What we can learn from reading Harry Potter
Amy Clark
Issue date: 4/30/08 Section: Opinion
The name Harry Potter has been so heavily published in the last decade that that you would be hard pressed to find a community in any corner of the globe that doesn't know who is he is ( and what the context is) and have so sort of oppion on the fictious boy wizard. While both the Harry Potter series , and its author , J.K. Rowling have been the subject of much debate and controversy, the bottom line is, love him or hate him we all know who is.
The series has been credited with getting people to read again and getting people excited about it. In the last few decades reading has fallen by the wayside and been usurped by flashy technology that caters to our need for instant gratification and engagement.
If it's perplexing why people don't read, they need look no further than primary (k-12) education standards.
The sad reality is that for most people the first exposure they have to books comes in the form of the dreaded "required reading list." Required reading, in my opinion, has almost singlehandedly killed peoples' desire and interest to read and the book industry that produces the material. To make something required takes any joy out of it and in turns it into a "chore," and you know how much people hate those.
While in theory, exposing kids to books and creating a mechanism that insures that a person will finish a book in it's entirety seems like a positive thing, the reality is people seldom like to do things they are forced to.
The second major flaw with this system is often times the nature of the books themselves. While most of these pieces are increidble in their own right, for a person who has never really read before, perhaps Shakespeare and Dostoevsky aren't the best place to start.
The majority of books on most reading list are complex, heady materials that often contain an underlying theme or message and woven into the story line and in many cases a social or societal critique of its time. Additionally most of these works exist in a time, place and vernacular long since past that people can't understand or relate to. That is where Harry Potter comes in.
These books are written in a way that is very simple and approachable to most people. While the books are long and deal with serious subject matter, they do it in a way that people can understand and relate to. The issues are black and white, good vs. evil. The hero is a young orphan who is awkward, nerdy and unsure. He doesn't fit in and isn't cool, per say. However he finds a community and friends who embrace him and tell him how special he is. Doesn't everyone want to find that?
The books tap into our feelings of insecurity, awkwardness, and alienation without over analyzing this. While the Harry books are criticized for being fluff and "dumbing " down reading by not being intellectual enough, critics have a lot to learn from old Harry and crew. Yes the books are light in nature but that's what beginners need. If you truly want to get people reading, then let them start slow.
The series has been credited with getting people to read again and getting people excited about it. In the last few decades reading has fallen by the wayside and been usurped by flashy technology that caters to our need for instant gratification and engagement.
If it's perplexing why people don't read, they need look no further than primary (k-12) education standards.
The sad reality is that for most people the first exposure they have to books comes in the form of the dreaded "required reading list." Required reading, in my opinion, has almost singlehandedly killed peoples' desire and interest to read and the book industry that produces the material. To make something required takes any joy out of it and in turns it into a "chore," and you know how much people hate those.
While in theory, exposing kids to books and creating a mechanism that insures that a person will finish a book in it's entirety seems like a positive thing, the reality is people seldom like to do things they are forced to.
The second major flaw with this system is often times the nature of the books themselves. While most of these pieces are increidble in their own right, for a person who has never really read before, perhaps Shakespeare and Dostoevsky aren't the best place to start.
The majority of books on most reading list are complex, heady materials that often contain an underlying theme or message and woven into the story line and in many cases a social or societal critique of its time. Additionally most of these works exist in a time, place and vernacular long since past that people can't understand or relate to. That is where Harry Potter comes in.
These books are written in a way that is very simple and approachable to most people. While the books are long and deal with serious subject matter, they do it in a way that people can understand and relate to. The issues are black and white, good vs. evil. The hero is a young orphan who is awkward, nerdy and unsure. He doesn't fit in and isn't cool, per say. However he finds a community and friends who embrace him and tell him how special he is. Doesn't everyone want to find that?
The books tap into our feelings of insecurity, awkwardness, and alienation without over analyzing this. While the Harry books are criticized for being fluff and "dumbing " down reading by not being intellectual enough, critics have a lot to learn from old Harry and crew. Yes the books are light in nature but that's what beginners need. If you truly want to get people reading, then let them start slow.
Viewing Comments 1 - 2 of 2
Johnny Withe
posted 5/23/08 @ 10:30 AM EST
"I am a sick man...I am a wicked man. An unattractive man. I think my liver hurts." Fyodor Dostoevsky, "Notes From the Underground"
"After all, to the well-organized mind, death is but the next great adventure. (Continued…)
Lemonade Diet
posted 6/05/08 @ 5:48 PM EST
I agree with what you say. It is important to let someone read something that they will enjoy reading. What you say about Harry Potter also applies to a girl charactor. (Continued…)
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