What is about Harry Potter that everybody loves?

Question

I'm curious because everywhere I look I see something about it.

Answer 1

There are a lot of different theories...but this one is from author John Granger, from the following website:


http://www.ev90481.dial.pipex.com/harry_potter_granger.htm

Why The Potter Books Are So Popular

In conclusion, to understand the meaning and popularity of Chamber of Secrets, 'Remember Cedric Diggory!' As with C. S. Lewis's Narnia and Tolkien's Lord of the Rings, Rowling's Harry Potter books enjoy such remarkable sales and popularity because of:

1) The Need for them: Lewis described the aims of education in modern times as 'irrigating a desert' in contrast to the popular belief that it is 'to cut down jungles' or clear away delusions (see The Abolition of Man , page 24, for the allusion and The Last Battle for its illustration in story). The desert that needs water is both spiritual and mental. Soft heads and hard hearts long for truth, beauty, and goodness even though they have been taught to despise or disregard these as subjective or sentimental qualities. Maslow said 'a capacity is a need'; our denied or misdirected spiritual capacities have created a nearly irresistible craving and need for Inkling quality reading.

2) A WOW! Story: Whatever the demand for edifying literature, if it isn't engaging and entertaining as story it cannot have the desired effect. Ms. Rowling's detailed, magical world allows and invites head first immersion and suspension of disbelief. Her readers identify with Harry and are rushed to a catharsis in spirit with their hero via the imagination. They absorb, consciously and unconsciously, just sentiments, heroic virtue, and Christian doctrine while loving the adventures in which this moral education is wrapped. Ms. Rowling's affection for the works of Austen and Dickens (and her like talent for 'manners and morals' fiction and believable characters) is evident in every Potter book.

3) The Christian Meaning: The Harry Potter books do not offer a generic 'good over evil' message. Ms. Rowling writes the powerful, spiritual answer in story form to mankind's larger questions in the only language even a post Christian culture can understand: she writes in the symbols and doctrines of the Christian faith. Harry Potter fans enjoy a resurrection experience in every book and are awashin word pictures and images of Christ and souls in pursuit of perfection in Him. Without this specific meaning, Rowling could not have achieved her unprecedented popularity in a culture that only knows of God in these forms.

4) "Past Watchful Dragons": Lewis was aware of how repugnant anything "churchy" is to most people and especially to children. He once explained that his Narnia books were written to sneak 'past the watchful dragons' that guard our hearts against the Christian meaning of life. Harry Potter is so popular precisely because no one has stirred these dragons. Rowling, by means of her cinderella story, the cover of being anti-Christian, our cultural misogyny, and because she too is considered to be writing only harmless children's fantasy, has been able to bypass the much more ferocious and watchful dragons of our day. Her disguise (as 'welfare-mom Wicca-cultist') does the concealment job more effectively than wearing both Frodo's ring and Harry's Invisibility Cloak.

Answer 2

I never thought I would like or even read Harry Potter until my daughter (at the time 4...I had my first child young) brought the first movie home from her fathers and asked if we could get the book and read it So being a good mom I preread the book and then the next 4 in 6 weeks and could not wait until the 6th came out...now I am wiating for the 7th and thinking to my self wow I am just as bad as my daughter wanting to know how the story will end. I like it because it is so exciting and a page turner. You never want to put the book down. I also like that my child rereads the books at a young age making sure she didnt miss anything.

Answer 3

Not a clue. Frankly, I think Harry Potter books are hack garbage. Harry himself makes such a pathetic showing as a hero that it's almost funny to see him get all of the credit for things that his friends should get equal glory for doing with him. He really never does anything heroic for himself. There is always someone else there to save him.

Answer 4

We can tell your in love which is WHY we're jealous. Harry Potter was a gift to all of us, and now you're not going to share and keep him all to yourself. Just go take his virginity right now do it. I'm going to go jump off the side of the cupboard [I'm a pink floofer, and at 4 inches tall, that's considered suicide]

Answer 5

He's cute and we feel sorry for him because he is forced to live in a cupboard under the stairs at his Uncles house. Also he's just a kid and all these nasties are trying to kill him.
The stories have a lot of adventure and kids love reading about kids who can beat the bad guy and teach the grownups a thing or two too.

Answer 6

I like that J.K. Rowling creates an environment that seems really vivid and real. Whenever I am feeling sick or blue, I read they books and they take me away to a place that completely envelops me. Plus, she does an excellent job of creating characters that are easily recognizable in real life. For instance, we all know gangly wannabes like Ron, or know-it-alls like Hermione. And last, it's magic. It's nice to imagine a place where magic might really exist, especially when the drudgery of everyday life gets me down.

Answer 7

J.K. Rowling is not the best writer in the world, but she is a good storyteller. She has a way of bringing all the little parts together in the end...it should be interesting to see how she pulls it together in the last book.

Answer 8

Well first off read the books, kinda nice to see books without sex, blood, wear kids are healthy well adjusted, don't feel the need to misbehave or be little brats and still without all that be interesting and fun to read.
Skip the movies they went down hill after the first two.

Answer 9

I think it's really boring, there are alot more interesting things than Harry Potter.

Answer 10

I love it because:
-I love reading and all harry potter books keep me entertained for a long time basically because they are long and very well-written and have a good plot,universality,etc...
-it's a good fantasy story
-it's fun
and daniel radcliffe and tom felton are hotties so yeah...