Potter Mania

It's no secret that I'm a big Harry Potter fan. So there I was, in line at Barnes & Noble on a Friday night, holding a wristband with #230 on it, waiting anxiously for midnight so I could take the final tome (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows) home with me. And thanks to the efficiency of the folks at the downtown store, I was out of there at 12:20, clutching my prize.

I allowed myself to read 3 chapters before bed, just to whet my appetite and get some sleep. Once morning came, I set to work, and devoured 750 pages in about 14 hours. No spoilers, and no contact with the outside world (except a brief trip to the grocery store to refuel - iPod firmly planted in my ears).

Now if you think I'm going to tell you what happens - no dice. You'll have to read it for yourself. And I hope you do, because the book is brilliant. It is everything I wanted it to be. What J.K. Rowling has accomplished is an extraordinary triumph, and the series will stand the test of time. Generations from now, children will still be transporting themselves on the Hogwarts Express to a land of enchantment.

I'm also pleased to say that the latest Harry Potter film (Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix) is really good. Certainly there are major plot points that had to be cut because of time. But the director (David Yates) has captured the important aspects of the novel - Harry's burgeoning anger, the overall tone that is psychologically dark, the thrill of defiance as Dumbledore's Army comes together. And our kids are growing up! Who is that sweet buxom redhead behind Harry? Oh, that would be Ginny (Bonnie Wright). But the star of the movie is without question Imelda Staunton, who steals the show as Dolores Umbridge - malevolently...pink. (My grade - A-.)

So Harry Potter fans take heart - the novels may be over, but we still have two films to look forward to in the near future!

(P.S. I love Neville!!!)