Some international bandwagons are worth joining

I finished the seventh and final Harry Potter book in a few days. I couldn't stop reading it. On some level, I wanted to read it instead of hanging out with my sister, whom I hadn't seen in 6 months. She won, in the end, which is only right.

Since finishing, I haven't been able to stop thinking about it. Every day glimpses of scenes or phrases from the book flit across my mind; sometimes I even dream about it.

I just saw that "The seventh installment of the Harry Potter saga is the fastest-selling book in history, publishers say, with some 11 million English-language copies sold in the first 24 hours."* 11 million. In one day.

I saw a kid in Wal-Mart yesterday who was waiting in line with the book. The loving way in which he handled it, the somewhat euphoric grin on his face mirrored my own feelings of first laying hands on what would turn out to be the best book in the most well-written young adult series that I've encountered.

Immediately after finishing the final pages, I wanted to start reading the whole series over again, just to see how well J.K. tied characters, plots, and themes together throughout all of the books. I've resisted this urge, however, since I have about three different extensive lists of books to read. That said, I still haven't managed to pick up a book since completing The Deathly Hallows. I'm afraid anything I jump into will be highly disappointing after such a perfect ending to a brilliant series.

I resisted beginning the Harry Potter books until this winter because I didn't want to be that person -- the one like millions around the world who were "ooohing and ahhing" over the books and J.K., who were dying to read each successive installment, who had animated discussions about characters and places and animals that didn't really exist. Having heard from several close friends that they were the best young adult literature to come around in years, I finally picked them up. And I'm thankful I was able to read them all in a few short months. I would have been pre-ordering or standing in lines to get it, had I not had the good luck to know people who owned Books 1-6 and who purchased the final book early on, letting me borrow it a few weeks after it was released.

Recently, I've found myself joining in several animated discussions about the characters and events of these books. When a friend asked me what animal I'd most like to run into, I said a Hippogriff, which of course, is not real. It is legendary, however, and thus not just a Potter series invention. When I found out that Disney World is creating a Harry Potter Theme Park, complete with Hogwart's School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and the Forbidden Forest, I knew I would want to go. The world Rowling has created is simply THAT amazing.

As in all good books, the characters seem real and are believable. Their motivations and psychoses need to be discussed, deconstructed, and further developed. Severus Snape and Sirius Black are, indeed, remarkable men, though tormented. Harry is an exceptional child. Hermione, brilliant. Draco, quite cowardly and evil.

I'm grateful for this international craze because it is encouraging individuals of all ages, socio-economic backgrounds, and races to enjoy reading. There are so many books being published that aren't worth the ink and paper it takes to print them. It's nice to see a series so well-constructed and written taking the stage. And because libraries caught on early that these books would be hits, virtually anyone in America has access to them...for free. Such a vivid and enchanting imaginary realm deserves the attention and acclaim it is receiving.

* Police arrest French teen over Potter translation, By Reuters.