Thursday, November 15, 2001

Crazy over Potter
All ages embrace Potter

Wizards. Wands. Muggles. Harry Potter. These words have become household names in a craze that has swept across the country, capturing the imaginations of young and old alike and has also become embedded in the hearts of many TCU students.

GRAPHIC BY KRT CAMPUS

The series that J. K. Rowling created in 1997 con

tinues to grow in popularity and draws in more and more readers of all ages everyday. Four books have been released in the series so far: “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone,” “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets,” “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban,” and “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.”

A number of TCU students have embraced the tales of the young wizard, who faces off against nefarious villains with the help of his friends.

Matthew Flinchum, a sophomore philosophy and political science major, started reading the books when he was a freshman and loves every novel in the series.

“I read the first book in less than a day. I just couldn’t put it down,” Flinchum said.

“J.K. Rowling puts so much depth into the world of Harry Potter that I feel like I am actually there.”

Sophomore nursing major Krista Coffey said although she has only read the first book, “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone,” she is hooked and plans to read the others as soon as she gets the money to buy them.

“I’ve always liked reading and it was nice to be reading something during the semester that wasn’t for a class,” Coffey said. “It (has) a really good story line, it’s easy to read and it (has) good fantasy elements in it that make you forget you’re actually at college and need to be studying for an exam.”

Coffey said at first she was baffled as to why so many people felt such a passion for books that are aimed mainly at children.

“It is a little strange that so many people from so many countries would be interested in it, but (the books are) really good and unique, so I would guess that’s why they’re so popular,” Coffey said.

Flinchum said Rowling’s books are a big draw because they have many elements that appeal to many different audiences.

“ ‘Harry’ appeals to children because the book is about a young adolescent,” Flinchum said. “Adults like him because they are reminded of how much they longed to be what Harry is, a truly powerful young man who (succeeds) against the odds.”

“College students are old enough to feel the adult attraction to Harry Potter, but at the same time young enough to feel the children’s pull toward Harry as well.”

The effect the series has had on children has been one of the most surprising aspects of the craze surrounding Harry Potter, said senior computer science major Tonya Antle.

“I think part of (the attraction) is people are just amazed that so many kids are wanting to read these books,” Antle said. “The last one was over 700 pages and kids don’t normally read 700-page books, but they will read these three or four times. It’s amazing to see the excitement in kids about reading.”

Magic, the series’ subject matter, is considered one of the key elements that draw such avid fans from a diverse range of audiences.

Some of the fans of the series who have never read fantasy books prior to the “Harry Potter” titles, like sophomore pre-major Katie Childress, are fascinated by the strange creatures, spells and customs that make up life in the wizard world.

“I think the ideas (Rowling) comes up with for her stories are amazing,” Childress said. Reading about magic is something I wouldn’t normally get to do. It’s a nice break from textbooks.”

Childress said reading the books helps her escape from reality for a while and lets her feel like a kid again. She is anticipating the release of the fifth book to see what happens next.

Harry Potter followers may be disappointed to learn that the publication date for the fifth book is still a mystery. However, fans are becoming more excited by the approaching premier of the first Harry Potter movie.

Tickets for “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone,” which will open in theaters around the country Friday, quickly sold out because of the availability of advanced tickets online.

Emotions are mixed about the movie as fans worry about how closely it will adhere to the book.

Patrick Harris, a junior e-business major, said he was able to get tickets for this weekend and is excited to see how well it captures the richness of the book on screen.

“There’s always a natural preoccupation with how true to the story (the movie will) stay, but from the previews, it looks like things are pretty close,” Harris said.

Coffey said she is not concerned about how the book will translate to the screen.
“I would be disappointed if they took something that was so good and made it seem awful or childish, but it’s just a movie. I won’t be devastated,” Coffey said.

The excitement about both the books and the movie continues to grow, spawning new business ventures everyday. Stores’ shelves are lined with every item of Harry Potter merchandise imaginable, from calendars to dolls to board games. Even Bertie Bott’s Every Flavor Beans, a favorite candy with the young characters in Rowling’s books, are now available.

Harry Potter chat rooms and discussion boards bustle with activity each time new rumors are started about the next books or the movie. For those lucky enough to get opening-weekend tickets, at least questions about the latter will soon be solved.

By Laura McFarland
L.D.McFarland@student.tcu.edu