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Unit3Leisurewithoutliteratureisdeathandburialalive.——Seneca,RomanphilosopherWhyHarry’sHot?1.J.K.Rowlingswearssheneversawitcoming.Inherwildestdreams,shedidn'tthinkherHarryPotterbookswouldappealtomorethanahandfulofreaders.Ineverexpectedalotofpeopletolikethem,sheinsistedinarecentinterview.Well,itturnedoutIwasverywrong,obviously.Itstrikesachordwithanenormousnumberofpeople.That'sputtingitmildly.With35millioncopiesinprint,in35languages,thefirstthreeHarryPotterbookshaveearnedaconservativelyestimated$480millioninthreeyears.Andthatwasjustthewarm-up.Withafirstprintingof5.3millioncopiesandadvanceorderstopping1.8million,HarryPotterandtheGobletofFire,thefourthinstallmentoftheseries,promisestobreakeverybooksellingrecord.JackMorrissey,12,plainlyspeaksforagenerationofreaderswhenhesays,TheHarryPotterbooksarelikelife,butbetter.2.Amazingly,Rowlingkeepsherseveralplotlinesclearofeachotheruntiltheend,whenhedeftlybringseverythingtogetherinacataclysmicconclusion.Forpurenarrativepower,thisisthebestPotterbookyet.3.Whenthebookfinallywentonsaleat12:01am.Saturday,thousandsofchildreninBritainandNorthAmericarushedtoclaimtheircopies.Bookstoreshostedpajamaparties,hiredmagiciansandservedcookiesandpunch,butnobodyneededtoliftthespiritsofthesecrowds.Inonecase,customersmadesuchabig,happynoisethatneighborscalledthecops.AtaBordersinCharlotte,N.C.,ErinRankin,12,quicklythumbedtothebackassoonasshegothercopy.“Iheardthata_majorcharacterdies,andIreallywanttofindoutwho,shesaid.Butminuteslatershegaveup.“Ijustcan'tdoit.Ican'treadtheendfirst.4.TheonlysournoteinallthesongsofjoyoverthisphenomenonhascomefromsomeparentsandconservativereligiousleaderswhosayRowlingadvocateswitchcraft.readingofthebookshasbeenchallengedin25schooldistrictsinatleast17states,andthebookshavebeenbannedinschoolsinKansasandColorado.Butthat'snothingnew,saysMichaelPatrickHearn,achildren'sbookscholarandeditorofTheAnnotatedWizard,ofOz.Anykindofmagicisconsideredevilbysomepeople,hesays.TheWizardofOzwasattackedbyfundamentalistsinthemid-1980s.5.ButperhapsthemostcuriousthingaboutthePotterphenomenon,especiallygiventhatitisallaboutbooks,isthatalmostnoonehastakenthetimetosayhowgood—orbad—thesebooksare.Theotherdaymy11-year-olddaughteraskedmeifIthoughtHarryPotterwasaclassic.Igaveher,I'mafraid,oneofthoseadult-soundinganswerswhenIsaid,Timewilltell.Thiswasnotanoutrightlie.There'snotellingwhichbookswillsurvivefromonegenerationtothenext.Butthefactis,Iwashedging.WhatmydaughterreallywantedtoknowwashowwellJ.K.RowlingstacksupagainstthelikesofRobertLouisStevensonorMadeleineL'Engle.6.IcouldhavetoldherthatIthoughttheywerebeautifullycraftedworksofentertainment,theliteraryequivalentofStevenSpielberg.IcouldalsohavetoldherIthoughtthePotterbookswerederivative.Theysharesomanyelementswithsomanychildren'sclassicsthatsometimesitseemsasthoughRowlinghadassembledhernovelsfromakit.However,thesenovelsamountto,muchmorethanjustthesumoftheirparts.Thecrucialaspectoftheirappealisthattheycanbereadbychildrenandadultswithequalpleasure.Onlythebestauthors—andtheycanbeasdifferentasDr.SeussandPhilipPullmanand,yes,J.|K.Rowling—canpullthatoff.7.P.L.Travers,theauthoroftheMaryPoppinsbooks,putitbestwhenshewrote,Youdonotchopoffasectionofyourimaginativesubstanceandmakeabookspecificallyforchildren,for—ifyouarehonest—youhave,infact,noideawherechildhoodendsandmaturitybegins.Itisallendlessandallone.ThereisplentyforchildrenandadultstoenjoyinRowling'sbooks,startingwiththeirlanguage.Herprosemaybeunadorned,butherwaywithnamingpeopleandthingsrevealsaquirkyandoriginaltalent.8.Thebestwritersrememberwhatitisliketobeachildwithastonishingintensity.Timeandagain,Rowlingarticulatesjusthowdefenselesseventhebravestchildrenoftenfeel.NeartheendofthesecondbookDumbledore,thewiseandprotectiveheadmaster,isbanishedfromHogwarts.ThisterrifiesHarryandhisschoolmates—WithDumbledoregone,fearhadspreadasneverbefore—anditterrifiedme.AndinallofRowling'sbooksthererunsanundercurrentofsadnessandloss.InthefirstbooktheorphanedHarrystaresintotheMirrorofErised,whichshowstheviewerhisorherutmostdesires.Harryseeshisdeadparents.NotuntilI'drereadwhatI'dwrittendidIrealizethatthathadbeentakenentirely-entirely-fromhowIfeltaboutmymother'sdeath,Rowlingsaid.Infact,deathandbereavementandwhatdeathmeans,Iwouldsay,isoneofthecentralthemesinallsevenbooks.Doyoungreaderspickuponallthisdeepintellectualism?Consciously,perhapsnot.ButIdon'tthinkthebookswouldhavetheirbroadappealiftheywereonlyexcitingtalesofmagicaladventure,andIknowadultswouldnotfindthemsoenticing.9.TheHarryPotterbooksaren'tperfect.WhatImissmostinthesenovelsisthepresenceofagreatvillain.AndbygreatvillainImeananinterestingvillain.Long.JohnSilverisdoublyfrighteningbecauseheisbothevilandcharming.IfhewereallBad,hewouldn'tfrightenushalfasmuch.Voldemortisresistiblepreciselybecauseheisjustbadtothebone.Thatsaid,IshouldaddthatinthenewbookRowlingoutdoesherselfwithabadguysoseductiveyou'llneverseehimcoming.Andheisscary.10.Thatquibbleaside,Rowling’snovelsareprobablythebestbookschildrenhaveeverencounteredthathaven'tbeenthrustuponthembyanadult.Ienvykidsreadingth