Blog de Puree

It was the summer of 1998 when I first heard of Harry Potter. I was 27.
I was sitting in my car in the parking area for the Cygnet Rowing club in Newton waiting for my rowing partner one sunny Saturday morning, when an NPR radio journalist was giving his take on the Potter universe with a mix of awe and bemusement. He spoke of wizards and witches, quidditch matches, the Sorcerer’s/Philosopher’s Stone, castles and world of fantasy that transcended children’s literature. Obviously, he was quite smitten by J.K. Rowling’s creation.

I was pretty well wrapped up in other things in my life at the time, until two years later, when I saw the first and second Potter book on a friend’s bookshelf and asked her about them. For half an hour she raved about how much fun and interesting the books were. She is a well read person and respecting her opinion, I picked up a paperback edition of “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.” That was all it took.

I read the book in about two weeks, putting off my grad school homework in the evenings. When I was finished, I immediately went to a local book seller and bought the first and second book, “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets,” in hard cover. I knew that these books—imaginative, fun and chock-full of useful life lessons for young children—were going to be highly valued and I had visions of reading them to my children some day.

I’ve since moved on to a different rowing club and a new town. Now that I’ve finished the final book in the Potter series, “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows,” I have a great sense of fulfillment. (This may also be due to the fact that I read the entire book in one day.) I was enthralled and excited to participate in Harry’s world, pulling for him and his friends at every plot twist. And now that it’s over, I feel kind of empty.

Thankfully, the Potter universe is still quite active. There are two more movies yet to be filmed, there are rumors of an all encompassing Harry Potter encyclopedia that J.K. Rowling may write and there are numerous websites and podcasts where I can get my fill of this magical world.

These are some of my favorite sites:

• The Harry Potter Lexicon – The foremost online authority on all things Harry Potter. It’s as good as Jane’s Information Group for all things military or the Oxford Dictionary for correct spelling.
• The Leaky Cauldron – Named for the shabby old pub that serves as a “bridge” between the magical and muggle worlds in London, it’s the coolest online hangout for all things Harry Potter and it is a great source for news.
• Pottercast – The official podcast of the Leaky Cauldron website, and a great source for discussion, news and other fun things related to Rowling’s books and movies. New podcasts typically go live on a weekly basis.
• J.K. Rowling’s official website – The place to go to hear news and information straight from the author herself.