HARRY POTTER Harry Potter is a series of seven fantasy novels written by the British author J. K. Rowling . The series chronicles the adventures of a young wizard , Harry Potter , the titular character, and his friends Ronald Weasley and Hermione Granger , all of whom are students at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The main story arc concerns Harrys quest to overcome the Dark wizard Lord Voldemort, who aims to become immortal, conquer the wizarding world, subjugate non-magical people, and destroy all those who stand in his way, especially Harry Potter. Since the release of the first novel, Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone, on 30 June 1997, the books have gained immense popularity, critical acclaim, and commercial success worldwide. [2] The series has also had some share of criticism, including concern for the increasingly dark tone. As of July 2013, the books had sold between 400 and 450 million copies, making them one of the best-selling book series in history, and had been translated into 73 languages.[3][4] The last four books consecutively set records as the fastest-selling books in history, with the final instalment selling approximately 11 million copies in the United States within the first twenty-four hours of its release. A series of many genres , including fantasy, coming of age , and the British school story (with elements of mystery, thriller , adventure , and romance), it has many cultural meanings and references. [5] According to Rowling, the main theme is death. [6] There are also many other themes in the series, such as prejudice and corruption. [7] The series was originally printed in English by two major publishers, Bloomsbury in the United Kingdom and Scholastic Press in the United States. The books have since been published by many publishers worldwide. The books, with the seventh book split into two parts, have been made into an eight- part film series by Warner Bros. Pictures , the highest-grossing film series as of October 2014. The series also originated much tie-in merchandise, making the Harry Potter brand worth in excess of $15 billion. [8] Because of the success of the books and films, Harry Potter-themed areas, known as The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, have been created at several Universal Parks & Resorts theme parks. Plot Further information: Harry Potter universe The novels revolve around Harry Potter , an orphan who discovers at the age of eleven that he is a wizard, living within the ordinary world of non-magical people, known as Muggles . [9] His ability is inborn, and such children are invited to attend an exclusive magic school that teaches the necessary skills to succeed in the wizarding world. [10] Harry becomes a student at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and it is here where most of the events in the series take place. As Harry develops through his adolescence, he learns to overcome the problems that face him: magical, social and emotional, including ordinary teenage challenges such as friendships, infatuation and exams, and the greater test of preparing himself for the confrontation in the real world that lies ahead. [11] Each book chronicles one year in Harrys life [12] with the main narrative being set in the years 1991–98. [13] The books also contain many flashbacks, which are frequently experienced by Harry viewing the memories of other characters in a device called a Pensieve. The environment Rowling created is completely separate from reality yet also intimately connected to it. While the fantasy land of Narnia is an alternative universe and the Lord of the Rings Middle- earth a mythic past, the wizarding world of Harry Potter exists in parallel within the real world and contains magical versions of the ordinary elements of everyday life. Many of its institutions and locations are recognisable, such as London. [14] It comprises a fragmented collection of overlooked hidden streets, ancient pubs, lonely country manors and secluded castles that remain invisible to the Muggle population. [10] Early years When the first novel of the series, Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone (published in some countries as Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone), opens it is apparent that some significant event has taken place in the wizarding world—an event so very remarkable, even the Muggles notice signs of it. The full background to this event and Harry Potters past is revealed gradually through the series. After the introductory chapter, the book leaps forward to a time shortly before Harry Potters eleventh birthday, and it is at this point that his magical background begins to be revealed. Harrys first contact with the wizarding world is through a half-giant, Rubeus Hagrid , keeper of grounds and keys at Hogwarts. Hagrid reveals some of Harrys history. [15] Harry learns that as a baby he witnessed his parents murder by the power-obsessed Dark wizard Lord Voldemort, who then attempted to kill him also. [15] For reasons not immediately revealed, the spell with which Voldemort tried to kill Harry rebounded. Harry survived with only a lightning-shaped scar on his forehead as a memento of the attack, and Voldemort disappeared afterwards. As its inadvertent saviour from Voldemorts reign of terror, Harry has become a living legend in the wizarding world. However, at the orders of the venerable and well-known wizard Albus Dumbledore , the orphaned Harry had been placed in the home of his unpleasant Muggle relatives, the Dursleys, who kept him safe, but hid his true heritage from him in hopes that he would grow up normal. [15] With Hagrids help, Harry prepares for and undertakes his first year of study at Hogwarts. As Harry begins to explore the magical world, the reader is introduced to many of the primary locations used throughout the series. Harry meets most of the main characters and gains his two closest friends: Ron Weasley , a fun-loving member of an ancient, large, happy, but poor wizarding family, and Hermione Granger , a gifted and very hardworking witch of non-magical parentage. [15][16] Harry also encounters the schools potions master, Severus Snape, who displays a deep and abiding dislike for him, and the Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, Quirinus Quirrell, who later turns out to be controlled by Lord Voldemort. The plot concludes with Harrys second confrontation with Lord Voldemort, who in his quest for immortality, yearns to gain the power of the Philosophers Stone, a substance that bestows everlasting life. [15] The series continues with Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets describing Harrys second year at Hogwarts. He and his friends investigate a 50-year-old mystery that appears tied to recent sinister events at the school. Rons younger sister, Ginny Weasley , enrols in her first year at Hogwarts, and finds an old notebook which turns out to be Voldemorts diary from his school days. Ginny becomes possessed by Voldemort through the diary and unconsciously opens the Chamber of Secrets, unleashing an ancient monster which begins attacking students at Hogwarts. The novel delves into the history of Hogwarts and a legend revolving around the Chamber that soon frightened everyone in the school. The book also introduces a new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, Gilderoy Lockhart, a highly cheerful, self- conceited know-it-all who later turns out to be a fraud. For the first time, Harry realises that racial prejudice exists in the wizarding world even before, and he learns that Voldemorts reign of terror was often directed at wizards who were descended from Muggles. Harry also learns that his ability to speak Parseltongue, the language of snakes, is rare and often associated with the Dark Arts. The novel ends after Harry saves Ginnys life by destroying a basilisk and the enchanted diary which has been the source of the problems. The third novel, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, follows Harry in his third year of magical education. It is the only book in the series which does not feature Lord Voldemort. Instead, Harry must deal with the knowledge that he has been targeted by Sirius Black, an escaped mass murderer believed to have assisted in the deaths of Harrys parents. As Harry struggles with his reaction to the dementors—dark creatures with the power to devour a human soul— which are ostensibly protecting the school, he reaches out to Remus Lupin , a Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher who is eventually revealed to be a werewolf . Lupin teaches Harry defensive measures which are well above the level of magic generally executed by people his age. Harry learns that both Lupin and Black were best friends of his father and that Black was framed by their fourth friend, Peter Pettigrew. [17] In this book, a recurring theme throughout the series is emphasised—in every book there is a new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, none of whom lasts more than one school year.
Posted on: Sat, 20 Dec 2014 17:27:23 +0000
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