Spend this thanksgiving weekend cooking and binge watching the Harry Potter movies. At the end of the seventh movie, I decided to re-read the books. Although I have re-read all seven books several times, it really amazes me that these are still as engaging as when I first started with the series.
In this post I will attempt to analyze the first book and why it works. After all, fantasy fiction genre has a lot of literature to its credit – what was so unique about Harry Potter that it “revived” the reading culture, spawned a multi-million dollar movie franchise, gave a new life to fantasy literature and basically created history.
So, what really makes Harry Potter work and how did it all start with Philosopher’s stone?
The Set Up
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The first book starts with an unusually quiet scene in a non-descript suburban neighborhood with something extraordinary going on. A cat that can turn into a woman, a flying motorcycle, an orphaned child and old man who most definitely is a sorcerer.You have to know what comes next! So in the very first chapter an interesting premise has been set up.
The Underdog Theme
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Then the theme of the whole series is established in the first few chapters – “underdog wins the day”. No matter how many books and movies latch on to this, it always works.
Even though Harry Potter is this really famous wizard and celebrity – he is still the underdog. It’s quite remarkable how J. K. Rowling creates this contradiction around him. Super famous wizard since the age one, but at the same time orphaned, abused, hungry for affection, dying to belong somewhere . He comes to Hogwarts with all his fame and yet no advantage. From the beginning your feel for him him and you want him to win.
Likable Teenage Heroes
Who doesn’t love a child solider? In fact, right from The Chronicles of Narnia to The Maze Runner, the fantasy genre is filled with teenagers fighting grown up wars.
The trio that make the central cast for the Harry Potter series are at the cusp of adolescence facing problems beyond their reach.
Harry, by the age of eleven, has had a pretty miserable life. As a person he is quite nice – he is witty, intelligent, a little rebellious, eager to learn and to be loved. He may not be the ideal hero but he has his heart in the right place – he inherently wants to be good. He is a believable hero.
Then there is Ron Weasley – the youngest of six brothers, always getting hand me downs , destined to be friends with the most famous wizard in school – always living in the shadows. In spite of his disadvantages, he is friendly, kind and fiercely loyal.
Last but not the least, there is Hermoine, my favorite  character one I strongly feel is the true ‘hero’ of the series. She may be bookish and very competitive but she is intensely loyal, earnest, generous and the most compassionate of the three. Without her brilliance and presence of mind, Harry and Ron just can’t get very far.
The Ensemble Cast
The whole set of characters in the first book, from Harry’s annoying relatives to his teachers at Howgarts is immensely engaging. As a writer it’s hard to create one or two interesting characters and Rowling creates several. Hagrid and Dumbledore, I believe, are the most important characters in the first book. They fill the paternal void in Harry’s life as they mentor him through his first year at Hogwarts. The fact that they knew his parents also ties them to Harry strongly.
The Magical World
The other ingredient to the story is the magical world itself. Hogwarts School is fascinating and your mind leaps and bounces as you try to create mental images of moving pictures, hidden staircases, dark dungeons and the great hall. Wouldn’t a place like Diagon Alley be fun and entertaining? The attention to detail in creating this other world makes you almost wish that it was real. Always read the book before the movie, so you can imagine this for yourself.
The Jigsaw Element
I believe the defining reason as to why everyone is hooked from Book 1 is that, at the end of the day the story of Harry Potter is really a puzzle. Every chapter in the first book reveals little pieces of the puzzle, and as we will read ahead, every book is a huge chunk of the larger story, but the complete picture remains  elusive till the end.
The first book itself raises several interesting questions –Â Why did Harry survive Voldemort’s attack? What was stolen from the safe at Gringotts? Why does the sorting hat suggest Harry be in Slytherin? What is the significance of The Mirror of Erised? Why does Dumbledore see socks in it? Why is it “curious” that the wand that has chosen Harry is the twin of the wand that left the scar on his forehead? What is Snape’s agenda? What is Harry’s destiny?
Sometimes, there are people, incidents and conversations that seem irrelevant but make much more sense later on.
The Philosopher’s Stone’s main purpose is to basically lay down the main characters, relationships, plot and landmarks for the larger story to unfold. It’s a very good start to a very entertaining tale.
Why do you love Harry Potter? And which is your favorite book in the series?
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I must say that the HP books are an interesting. I did not see the big picture when I read this one but am sure all 7 books are like pieces of a puzzle. Well written analysis of the book. It is really well written and JKR paints the characters sketches with ease and brilliance
You won’t believe this but…my venture into the world of HP began with Book 3 :)…Book 3 bowled me over completely…its then I started searching for Books 1 & 2 and you know today..I’m a huge fan of HP Saga.
For me the fascination stems not just from the fantasy world that JK created, its more from the fact..that a within reality exists a realistic magical world. It fires up the imagination with endless “what-ifs” like what if HP world truly existed and you happen to walk by Diagon Alley. I’m actually contemplating buying a boxed set of HP books here but…I already have them bck home
@Kapil – With book 3 the whole series really begins to build up – though the connection between voldemort and harry has been established in book2 and will be very crucial going on – so you will see as you read along
@Zoya – I also went through the “what if” phase – but somehow I think I outgrew that somewhere – I have been resisting buying a boxed set coz I also have most of the copies home and then its just a waste. I just finished reading book 3 ( which is my new favorite) and will now begin on book 4 after my vacation
@writer(s)_of_this_blog – I love your blog. Though I have only started recently reading your posts, each of you has a unique style which I like.
Do keep this up and I know that I will keep coming back for more! 🙂
It’s good to see people from the IT industry doing something different altogether.
Have you folks read the “Bartimaeus trilogy”? Even that is a work of fantasy. Not many people have I heard who have read or heard about it. Reason being I guess that it was not promoted well enough. You know how it is, we see one series because of the promotions but might just miss out on another since it was not promoted well and is not kept in front shelves.
Some say that the art of writing is acquired over years of voracious reading and expressing oneself either verbally or through written modes of communication. What if, just what if, this were an innate quality which one knew nothing of and the former just happened to release one’s potential. I feel our habit of reading almost everything and anything is very important. Forgive me for having just gone on and on about almost nothing.
Thank you.
Joe Chakma
@Joe – Thanks for the very generous comments..I have not read “Bartimaeus trilogy” but several people including yourself have recommended it.