Blog Post #1 Response

In response to the argument posed by Wolfgang Iser, this could be applied to the first two books in a way. After reading the boks various times as a youth, I always found it easy in envelop myself in the stories. I felt as if I was one of Harry's friends, right there with him. I think this was due in part to my age. As we get older, we are taught how to analyze almost everything we encounter, whereas as a child, we don't know any different, and have a euphoric effect to what we read. We feel like it can be real, and do not separate the story or the author from what is going on. The characters are so easy to identify because we either know or have encountered someone like them: the nerdy bookworm, the courageous friend, the bully, the teacher we feel is family, etc. The characters feel like family or pretty damn close. J.K. Rowling did an excellent job with character identity, and effectively hooked her audience. I almost wonder what it would have been like if I had read them later in life. As an adult in my 30's, I'm not sure if I would be able to appreciate it as well as I did as a child. This also depends on the person, but I do not feel it would have been the same. I feel reading was almost ruined for me by the constant studying of literature, and with the introduction of video games. I feel with the evolution of E-Readers, it has brought back an inspiration to reading. It's electronic, but also reestablishing the connection between reading and technology. I feel an older generation may not see the appeal or phenomenon the way children or young adults do. However, Harry Potter has defied this, and continues to grow. With the hurdle of schools banning the books due to witchcraft only increased their reading and craze. Therefore, I believe that Harry Potter are harmless books that have been able to reach across all generations successfully and still do based on the amazing story and complex, yet identifiable characters.