I’ve been trying to find the time to write this review. I just finished the first week of Winter Quarter at SCAD and am all settled now. Having seen Avatar twice now (first time in IMAX 3D, the second in regular 3D), I feel confident enough to write an informed and balanced review. Proceed with caution if you have not seen the film. For the two of you who just raised your hands, there are plot spoilers ahead. Better yet, see the film first, and then read my review.
I want to start out by saying that I did not see the film simply for the appreciation of the breakthroughs in visual effects technology. My movie-going method is simple: if it has a good plot, I will see it; if it doesn’t, I won’t, regardless of special effects. No, I saw Avatar because I was intrigued not only by the stunning visuals of this other world that is so much like our own, yet different, but by the themes the narrative seemed to be leaning towards. I picked up my 3D glasses, and walked in with an open mind. What I experienced was nothing short of (it’s difficult to find an adjective that does it justice) magnificent.
The story begins with Jake Sully, an ex-marine who lost the use of his legs. His twin brother, a scientist, has just been murdered, and Jake has been summoned by the government to take his place on the planet Pandora. The Earth is in an environmental and energy crisis and is deteriorating. The government has gone to Pandora to mine a precious mineral, Unobtanium (reminded me of that metal from ‘The Core’), to help solve the energy crisis on Earth. The problem for the government is getting the Pandora natives, the Na’vi, to relocate so that their giant machines can mine the Unobtanium.
That’s where Jake comes in. He along with others have ‘avatars’ made with a mixture of their DNA and the DNA of the Na’vi. The result is a ten-foot blue-skinned person embodied with all of the characteristics of the natives. Through a linking technology, Jake’s mind is connected to his avatar’s body, thereby controlling its movements. Jake is then sent out into the stunning wilderness of Pandora to gain the trust of the Na’vi people in the hope of convincing them to make way for the mining. As Neytiri, the daughter of the chief of the clan, teaches Jake their ways, Jake begins to question his true mission.
The Effects
I’m going to discuss the visual effects first since it is what most people see first when they see an Avatar TV-spot or hear its name. Yes, everything you have heard and read about them is true. James Cameron was right to wait for the technology to catch up with the demands of the story. His efforts have truly paid off (literally, as one look as boxofficemojo.com reveals). By the way, as of this writing, only 20 days into its release, ‘Avatar’ has now beaten the all-time gross receipts of ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King’ and currently sits at Number 2 on the All-Time Worldwide List, just behind (you guessed it) ‘Titanic’, Cameron’s previous massive undertaking.
What concerns me slightly, however, has nothing to do with the film itself. It’s what the media has done with ‘Avatar’. All of the emphasis is on the groundbreaking special effects. I have yet to see one news report that mentions the themes of the story. I’m lucky to even hear what the film is about in such TV segments. Granted, credit must be given to the visual effects geniuses at all 14 effects companies. They achieved something truly remarkable and mesmerizing. I probably have never enjoyed special effects in a film so much (at least not since ‘The Return of the King’). The realization of Pandora is absolutely wondrous to behold, and I often found myself (and those around me in the theater) shedding tears simply because of the sheer beauty of it all. The 3D aspect adds quite a bit to the experience as well. But I think there definitely needs to be a shift in emphasis in our news and entertainment media. People should not forget that a film is nothing without a story, and in the case of ‘Avatar’, what awaits the audience is a great story well told.
The Story
Anyone who knows me knows that I am a huge stickler for great storytelling. Everything that I see in the theater and write myself has to have a meaningful and complex story, usually with multiple subplots. Otherwise, it doesn’t stimulate me.
‘Avatar’ was even better than I thought it would be. It surpassed my expectations in almost every way. Many people I spoke to and reviews I read said similar things about the overall experience. For example, many felt themselves actually opening their eyes wider to see more of the frame since there was so much to see. A few even described the experience as ‘orgasmic’. I was looking in the background frequently and was pleased to see that every corner was filled, every detail satisfied. Just like Guillermo del Toro did with his ‘baby’ ‘Pan’s Labyrinth’, James Cameron put his unique touch on every aspect of the film, a ‘baby’ 17 years in the making. It was well worth the wait.
This is where I begin to disagree with many of the reviews floating about the Internet with regard to the narrative. There seems to be a general consensus throughout many reviews that the film was ‘effects-driven’, had a ‘weak plot’, and ‘flat dialogue’. Although I would agree that the dialogue could have been stronger in some places, the other two comments make me wonder whether these people saw the same film I did. Of course, everyone comes into a film with a very different frame of reference, but with regard to the ‘weak plot’ claim, I ponder what exactly some of these reviewers are comparing the plot with (certainly not ‘Transformers’).
The story is one that has been told before, but never before on such an epic scale. In many reviews I have read, ‘Dances With Wolves’ has been mentioned quite a bit, and not always favorably. Indeed, if I read one more ‘Dances With Wolves in Outer Space’ or ‘Dances With Smurfs’ comment, I think I will vomit. Such degrading comments are what make me begin to lose faith in movie reviewers. Disappointing, to say the least.
I think one of the reasons why some see the plot as old or clichéd is because they are under the delusion that such ignorance and exploitation of indigenous people does not still occur in today’s world. I know that it isn’t an easy thing to acknowledge for most people since we like to think that we have evolved as human beings, but that doesn’t make it any less true, relevant, or despicable. In a world where such atrocity remains present, a film like ‘Avatar’ will never be old, overused, cliché, or out of place in any way. Since we as humans clearly haven’t learned our lesson, the message ‘Avatar’ delivers is a very, very welcome one. The film is a different kind of film for indigenous people and descendants of indigenous people. We notice different things, such as relevant objects in the background, subtle nuances in the dialog, and nice nods of the head by Cameron to those of us who will understand their meanings. Just the painstaking inclusion of such jewels is enough to make one weep with gratitude.
I am going to make a bold statement that some people may not agree with. That is fine, but since this is my industry, a place where people may one day be watching my films, I feel a strong need to say something. Simply put, if you did not like ‘Avatar’, you didn’t get it, and therefore, you need to see it again with more open eyes. If the special effects hurt your eyeballs, I understand, but that is no excuse to not recognize and appreciate the incredible story that it is.
Years into the future, it is my hope that we can all look back on this film with gratitude, to see it as a mirror that reflected ourselves as people who needed to make a major shift in consciousness, in the way that we regard each other, as well as ourselves. I hope that when we look back, we can say with confidence that yes, this story did make a difference, and it helped us to make that colossal shift, to make the world we live in a better place. What I hope does not happen is for the film to be placed in a new genre, from Sci-fi/Fantasy to ‘Prophetic Historical Fiction’. We cannot let that happen. We cannot destroy our Mother, as Jake pointed out in the film. We need to treat one another equally, and with respect. We need to banish the words ‘us’ and ‘them’ and keep only ‘we’. We need to acknowledge and appreciate the vast network we are all an integral part of, and hold ourselves accountable for all that we say and do. Only then can there be peace on Earth.
Go out there and create a better world!
Areya Simmons.Com
The trees are talkative today...
Writings
'Avatar': A Story That Needs to be Told...Again
What It Is To Be Young and Old
What It Is To Be Young and Old
Editorial
While growing up, half in the rural hills of Somerset County and half
in the city of Pittsburgh, living my adolescent years during the Bush
Administration, I quickly realized just how little adults in general
knew or understood anything about life, or the universe. Sarcasm
aside, it was a very turbulent, ever-changing time and everything just
seemed up to anyone's interpretation. When the time came for people in
power to make important decisions (which was very often), I frequently
felt that I (or even my dog) could have done a better job…and I was a
teenager. Call me naïve, but when I voiced my thoughts on the serious
matters of the day, the adults around me often agreed. For me (and I
know I’m not alone in this), this brought many people’s qualifications
into question, to say the least. I’ve been told that when you’re very
young, you think the adults know just about everything. I personally
never believed that at any age, but I still relatively thought that
adults could make fairly intelligent decisions when called upon. As I
got older, however, even that belief was challenged, and I began to
think that adults were really more like children, just minus the
imagination. In this editorial, I will discuss some of the
relationships between members of older generations and those of the
recent generations, as well as how we can all move forward in harmony.
Along with the decrease in competence, there also seemed to be a
general dumbing-down of society, especially in the media. For many of
those around me, and myself as well, just watching the news was
nauseating. Just about anyone who hasn’t been living under a rock can
see that in recent years, there has been an increase in celebrity
gossip and other stories that contain little to no substance, news that
had for many years been restricted to magazines and websites that dealt
with those fluff topics. This, I think, was simply a response on the
media’s part to all of the negative stories popping up everywhere we
looked; an attempt to ‘lighten the mood’ during a time that hasn’t been
darker in decades. I do not blame the media for this response,
conscious or unconscious, but as we’ve seen, too much fluff can be a
bad thing. Whatever happened to the genuinely positive stories, the
inspirational stories containing real content?
Fortunately, I have seen the news improve. There have been more
uplifting stories, and the gossip has gone severely down. People in
power have also made better decisions than they used to make. However,
there are still moments (usually when I hear a series of asinine
statements made by people between the ages of 40 and 60) when I ponder
whether the people from these generations have learned anything new.
No one has all the answers. I knew that fact from a very early age,
despite meeting a few seemingly well-intentioned adults who claimed
otherwise. I gained great pleasure in outsmarting authority and
logic-ing them to near death, knowing that they still had so much to
learn.
Today, for the most part, I hold the same view of those so-called
adults, for they still have so much to learn. I have found out though
that most people with closed minds do not find it amusing or
enlightening to have someone younger then them pry theirs open. It
also doesn't help that, with many people I’ve met, I look like I
haven't graduated the sixth grade. I do not complain about my youthful
appearance, but when it comes to enlightening elders, it would be
useful if they didn't think I was younger than I already am. It is
difficult enough to move concrete minds.
So the big question is: if you don't have decades of lines etched into
your face, how do you get people to take you seriously, even after they
hear you speak? You may have just given someone the epiphany of their
lives, but they would never know it, because they are blinded when they
see your large eyes.
The problem is a double-edged sword. While some adults from older
generations think they have all the answers and make hasty and
conceited decisions, they also underestimate and reject the youth that
bring new ideas and fresh perspectives. There has always been a
struggle between the older generations and the younger ones, each never
quite understanding the other. One would think that the older
generation, when trying to decipher the words of the young ones, would
think back to when they were young and how they felt about the world.
Are we really that different? The differences are an illusion. They
are superficial and give no true indication for how a generation really
thinks.
"Youth cannot know how age thinks and feels. But old men are guilty if they forget what it was to be young..."
- Albus Dumbledore, ‘Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix’
The statement above could not be more true, especially today. When I
first read this line of dialog, there wasn't as much public talk about
the actions and habits of what would soon be famously called Generation
Y. But nowadays, I find myself thinking back to this sentiment by the
wise old wizard often, especially when I turn on the TV or go online.
More and more frequently, my eyes and ears are met with cynical
criticisms and close-minded conclusions by so-called experts who think
they know what my generation is all about. The last time I checked, the
word 'generation' did not mean 'generalization'.
Now granted, every generation before mine has been horribly scrutinized
and criticized for their various idiosyncrasies. But Generation Y
members are just barely in or have recently graduated college. No one
with a brain and conscience can judge an entire generation before
everyone is even born. It sounds like a gross arranged future being
determined by false prophets, not unlike how the Baby Boomers were
treated.
I've heard and read Gen Y members (also known as Echo Boomers) called a
generation of naïve, materialistic, impulsive, self-absorbed people.
Pardon me, but this sounds a lot like the pot calling the kettle black.
From everything I have learned thus far in my twenty years (more if you
count previous lifetimes), those are all characteristics of the human
race. I've met dogs that demonstrate more admirable qualities than
several of the 'adults' I've encountered. I know the drill well: some
well-intentioned people from older generations will witness a gang of
youngsters on a street corner doing who-knows-what, or see a shopaholic
bag-laden teenager at the mall, or [insert your own stereotypical Gen Y
event here], and apply it to the entire age group, and completely give
up hope on the many other Gen Yers whom they've never even met. Now if
this was you, and you were being judged prematurely by certain people
who are slow in coming to the realization that they may not know
everything, how would you feel? Pigeon-holed, I would think, to say
the least. (Now, obviously I do not apply this scenario to everyone
from a generation older than Gen Y. This is merely what I have seen,
heard and read from a great portion of people from older generations
and stories from other Gen Y members.) What would stop you from
fulfilling that false prophecy? What would stop you from giving your
elders exactly what they expected from you all along? After all, it
would require almost no effort. It would be so easy.
However, what I have seen from this generation completely contradicts
that horrifying glimpse into a projected future not created by them.
While some elders are busy giving up hope on their children and
grandchildren, we're busy creating our own future, in an economy, I
might add, that is less than merciful to students who are trying to
better themselves in this world, to imagine better than their
predecessors. That’s the definition of evolution. If our ideas are
shot down, or simply ignored, evolution stagnates.
I have seen young people, older and younger than myself, who have come
together during times of despair and misery and helped their neighbors,
from the simplest of tasks to saving lives. We have given our time,
strength, and money where it’s needed most to causes that mean the
world to us, from feeding the homeless, to building houses, to saving
people from the horrors of genocide. You name it; we’ve done it
thousands of times. Do those sound like people who only care about
themselves? We have imagined better, for our imaginations are
thankfully still intact. Most of us, like our dear wizard friend and
his famous student, choose
what is right over what is easy, and that, I believe, more
than anything else, will define my generation.
Progress comes when a mutual respect arises between the older
generation and the latest. Respect and trust. Respect by the young for
what was built before them, and trust by the old that the next
generation will gratefully accept what was given and use it wisely to
forge a brighter future for those yet to come.
One sentence, one event, one action does not label a whole generation.
It does not define how one thinks, feels, or acts. Humans from every
age often forget that the soul is always much older than the body. The
body is what blinds us, for we cannot see the soul. We can only see the
choices that the soul makes, through the actions of the body. We cannot
truly see one another until we all reach a higher level of
consciousness, which, unfortunately for most people, is only achieved
through the process of death, when we once again become pure soul.
One of my hopes for the world is that we can all attain this seemingly
elusive level of higher consciousness while we are still alive and
making an impact on the environment in which we live. Times are
changing too much for us to be wearing filters on our eyes, and holding
doubt in our hearts. Life is simply too short to be constantly
second-guessing one another based on our individual appearances and
assumed experiences. We can all imagine better, if we each have a
common goal and our hearts are open.
With this collective vision, may there be peace and understanding
throughout the world, from those who came millennia before, to those
yet to be born.
Latest 'Harry Potter' is Subtle and Intense
Movie Review
It has been two years since the previous Harry Potter film, ‘Order of the Phoenix’ hit theatres. After Warner Brothers decided to delay the release of ‘Half-Blood Prince’ by 8 months, opting for a summer release rather than fall, moviegoers were forced to wait longer (this was no problem for me personally, since summer is almost always better schedule-wise). I am happy to say that it was worth the wait.
It is difficult to decide where to start with this film, since it seemed to have it all: the darkness, the politics, the emotion, and (now) the comedy. This was the book that had the most adult jokes in it, and the film reflected that. I am pleased though that this film had a healthy balance of the dark intensity of the plot and the comedy of the interpersonal relationships of the characters. It made people in the theatre laugh and cry.
The Darkness
Overall, the film is not as dark as its predecessor, ‘Order of the Phoenix’, which was dark throughout. However, it had its dark scenes, and when they occurred, they were pretty frightening (though apparently, not frightening enough for a PG-13 rating). If there is a borderline film between PG and PG-13, this is it. Those scenes were handled beautifully, and in some, poetically. In fact, the film opened with an emotionally-charged flashback to ‘Order of the Phoenix’ (an ‘assumed flashback’, since the actual footage was not in the previous film). I have now seen the film twice, and both times, this first scene got audible reactions from the audience, and rightly so. It shows a lot in very little time. (SPOILER-WARNING) A grief-stricken Harry tries to make his way out of the destroyed Ministry after the dramatic battle scenes of ‘Order of the Phoenix’ while countless reporters are shouting and taking flashing photographs. Dumbledore places a protective arm around Harry as everything moves in slow-motion. (SPOILER END) It is a very accurate representation of what a person feels after going through some traumatic event. This was an ingenious way to open this film. It reminds the audience of Harry’s state of mind at the end of the previous film, and sets up the closer relationship between Harry and Dumbledore that we are going to see later in the film. It sets the tone for the entire movie and it all happens before the title appears.
The Comedy
I’m going to go out on a limb and say that there has never been so much comedy in a Harry Potter film. I laughed my head off in the theatre and was still laughing afterwards. Daniel Radcliffe really got to stretch his comedic wings in this one, and it’s nice to have confirmation that, although he enjoys doing the dark, intense scenes more, he can still portray a hilarious side, and do it naturally. Although Rupert Grint is usually responsible for the comic relief in the Harry Potter franchise, the biggest laughs came from Dan’s comedic moments (at least in my theatre). Newcomer Jessie Cave, who plays Ron’s love interest, Lavender Brown, also added some hilarity. She was a bit over-the-top sometimes (Lavender was not that crazy, that daft, or that pale in the book, but that could fill an article in itself), but she got many laughs from the audience.
The Performances
All of the performances by the actors, young, old, and new were top-notch for this film. The latest newcomer, Jim Broadbent, playing retired Potions professor Horace Slughorn, fits in very nicely, and gives a multi-layered performance of the famous-student ‘collector’ with a dark secret. I’ve even read some reviews that call for a Best Supporting Actor nomination from the Academy for Mr. Broadbent, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he was given one. All of the young actors seem to have really settled into their characters, and each gives a nuanced performance.
There is a LOT of subtlety in this film that many book-readers can appreciate. I found myself smiling to myself during those subtle moments in the film that either deepened a character, or foreshadowed something to come later in the film, or films down the line. Even to my friends around me who hadn’t read the book could tell that there was something deeper going on during those moments even though they couldn’t put it into words. There’s one moment that wasn’t in the book but was probably my favorite moment in the entire film. It foreshadowed something HUGE that we learn late in ‘Deathly Hallows’, and it’s considered by many fans to be the biggest twist of the series. There was some imagery that was used to great effect as well. This is very encouraging to an aspiring filmmaker (myself) who considers subtlety and imagery to be as important as plot and structure when writing a script.
The cinematography and art direction in this film is exquisite (so much so that I will vomit if they are not at least nominated for their respective Oscars). One could freeze almost any part in the film and it would look like a painting, because the composition was that good. I was further impressed with the general management of depicting the Wizarding World. Instead of drawing attention to every bit of magic that occurs, the magic has seeped seamlessly into the environment. Like Melissa Anelli of The Leaky Cauldron said in her review, it doesn’t look like the filmmakers created this world for a movie; it looks like a film crew VISITED the Wizarding World (which already exists), and filmed a movie there. That’s how organic the use of magic in the world feels, which is consistent with the book, since it is mainly from Harry’s perspective. At the beginning, every instance of magic seems incredible to him. Then he gets used to it, and unless something happens that he hasn’t experienced before, not much attention is drawn to it. The same is true for the film.
Jumping off of that fact, this is not a film for those who have not at least seen the previous Harry Potter films or read the books. Newbies WILL be lost. It doesn’t explain everything that has come before it to bring everyone up to speed, which I think makes the film better. There would be so much exposition that I (along with others) think most of the audience would fall asleep waiting for the action of the current installment to gather speed. Frankly, if you’re too lazy to watch the previous Harry Potter films before seeing this one, you asked to be lost.
One can tell, looking at the previous film and then this one, that they were both directed by the same person (which is a good thing). It was nice to have that continuity again, especially since this is the first time the Harry Potter films have had the same director for two films in a row since ‘Chamber of Secrets’. I am extremely glad that David Yates is staying on for the last two films, ‘Deathly Hallows: Part I’ and ‘Deathly Hallows: Part II’. He, along with everyone working with him, has done an incredible job. This movie is not just a great Harry Potter film; it is a great film.
A Book By Any Other Title...
The Harry Potter series has had many names placed on it, most of them favorable. The magical coming-of-age story has been a not-so-guilty pleasure for me for five years, which, as of this writing, is a quarter of my life. I have written about Harry Potter before, and (as so many of my editorials are born) the idea for this post came very suddenly and I started writing it on a whim. I wrote it in two days.
This editorial is divided into two sections. In the first, I place my own playful titles on the books, titles which I have heard other people call them or simply titles that I have given them as a joke. I then provide a description of each book as well as my own personal experience with each. The second, more serious half of the post is a kind of analysis of whether the Harry Potter books should be considered classics. Enjoy!
Book 1: ‘Philosopher’s Stone or ‘Sorcerer’s Stone’
“The First One” or “The Kiddie One”
This book is seen by most as a pretty solid ‘children’s book’: there are kids, comedy, magic candy, and entertaining spells. However, there's PLENTY of dark and scary material in this book. If I had read the book before seeing the film, it probably would have been quite frightening, since it would have been left to my imagination. ‘Philosopher’s Stone’ is our first introduction to Harry’s world, Muggle and Magical, both of which are pretty scary. Harry has grown up in a negligent and abusive environment for ten years (if this had been in America, Child Services would have been on the Dursleys in 2 seconds flat). But he is soon taken by Hagrid into the Wizarding World, where he belongs. I think Daniel Radcliffe said it best in a recent interview: “Most people seem to see these books as being about good and evil. There is that but I see them more as the story of loss of innocence. It's about a kid who's gone into this world and thinks everything is magical, wonderful and amazing and then realizes that this world is darker and more dangerous than the world he has come from. That is his journey.” That’s what the story of Harry Potter is all about, and it’s given to us from the very first book: Love, and the loss of innocence, something that is identifiable within everyone, whether you’re 9, 90, or anywhere in between.
When I first decided that I was going to read the HP books in 2004, I admit that when I was in Borders Books, I was having trouble finding any of the books, since I was looking in the Sci-fi/Fantasy section. Silly me. I had quite forgotten that they were classified as ‘children’s books’, and I was two entire sections away from them. (In my defense, The Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter were right next to each other in Target, so I thought it would be similar at Borders.) Having seen the first 3 films up to this point, I found it strange and almost laughable that these books were sharing space with picture books and Clifford the Big Red Dog. Nonetheless, I picked up the first book and sat down in the children’s section at 15 years old, and read until the store closed. The rest is history.
Book 2: ‘Chamber of Secrets’
“The Mystery One”
‘Chamber’ is more laid out like a mystery than the other books. What is interesting about this book is that we as readers do not fully know or appreciate how important this book really is until we read Book 6, ‘Half-Blood Prince’. Before we found out in that book that the diary Harry destroyed in this book was actually a Horcrux, ‘Chamber’ almost felt like a standalone book, going off on its own plot tangent; all we knew was that the teenage Tom Riddle had put a 'memory' of himself into the diary so that he could one day return to Hogwarts as the Heir of Slytherin and purge the school of Muggle-borns, thereby giving us a taste of the racism present in the Wizarding World. As complicated as that already is, as we know now, it turned out to be so much more...
Book 3: ‘Prisoner of Azkaban’
“The One Without Voldemort”
A fan-favorite. This is the only book in which no one is actually trying to kill Harry. Harry believed Sirius was out to get him, but it turned out (SPOILER WARNING for the 5 people out there who haven't read the book or seen the film) that he was really Harry's godfather and was actually seeking revenge on an old school friend-turned-traitor. Some of us wish that Harry had just let him kill the traitor, Wormtail, but of course, if he had, there would have been only 3 books...or at least, Voldemort’s return would have been pretty delayed. This way is better.
Book 4: ‘Goblet of Fire’
“The Adventurous Turning Point”
A big fan-favorite. This is the central point, the hump, the mirror, the middle child, the one that throws the entire series into a new direction, with the horrifying return of Lord Voldemort. It is the only book in the series that does not have a 'mirror-book', for it is a mirror in itself. The other books are all mirrors of each other (1 matches with 7, 2 with 6, and 3 with 5...there are other editorials out there that go much deeper into this), but Goblet of Fire is all by itself, and is many fans' favorite book. The entire series hinges on it; it decides many things which are to come. It is an epic adventure-mystery by its nature, detailing what is probably the most cleverly-orchestrated kidnap plot in all of modern literature (send me an email if you disagree), with a harsh ‘GOTCHA!’ after the climax.
Harry is never the same again after this book, the end of which signals the beginning of two wars to be fought in subsequent books: the war with Lord Voldemort and his followers, and the war with the Wizarding World's own government. Hmmm...sound familiar?
Book 5: ‘Order of the Phoenix’
‘The Dark One’
This book has been called many things, including but not limited to dark, terrifying, emo, frightening, psychological, depressing, and political, and it really is all of those things. Those who know me as the bright, optimistic, proactive, A-Rey-A-Sunshine young woman may be surprised to learn this, but before ‘Deathly Hallows’ came out, this was my favorite book. I first read it at 15, and back then, it didn't feel depressing to me; it felt comforting (those were very turbulent times for a teenager back then, and it still is today, but that’s for another editorial). It was only recently (now a college student) when I picked the book back up that I realized just how depressing it was. However, it remains one of my all-time favorites. Some of my most-loved scenes in all of literature take place in this book.
It’s hard to count all the subplots, but the reader doesn’t really care, because they are all important and interconnected with the main plot. They give you some striking insights into the world, and surprising realizations at how closely this world parallels our own. Some critics have complained of the great number of adverbs used in the book (this, in my humble opinion, is completely ridiculous, and is one of the few things I roll my eyes at). Sure, they make it harder to read aloud, but ‘Phoenix’ is a cerebral (as well as emotional) book, and the adverbs provide deep insights into the characters we would not have without them. In short, ‘Phoenix’ is a crucial book where many characters are introduced (over 200 in play at this point), alliances are made, authority is challenged, and everyone kicks butt.
Book 6: ‘Half-Blood Prince’
“The Strange One”
I called this “The Strange One” simply because I didn't know what else to call it. When I first read it in the summer of 2005 (the hottest freaking summer I've ever survived!), the book felt like it had Multiple Personality Disorder. It was a Dark Mystery one moment, a Romantic Comedy the next. Personally, I was more interested in all the dark Voldemort stuff than all the snogging and Love Potions, but as usual, I enjoyed the book like I had the others. There are many excellent re-livable moments in this one. It sets the stage nicely for the big battle to come in the final book. One learns a lot about Voldemort’s past, the significance of Book 2, and what Harry needs to do to destroy his enemy.
Book 7: ‘Deathly Hallows’
‘The Great Denouement’
Also known as ‘The Great Camping Trip’, by many. A BIG fan-favorite. Now just to be clear, I am NOT one of those people who did not like all the camping scenes. It felt like reading ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers’ with a tent, which was just fine with me, being a big LOTR buff before HP officially came into my life.
Anyway, this is the book in which Hogwarts Castle features the least, since the trio is mostly traveling the entire country hunting down Horcruxes (or Horcri, for all you PotterCast/John Noe fans). The psycho-emotional aspect that we loved so much from ‘Order of the Phoenix’ (embodied by the ever-strengthening connection between Harry and Voldemort) returns as Voldemort seems to have thrown the Occlumency-against-Harry idea out the window (he's worse at it than Harry), giving Harry a nice (although painful) view into his most secret developments.
This is the book every Harry Potter reader had been waiting for, and boy was it worth the wait! This book had a good bit of everything: adventure, mystery, politics, love, war, romance, and it still had room for some comedy. ‘Deathly Hallows’ probably has the most re-read value for me. There is hardly any moment in this book that I wouldn't want to relive in some way, because there are so many breath-taking and incredible moments.
FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION...
There is much debate among fans and scholars alike as to whether the story of Harry Potter should be considered a ‘classic’ or not. Let’s take a look at the definition so that there’s no confusion: adjective; judged over a period of time to be of the highest quality and outstanding of its kind. noun; a work of art of recognized and established value. On the surface, these definitions appear to be pretty straightforward, until you start thinking about who does the ‘judging’ and exactly how long a ‘period of time’ is. These two things have tripped people up when considering the Harry Potter Series.
There appear to be four aspects that make up a ‘classic’: popularity, high quality, being the best of its kind, and longevity. I would add a fifth aspect to this, since the issue is unavoidable: who does the judging.
First of all, the first step that many stories go through on the road to ‘classic-dom’ is popularity. With over 450 million copies sold worldwide, many others stolen from libraries and cargo losses, others checked out from libraries, and even more borrowed from the original 450,000,000 people, I wouldn’t be surprised if the number of actual readers was close to a billion. So clearly, popularity isn’t an issue.
Second, there is no doubt that the books are written in very high quality. The visual words, the structure of sentences, the richness of the world, the depth of the characters, the innate authenticity, and the complexity of the plots pull readers into a magical and dangerous world that unquestionably exists. They have gotten millions of children and adults into reading, expanding their reading and writing skills. They have persuaded legions of children to become writers. Even some adults have admitted that they needed to look up words whenever they read any of the books.
It gets a bit tricky when evaluating whether the series is of the highest quality of its kind, because, funnily enough, there is still great debate regarding what its ‘kind’ actually is! It’s been grouped with Children’s Books, Young Adult Books, Fantasy Books, and many others. Its official classification, and what many fans tend to agree with, is Children’s-Books-Which-Happen-To-Be-Enjoyed-By-Adults, basically Children’s Books with an asterisk. Whether it strictly belongs there is still controversial, and for another editorial. But if we accept that classification and no other, it becomes very clear to many that the Harry Potter books are, indeed, of the highest quality of their kind.
Now, longevity. Unfortunately, this is something that many scholars and critics have said that the Harry Potter series does not possess...yet. Although there are some that say that 12 years is a long time for a book to be around, this only applies to the first book; and the youngest of the series, ‘Deathly Hallows’ has only been around for 2 years. However, many believe (and I count myself among them) that there is a such thing as an ‘instant classic’, and I genuinely think that Harry Potter qualifies. My reasons for this could fill a book the length of ‘Order of the Phoenix’ (870 pages), so I’ll just supply the big ones. My definition of an instant classic is a story that is instantly popular, of very high quality, and has a profound positive effect on the world at large in a short period of time. No other book has ever become so deeply ingrained in the human consciousness this quickly. This, I believe, is the crucial aspect that decides an ‘instant classic.’
Finally, who decides what book becomes a classic? Scholars? Critics? Fans? To fans, the series is and has been a classic. Some critics and scholars even call it a classic. So why is there still a debate? Do all the scholars and critics out there have to agree? Does there have to be a special ceremony for it to be ‘official’? I personally think all the pomp and circumstance is silly and rather highbrowed elitist. As far as fans, newspaper writers, and some critics are concerned, Harry Potter is a classic and will remain so for many years, since most of them have made clear declarations to read the books to their children and keep the tradition going.
So to conclude this editorial, I don’t see Harry Potter loosing its timelessness any time soon. It’s only going to become more popular and more loved, and the films have helped with this. Kids read them, adults read them, seniors read them, adults read them to kids, kids read them to kids, kids read them to adults, and it will go on and on.
Something that has had this much of an impact on the world just simply isn’t going to go away. That more ‘traditional’ longevity will come, even if it’s not really necessary to become an instant classic. When that happens, perhaps more people will see the series as a traditional classic; but regardless of all the labels and titles that society has placed on the books, one thing is for sure: Harry Potter will never die. Period (thus, the Shakespearean-inspired title of this editorial). These seven books are sure to be classics for many years, not just of children's literature, but of all literature, a tale to be passed down through the generations, a septology destined to forever share shelf space with Frodo, Dorothy, Luke, and many other greats.
Honestly, if a story that has encouraged so many children and adults to read, spawned the creation of charities, raised millions in funds for those in need around the world, inspired people of all ages to start their own bands based on the world that they love so much, challenged the status quo with so many real-life controversies, pointed the finger at government corruption, and managed to motivate people to hold on to their imaginations a little longer, and is not considered a classic, then we need to change the definition of what a classic is.
Enjoy!
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