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Volume CXXXIII, Number 1 |
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Harry Potter returns
MÓNICA GUZMAN
ORIENT STAFF
With this saga of a young teenage wizard discovering his own heroic destiny at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, we move miles beyond five-minute fairy tales and their once-upon-a-times and happily-ever-afters; their vague simplicities and one-line lessons: Go straight to grandma's house. Don't tell lies or your nose may pay for it. Don't build your house out of straw. The emperor is naked.
Now, as kids immerse themselves in Harry's world, absorbing every detail of his magical life as he grows and changes alongside them, many parents must be wondering, "What is the moral of this story?" and "On which of the more than 2,500 pages thus far can we find it spelled out?"
Nowhere. That's where.
These are five years in the life of an extraordinary boy who is extraordinarily like every other boy. And life does not spell out anything. Rowling's willingness to go remarkably in depth, to go on for as many pages as she needs to say it all, while still weaving a thrilling story, helps make these among the greatest books ever written.
That's right. I said it. And I said it because it's true, not because the books are extremely popular.
Unlike so many things - hyped Hollywood films, overly marketed entertainment ploys, and countless tricks of the shrinking commercial world, the Harry Potter series actually earned its place atop school reading lists. It belongs in the throne of children's imaginations.
Not everything that is popular must be vapid and cheap. And not everything that is great must have a 400-level Ivy League class dedicated to it.
So to all you self-proclaimed nonconformists who have avoided Harry like the plague, stop your bantering. This is one bandwagon you can jump on.
The supreme joy of the Harry Potter books is their reluctance to be simple. The language and vocabulary may be simple (after all, these are children's books), but nothing else is.
As Harry moves through each year at Hogwarts, everything he experiences adds to the year before, making each book richer and more complex than the last. "The Order of the Phoenix" is the most amazing installment yet.
In "The Order of the Phoenix," Harry returns for his fifth year at Hogwarts after being left in the dark all summer about the return of Lord Voldemort, the evil wizard who killed his parents. A few wizards who believe in his return have formed the Order of the Phoenix to fight the Dark Lord before he becomes too powerful.
But it's not easy when the entire Ministry of Magic, the governing body of the wizarding world, denies Voldemort's return and casts doubt on Harry's credibility.
Harry is used to suspicions and rumors. With the support of his friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, he fights against everything from the annoying new Ministry-appointed Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher to the Dark Lord himself - an encounter that claims yet another casualty, this time someone very near and dear to him.
Be ready, readers, this is by far Harry's toughest year - one in which even his greatest strength may prove a vital weakness and his bottled-up frustration about his identity comes out in shouts of anger that distance him from many of his closest friends.
This story refuses to give readers a packaged set of truths. Nor does it speak down to children from the head-shaking, finger-wagging adult world of we-know-better. Harry tells it straight, as someone to whom both children and adults can relate. And Rowling's now world-renowned narrative style, flowing effortlessly from the page to the imagination, gaining richness in the transition, is mercilessly vivid and delightfully powerful. It is no wonder she has enchanted the world.
Harry is one of the more fascinating characters in literature. Even though the scar on his forehead destined him for greatness, he is no unblemished knight in shining armor. Nor is he a two-dimensional bringer of justice driving morals straight to his target with the pierce of a sword.
Harry faces inner conflict: His scar is also a curse, the mark of a disturbing prophecy that dooms him to come face-to-face with evil.
Neither is he an all-powerful crime fighter. He feels no duty to save the world. He's only 15. And after four years of life-threatening adventures, Harry just wants to pass his O.W.L.S. (Ordinary Wizarding Level exams) at the end of the year, play lots of Quidditch and have fun with his friends.
But he cannot escape his own destiny. And his readers are ready to root him on through two more years.
Even more enticing than Harry is his world - one that is neither long ago nor far away, but may be right under our very noses. A wizarding school could be just over those trees in the distance. Harry, Ron and Hermione could be flying high above us on broomsticks, careful to hide from us "Muggles" (non-magical people) who must never discover their existence.
Rowling worked out all the bugs so kids could dream "what if?" without running into too many snags.
If there's any downside to "The Order of the Phoenix," it's that you really should read the four other books first. But I highly doubt you will think that a downside if you actually do it.
You may be able to get away with skipping the first one - if and only if you've seen the movie. But don't depend on the film version of "Chamber of Secrets." That film is the reason why director Chris Columbus is no longer on the Harry Film Project. Or at least, it should be.
Despite the millions upon millions of dollars Harry has made and will make at the box office, his story is and always will be rich and classic literature.
As with all the books, there is no closure in "The Order of the Phoenix." In fact, it leaves Harry and his readers with more questions and worries, but also far more understanding of this young hero.
No pressure, Ms. Rowling, though. Really. Take your time with the next book. It's not like readers everywhere aren't counting on you. Just keep on beating yourself - make this one even better - and we'll be quite satisfied.
This article originally appeared in Foster's Daily Democrat on July
13, 2003. Reprinted courtesy of Foster's Daily Democrat, Dover, N.H.
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