I just finished watching a fascinating interview on Oprah. I am not a regular viewer by any means but she seems to be going out with a bang. I could not pass up the opportunity to watch her sit and chat with the world’s first self-made billionaire author. If ever J.K. Rowling has her memoirs published I will be in line to snatch it up. Just one hour totally fascinated me. How from very humble beginnings to a 13 month and one day marriage to the death of her mother and the estrangement from her father all combined to give her the ammunition to create what has become a worldwide juggernaut.
The term “phenomenon” came up in one intriguing moment. Remember back in the mid 80s when Michael Jackson’s Thriller was declared the phenomenon of the day. At the time, the concept did not enter the King of Pop’s head. And neither has it entered Rowling’s. If it had, she feels that she would now be trying to do herself one better. Attempting to create the next great world and leaving Harry Potter by the wayside. Incidentally, the author turned down Jackson’s offer to turn her world into a musical.
Did you know it took Jo twelve rejections before, on the lucky 13th publisher, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s (which we blokes know as the Sorcerer’s) Stone saw the light of day? Even then, she was warned that children’s books make little to no money. Well… after seventeen years, 7 books, 6 movies (with two coming), millions in collectibles, and the theme park… who is laughing now?
She even detailed some of the downside of her life that is very much a part of the masterpiece. In her eyes, every other page seems to point to her mother’s failing from MS. The dementors (who prey upon the happiness of their victims and seek to suck out their soul) represent her own battle with depression. However, the prevalent theme throughout the entire series is love. I say shame on all the groups who would criticize or even ban the books when the strongest virtue of Christianity is seen through every page, every frame. However, the surest way to ensure that your work is read is to have it banned.
What does the future hold for the billionairess? More writing. If she doesn’t write she will lose her sanity. Spoken like a true artist. Did she know that Harry would become so huge while writing at nights beside her sleeping baby daughter while one step away from homelessness. Absolutely not. She had no idea that: “This boy will be famous. There won’t be a child in our world who doesn’t know his name.”
A lucky woman to have her work picked up by the finicky public who could have chosen to ignore this book/series like countless others. That said, this time the public picked up on something worthwhile (unlike pet rocks and saggy pants) and it has been a very enjoyable series. I look forward to the next two movies.
And I’m not even going to touch a certain statement in the fourth paragraph… Nope. 🙂
I’m thinking that “a certain statement in the 4th paragraph” has something about something in the series that I haven’t read yet and don’t want to know. As it was, I was THIS CLOSE to not reading this blog post for fear of reading something I didn’t want to see about the series which I haven’t yet finished reading. So anyway, no need to expand on said statement, I will not be going back to look and I will not be reading carefully any comments that say anything more about it 🙂
But yeah, a very enjoyable series; one for kids and adults alike, which could explain why a “children’s book series” is such a successful enterprise – it’s for kids and adults alike.
I hope I did not spoil anything for you, taylhis. I tried to keep everything plot wise out of the post.