What
is Quidditch?
Alan Early
Marian College, Mohill
This summer three main news
stories took over our lives. The first was the horrific Concorde crash
in France. The second told of Nasty Nick's disgraced eviction from the
Big Brother house. And the third big story of the Summer was the release
of the fourth Harry Potter book. The excitement and anticipation that
surrounded The Goblet of Fire was astounding. Day in, day out for a fortnight,
we saw pictures of ten year-olds dressed in black robes with lightning-shaped
scars painted on their foreheads. What was so great about these books?
Why has Pottermania taken over the kids of today? I decided to find out.
The novels tell the story
of Harry Potter, The Boy Who Lived. As a baby, Harry and his parents are
attacked by the evil sorcerer, Voldemort. His parents are killed but when
Voldemort turns on the sleeping baby, Harry survives and the sorcerer's
powers are lost. Harry is left under the care of his mean aunt and uncle
until his eleventh birthday. When Harry learns that he is in fact a wizard,
he must go to Hogwart's School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Here, Harry
learns the tricks of the trade, makes his first ever friends and has the
odd dangerous battle with his nemesis, Voldemort.
J.K. Rowling was sitting on
a train when she came up with the idea of Harry. She planned it out meticulously
over seven books. In fact, after she wrote The Philosopher's Stone, she
wrote the ending to book seven. At the time she was so poor she couldn't
afford to have the original typed copy photocopied and so she had to type
it up again to send to the publishers! After several attempts, Bloomsbury
accepted the novel and the rest is history.
The reason the books work
so well is simple. It's something that few children's writers have picked
up on. Don't patronise the reader. Each of Harry's adventures is different
and individual and contains enough twists and turns for an Irish backroad.
The complex plots are intricately planned and layered and often have you
guessing twice. The characters are pitched perfectly and extremely likeable,
(or, for villains, dislikeable!). The wit is daft but hilarious; ("...Before
we begin our banquet, I would like to say a few words. And here they are:
Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak! Thank you.") And Rowling's sheer inventiveness
is often mindboggling.
I keep putting the label of
'children's book' on Harry Potter. But it is much, much more than that.
It is a fantasy. You wish and fantasise about going to Hogwarts from book
one. It is a comedy. You often find yourself laughing at the daftest things.
But you can't help it. It is a thriller; a whodunit where you find that
it is not always the butler... And most importantly, it is a novel that
will, in years to come, be called a classic.
Here are my reviews of each
Harry Potter novel.
Harry
Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
We begin the story of Harry
when he is a one-year-old. His parents have just been killed and he is
put under the care of his mean aunt and uncle, the Dursleys. Ten years
later, Harry finds out that not only is he a wizard but the most famous
boy in the magic world. He is brought to Hogwart's School of Witchcraft
and Wizardry where he learns how to play Quidditch, (a magic sport involving
four balls and fourteen players on broomsticks), makes his first ever
friends and takes part in a deadly duel.
This novel is like a prologue
in a book. It sets the story; while at the same time has you wanting more.
Warner Bros. have started shooting the adaptation of this book, with Chris
Columbus (Mrs. Doubtfire) tagged to direct. Though far from the best,
The Philosopher's Stone is a great read that is choc-a-bloc with ingenious
creativity and originality.
Harry
Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
Strange things are afoot at
Hogwart's this year; Harry meets the hilariously vain Gilderoy Lockhart,
goes to a Deathday Party and comes across a mysterious diary with no writing
in it. Oh yes, and students are turning to stone. And Harry is the main
suspect...
In this book, we dig deeper
into the dark history of Hogwarts and find that things are not always
as they seem. A genuinely surprising twist along with highly exciting
moments, this novel is extremely enjoyable. This gives you a taste of
what is to come in the saga.
Harry
Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
The 'ruthless' serial killer,
Serius Black has just escaped from the virtually unassailable fortress
of Azkaban. Known to be a strong follower of the evil Lord Voldemort,
Black murdered thirteen people over ten years ago. And to Harry's shock,
Black is his godfather, and is heading in his direction...
Once again, Rowling comes
up trumps with her pure inventiveness. Here, Harry encounters the dastardly
Dementors, guards of Azkaban, who drain all the happiness out of their
victems. He finds the Marauder's Map, a plan of Hogwart's, including all
the secret passages, which also shows the position of everyone in the
school. He confides in new teacher, Lupin, who, strangely, is always on
sick leave. And the creation of Hogsmeade is utterly brilliant.
Harry
Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Harry is invited to the Quidditch
World Cup Final, (Ireland vs. Bulgaria - Ireland win!), where strange
happenings occur. Then he has to compete in the Triwizard Championship,
a sometimes deadly wizarding olympics between three schools. And even
more terrifying, he has to ask a girl to a ball at Christmas!
This is the biggest, (almost
700 pages) and, quite simply, the best to date. With huge thrills and
some tears, Harry has his most dangerous year to date. He must stay clear
of tabloid reporter Rita Skeeter, who always twists his words to something
about his parents. Also, for the first time, we see the real Lord Voldemort.
He is back, stronger than ever and after Harry. The end leaves you thirsty
for more as Dumbledore, like a general sending out troops, begins his
war on Voldemort. And yes, you can believe the hype; someone does die
in the end.
Harry
Potter and the As Yet Un-named Book
There's more to come for Potter
fans. Book Five is due to be released next summer, with books six and
seven the following years.
I would definitely suggest
to anyone to read Harry Potter. They are thrilling, funny and beautifully
written. Remember - just because it's in the children's section doesn't
mean it's rubbish. In fact, there are editions of the books with very
classy, black and white covers - you wouldn't even know they were originally
written for kids. So read Harry Potter. It'll be a long time before you'll
be whisked away to such an amazing, exciting and real world.
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