Harry Potter--Unfiltered

I have been busy this past month and a half. Busy with things that have kept me up late at night and woke me up early in the morning. I have skipped naps and postponed showers.

I have been reading Harry Potter.

I had not read the series before, you see, because when they first came out I was a too-cool junior higher who did not want to read her little brothers’ books. I watched the movies and thought that was good enough.

I was a fool.

The series grows and develops with the characters—as the characters age, the storylines become more intricate, the decisions more complex. While I think a few of the books could easily cut 50-100 pages (how obsessed with Draco does Harry really have to be for us to get that Draco is up to no good?), Rowling does a fantastic job of foreshadowing without giving everything away. After I finished each book I re-watched the movies (except for Deathly Hallows Part II, which comes out on DVD in a couple weeks). As a natural consequence of transforming 700ish pages into 120ish minutes, the movies leave a lot out. Some characters are condensed, some side stories are completely cut, and the significance of each decision is boiled down and reduced to simple, easy-to-portray motivations.

This experience reminded me of the importance of going to the original source for things that are good. The movies are good, but the books are better. Facebook and blogs are good, but in-person interaction, when possible, is better. Sunday School lessons are (sometimes) good, but regular, personal scripture study is better. Sometimes value is lost when things are experienced through a filter.

Now what series to move on to?