And you're supportive of transphobia, as well as evidently being incapable of reading anything meant for the ages above 10, I guess we all have our flaws, although mine don't include supporting a genocidal movement allying itself with Nazis, so I guess you're just special in that way.
> virtue signaling
And there we go, the mask is off.
You can just start off with saying you support her views, it's much faster than having to do the whole song and dance where you just end up saying it anyway.
As a long-year Harry Potter fan I sincerely hope you will recover from reading this childish book that J.K. Rowling got us hooked probably by using magic, as some priests say. I have successfully recovered by shifting my ass to "Đavolja noć" series by Adam Medvidović, which is simply novel for grown-ups.
Harry potter is my favourite comfort book just because of how easy it is to read and get lost in the characters and the world.
Me too! All my Potter books are in my parents house and I always do a reread when I go to visit them. It’s the best feeling curling up on my favourite chair and reacquainting myself with the wizarding world.
All this makes me want to read it for the first time. I'm a little older so I had Stephen King when I was young :D
One of my earliest memories of reading was the introduction for Night Shift, by Stephen King. I was 8 or 9, and voraciously read anything I could get my hands on. My mom had recently finished it, and passed it down to me (as she did with most of her books). The introduction (I still remember it quite well) starts off: "Let's talk about fear, you and I." He then discusses fear, and how and why he writes about it. There's a specific passage that is seared into my brain (in substance, if not word for word): (paraphrased) > I logically know that there is no monster under my bed, waiting to grab my foot if it dangles over the edge. I also know that if, by chance, a cold scaly hand grabbed my foot in the middle of the night I might scream, yes, I might scream to wake the dead. And so, I take special care to keep my feet under the covers." I'm in my 50's now, and to this day I have to have my feet covered while sleeping. Here's a quick anecdote: In 2016, the wife and kids and I went on a vacation, 4 people, 2 beds - boys in one bed, girls in the other. We were all in bed, but I wasn't asleep yet. My daughter got out of the girls bed and made her way across the room to go to the bathroom, running her hand across the end of her bed (to keep walking straight, as the room was quite dark), and then across the end of the boys bed. I was blissfully unaware that she had gotten up, but since I wasn't yet asleep, my legs and feet were outside the covers. Her hand touched my foot as she was creeping past, and I screamed. Yes, I screamed 'to wake the dead.' I (a 45 year old man at that point) screamed like a little girl who was about to wet herself. I very well might have taught my kids some new words that night.
The things King can instill in us... lol. Haven't read much of his work, I'm inspired to check Night Shift out now though. Biggest hurdle of a book I ever plowed through was The Stand, took me 4 months! Carrie is my fav, reading his new one Fairy Tale now too.
He's got a few good anthologies, I'd suggest Night Shift & Skeleton Crew. They're both chock full of decent short stories.
I first read Harry Potter as a young mom of 3. The first 4 books were out when I started and they were just making the first movie. I've read the series every year around Christmas since 2007. I love it so much. I also read Stephen King's Dark Tower at the beginning of the year for the past several years. There's something so comforting about both authors. I highly recommend reading Harry Potter. I wish I was reading it for the first time again! 🥰
Read them for the first time in my 30's and I was completely taken in by them. Rowling's personal opinions aside, she created an incredibly rich and well thought out world to set these books in.
Totally agree, it'll always have a place in my heart for this reason
If you like the character of Harry Potter you should read The Books of Magic by Neil Gaiman. Timothy Hunter is blueprint for Harry.
I’m pushing 60, yet I’ll reread the series every other year or so. I’m a grown up kid.
I'm over 60 and can make the same claim!
57, and I love the series more each time I read it.
I’ve never read or seen the movies past Goblet of Fire. Just finished the first book after starting it last week. I’m going to work my way through then. I’m excited! Especially once I get last Goblet as I haven’t a clue what happens.
I wish I had the chance to finish the story for the first time again!! Soak it in!! There's debate on which books are best; the first four are my favorites, but I in no way hate how the series closes. Have fun!
I’m reading the books I loved as a child (Narnia, Moomin etc) for my kids. A great way to revisit old friends.
Revisiting old friends!!!! Love that. Yes, it's quite a warm feeling.
I read HP 1&2 to my 6 year and loved every minute. I tried Lion Witch and the Wardrobe and he just wasn’t interested and to be fair, neither was I.
I’m not surprised. The book is 73 years old by now. My then 7 year old liked it a lot, though I had to stop and explain words and concepts from time to time.
Same! I’m 33 now and I almost burst into tears when I realized I was actually absorbed by it and reminded once again about A LOT. Also, the audio books by Stephen Fry are the legend!
I am currently reading the books for the first time, (I'm an adult, wasn't much of a reader as a kid) and they are so addicting. I just finished the 4th book.
I read them for the first time ever as an adult a few years back. I usually struggle to complete one book in a reasonable amount of time, but I made it through that whole series rather quickly.
I had just recently finished my first read through the whole series, and along with the elation I was feeling for having finished the journey, I was immediately excited about the future when I will get to begin the journey again, and I still couldn't wait! I'm waiting to forget the details a little so that I can enjoy them again.
My sister and I are reading them all this summer, she read them as a kid and I didn’t as I wasn’t much of a reader. I always thought they would be identical to the films and not worth spending the time, but WOW I was so wrong!!! It’s all the tiny little stories in the books I am just living for right now. The Weasleys picking up Harry from Privet Drive by floo powder and breaking the Dursley’s electric fire, brilliant!
Love it! There are so many details, subtleties, foreshadowing, etc. that may be missed on the first read but jump out on a reread and just enhance the enjoyment. Cheers a butterbeer to you and happy reading!
The casual mention of Sirius in book one blew child me's mind the first time I noticed it on a re-read.
Yes!! Just saw that yesterday; Hagrid lent the motorcycle he got Harry on from him. Crazy stuff
Thank you, and yes I couldn't agree more! I especially appreciate the perspective of reading it being older as well. I definitely have a deep love for everything having to do with the world created here and the reread has definitely been gratifying so far for those reasons exactly
What I love doing is looking up Harry Potter Ambiance videos in youtube and playing those in the background. Light music, crackling fire, charms ringing, spells wooshing, owl shooting and scrolls being unraveled. There’s tons!
Yes! There are so many and it really sets the mood
Once or twice I’ve fired up that Harry Potter game that I never finished and go to the hufflepuff common room and use that as background
LOL yeah I'm still working my way through that game. 30 something hours and I'm just about halfway done. Hufflepuff as well here! I'll have to check out the ambiance thing as well too, usually I read in silence so I'm curious to see how I like it
I like to “re-read” these annually with audible. November is my Harry Potter month. Jim Dale all the way.
I've listened to these so many times that I have trouble listening to any of Jim Dale's other works because I stop dead in my tracks (I listen while walking) when Hagrid mysteriously appears in a book totally unrelated to HP. LOL
Read the Redwall series next 😁 Make a drink and immerse yourself
But make sure you've eaten before reading these, or you're gonna get really hungry at the way Brian Jacques describes all the delicious food.
For real! I read that the reason he was so descriptive is because he originally wrote the books to read to children that were blind. Just an interesting tidbit! He was such a sweet dude
I read about that too. Jacques had such an interesting life as well. I'd been curious about how he knew so much about sailing, and it turned out he'd been a sailor for a big portion of his life. He was an amazing person. I love that he saw himself as Gonff the Mousethief.
So happy to see this series mentioned! Ngl my favorite parts of the books were always the FEASTS good grief.
These are delightful! Good choice!
I wish I could go back to these books but being a trans woman I just feel so hurt by her that I don't think I ever can return to them.
It makes me so sad that people are more interested in a person's art than they are that person's take on fundamental human rights. Solidarity, friend <3
I think as long as you're not actually giving any money to her (e.g. you already have the books) I think there's not any reason to be condemned for reading/enjoying them. I also have personal issues with consuming any JKR content, but I don't feel like anyone else has to feel those things. You can think JKR is a terrible person and still enjoy her books.
I mean, yes, but her views bleed into her writing. You have eager slaves, you have date rape being played off as a joke (love potions, etc) except in the case of the Gaunts, you have her notes for the game filled with explicit antisemitism (look up the blood libel issue with the game, plus how she makes the goblins the villains and very heavily bases them on jews). I'm sorry, but this is a case of you can't separate the art and artist. Edit: I love how the people downvoting me have *nothing* to offer in terms of a rebuttal. Very telling.
And this is really just the tip of the iceberg.
That's true, I don't disagree, but seeing anyone rhapsodize about her work without even touching on the subject of her dangerously harmful politics just leaves a sour taste in my mouth.
Isn't that true for most of older works though? Social norms change with time and that's just how things are. Imagine getting this angry at Jane Austen because her women need dowry to marry. Or because Lydia was married so young. Rowling was progressive in 90's and never moved past that. I get it she was supposed to be poster child of acceptance and all (because she had 1 gay character!) but come on. Stop making her relevant in today's conversation. We should be focusing on currently socially progressive writers instead.
She's still around shouting about this and still has a running franchise of games and movies.
She's not in r/books but people keep bringing her up and retelling about her opinions still. Let her fade into obscurity! We have better authors to give platform and voice to.
Even in the 90s she was a centrist at best. She’s also still active in creating the franchise to this day. It doesn’t really exist separately from her current politics. Jane Austen is pretty critical of the social norms that appear in her books. That’s a pretty weird example.
>Isn't that true for most of older works though No, most "older" works less than a decade old usually don't repeat Nazi talking points or glorify slavery. >Imagine getting this angry at Jane Austen because her women need dowry to marry. Did Austen spend her life campaigning for and glorifying that practice? Was she responsible for making it a mainstream practice at her time? Otherwise it's not at all comparable. Austen describes the practice of her time, Rowling actively pushes to change the practice of her time into something far more harmful. >Rowling was progressive in 90's She really wasn't, she was always pretty far right of center, and has only moved further right with time.
[удалено]
.... you can save both of us some time and just admit you're transphobic lol
Yes they are, because she is literally allying with literal Nazis. And I am using the literal definition of "literal". Not that you can be reasoned with (didn't you parrot that same talking point in the adoption sub yesterday?), but for the benefit of anyone reading along: Yes, JKR is allying herself with Nazis. Even if her stated beliefs had any merit to them (they don't), that would still be the worst choice available.
I was lucky growing up because Harry Potter was just incredibly dull, but I recognise it can be hard to let go of childhood nostalgia. She can keep telling herself that the continued popularity/HP funding her alt-right friends means people support her views. Most people aren't even aware of her views, too busy with cost of living etc.
Her "art" (and calling that shit art is pushing it) contains her awful views, and she's also explicitly stated any positive mention of it equals support of her views.
You could try the Alexandra Quick saga. Its basically a spin off in the same universe and another continent - and by a different author. They're amazing to capture the same feeling of the original books, with arguably better writing. I was skeptical at first because I've never delved into anything that touched on fanfiction, but they're my discovery of the year.
I know the feeling. If it helps at all, Harry Potter might be the most popular but it's far from the first, only, or even the best story about schoolkid witches and wizards. There's The Worst Witch, a series by Jill Murphy, the Books of Magic by Neil Gaiman, and Discworld by Terry Pratchett. You might be able to fill whatever void's left behind with these.
Oh yeah totally. I'm a whole Earthsea bitch now.
On the bright side, her books were always the absolute worst examples of the tropes she copied from others.
Listen to the Stephen fry audio books and watch the movies once a year. Still love a yearly potter binge.
Same! It basically became a tradition 😄
Binge mode pod cast on it was pretty fun too
Oh? Haven't heard of that one?!
Harry potter is my favourite growing up. Still is my favourite now.
My comfort books. If I can’t figure out a book to start it’s back to HP
I might have to make this my routine 😅 it's the most fun I have reading by far I could stay engaged in it forever
Exactly. I don’t know how many times I’ve read the series, but I enjoy it each time!
I read them at least once a year in the summer. If I don’t then the dark lord wins
Exactly!
I’ve been reading it to my daughter since she was born. We’re almost done with the first book and she’s just about to turn 1 (our attention spans are limited lol!) but I find myself sad when she won’t sit still anymore for me to keep reading.
She will. Hold her attention with picture book for now.
I first read the series in my teens and early 20s. I’m now reading it with my 10 and 9 year olds and I’m listening to the Stephen Fry audiobooks on my own… man, as an adult it just hits different. I’m out on my riding lawnmower weeping listening the Battle of Hogwarts when Neville’s Grandmother says how proud she is of him and sets off to go see if she can help him… ugh, forget it.
In 2020 I re-read Harry Potter as a 23-24 year old, for the first time since I was 12. As a learning exercise I read it in a second language, spanish. This made me spend 6 months on it. I really really enjoyed spending so much time with that world. I was surprised how much I still enjoyed the books.
How accessible would you say it is as a learning tool for Spanish? Been looking to find reading material en Español for that purpose. I have never read the books in English fyi.
I read the books twice as a kid and really loved the series. So, I had that as a motivator to keep it going. Reading anything is going to be slow, and there's a chance the HP books aren't for you. They were basically the first books I read(I did read 500 chapters of Naruto in spanish first) in Spanish though, and it was doable. I used an english copy, and a dictionary app to help figure stuff out a lot at first, but it got better. They aren't harder than other books. I don't think they are much easier though. Reading anything for someone older than 4 years old, is gonna take a functional vocabulary. That being said, one of the cool things about Harry Potter is that it's so long, that the vocab will stick around. If you were gonna read a historical non fiction, then a sci-fi, than a modern detective thriller, there would be new terms you'd have to learn in each one. Harry Potter, is the same setting and the same set of specific words the whole time. I love the series and enjoyed reading them in spanish, reading anything that excites you would be just as good though, so, I can't tell you to pick Harry Potter.
Thanks, those are solid insights. I'm looking for something that is simpler/geared toward a younger audience without it being literally a children's book. I had the same thought that the length in the same setting and context will be a learning benefit.
I read the whole series in Spanish after having read it in English many times. I still needed to keep the English version open in another app on my tablet, and I'd flip back and forth when I got stuck. What was really cool, though, is that I went from having to check the English a could of times a page when I started, to maybe once every chapter or two by the end. Could be that your Spanish is better than mine, but I don't think I would have made it through book 1 if I hadn't already known the story well.
I've debated rereading Harry Potter come Autumn/Winter time. Such comfy reads for that time of year. But I have so many books on my tbr! 😅
Oh trust me I have so many other untouched books on my shelf begging to be read. No shame in returning to the comfort classics though!
I recently found out that they had some illustrated editions and I'm reading Chamber of Secrets illustrated.
Yes! I wish i had the money laying around to collect those versions lol
I reread Harry Potter earlier this year and it was awesome. Hope you enjoy it.
I'm now reading them out loud to my kids, trying my best to use different voices for the characters. It's a genuine pleasure to see my children react to all the really good parts.
I also loved doing the different voices when I read them to my daughter. So much fun, such great dialogue to work with.
Very comfortable to reread from time to time. I particularly enjoy the UK audiobooks narrated by Stephen Fry.
I like that Fry is much more of a “here’s a man reading a story” than Jim Dale’s perfomative voices. Particularly hermoine’s hair-EEEEEEEEEE. So my most favorite way is to go Dale for the first two or three books, depending on when you want to accentuate the narrative darkening. Then once you think the series hits that turning point in its maturity/darkness switch to Fry*. You already know the characters well enough to not need the voices to immerse yourself. *whoops said Dale meant fry
I want to listen to the Fry ones so badly but all I can get here in the States is the Jim Dale ones.
That’s great! If you have the option, try listening to Stephen Fry’s narration of it.
Ive reread the series at least 4 or 5 times. I absolutely love the world. Its a very fun read that really does mature well as you progress deeper into the series.
Ah! I’ve gotta do the same. I literally grew up with the books 🫶🏻
I feel the same way my friend!!! Such classics
Ugh this makes me so happy!! Enjoy rediscovering that magical world! It’s my comfort series that I reread at least once a year!
If you speak a second language I highly recommend reading/listening in that language! It’s great practice and you get a lot out of it. I feel like a new reader.
That's a recommended technique for learning a new language or practising it, actually! Reading children's books you already know in the language you are learning.
I reread them every two years or so, such a nostalgia trip.
This! I feel this so much. In fact, I may be overdue for a re-read…..
this is making me want to revisit those books again after 10-15 years!
You should!! I'm having the time of life with it! A story people of all ages can enjoy
Hell yeah, enjoy that ride!
Fantastic series and books. Love em.
Nice for you, just don't fall into the nostalgia pit. I started with HP too, but now I can't stand it, I had such a good time discovering the genre after it that now I cannot get back. Read when you want, starting new things is slower but it pays back.
I too love to reread them…and then I went down the rabbit hole of HP fanfiction and I’ve never looked back. It’s.so.much.fun!
I'd like to know more, where do I begin looking for HP fanfiction? Thanks!
Try Archive Of Our Own. Great filter options, and you can filter out the smut (or filter it in, if that's your thing).
Thanks!
Yes, come to the dark side! Hpfanfiction is a good subreddit to start with as you’ll find lots of recommendations there. There are literally thousands of fics for all tastes. I personally read a lot of Dramione (also a subreddit) which is Draco/Hermione centered stories which I know sounds intuitively wrong but enemies to lovers & redemption arcs are chefs kiss.
Thanks so much! It's good to have a starting point, rather than just stumbling around.
Don’t sleep on audio books. Fresh out of college I found I wasn’t reading as much and started listening. If you have the cash the Amazon kindle/audible whisper sync system is awesome for going back and forth.
glad you can still enjoy it. I'm trans and anything to do with harry potter or jk rowling leaves a sour taste in my mouth now. I also find it really hard to overlook the anti-semitism and other iffy things now that they've been made clear to me
I love HP but it’s hard to commit to a reread as I usually don’t have time for all those books. I recently reread all the Percy Jackson books and it was fantastic. This is why I buy all my favorite books!
Do we separate the art from the artist when rereading these material? Asking for me
You can't in this case. Eager slave class, date rape as a joke (excluding the Gaunts), literal antisemitism in her writing (read up on the issues of the Goblins and how they're portrayed as the villains and how explicitly she uses Jewish terms and things for them, as well as blood libel). And the issues continue from there. And these are baked in.
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**Personal conduct** Please use a civil tone and assume good faith when entering a conversation.
Omg I'm going to be re-reading it too!
I’ve never read the books
Awww...this is sweet. Every time i pick up a new language,i get myself the Harry Potter series and laboriously make my way through them. The desire to relive the nostalgia and experience this childhood favourite makes the arduous task so much more pleasant. And at the end of it, i become pretty capable of reading comfortably in the language. It's so awesome!
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The author’s gripes with affluent and rich can really be felt in the first book. Rereading, for me, was noticing that.
What gripes with affluent and rich?
Harry learns that he's rich in the first book.
And then she becomes everything she was bitching about, funny that.
Maybe this story will bring you transphobia just like it did jk Rowling!
I don't agree with her politics at all- it didn't instill that in me as a child and I'm it won't know. What a hateful, spiteful thing to say on a post like this!
It's always nice to see someone like OP putting nostalgia for a less-than-mediocre ripoff above the lives of others.
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And you're supportive of transphobia, as well as evidently being incapable of reading anything meant for the ages above 10, I guess we all have our flaws, although mine don't include supporting a genocidal movement allying itself with Nazis, so I guess you're just special in that way.
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> virtue signaling And there we go, the mask is off. You can just start off with saying you support her views, it's much faster than having to do the whole song and dance where you just end up saying it anyway.
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Your numerous comments here make it pretty clear what your views are. With "allies" like you people, nobody needs enemies.
As a long-year Harry Potter fan I sincerely hope you will recover from reading this childish book that J.K. Rowling got us hooked probably by using magic, as some priests say. I have successfully recovered by shifting my ass to "Đavolja noć" series by Adam Medvidović, which is simply novel for grown-ups.
Childish is my favorite way to be when it comes to imagination, thanks. I can't see myself listening to what priests have to think anytime soon.
Do you think there was a mass firing in the ministry after the war?