About J.K. Rowling (Harry Potter)

From my very subjective point of view, British author, J.K. Rowling is the writer of the century. This author is the former English teacher, who achieved her success due to her “Harry Potter” series. She has won a few awards for her “Harry Potter” creations, among others, Nestle Smarties Book Prize and British Children’s Book of the Year. The estimated number of sold books is about five hundred million copies. There are also film adaptations of these fantasy books which made the series even more popular. The woman is also known as a philanthropist.

What is important, her private life really affected her creations, or even the other way around. The author married an abusive husband and suffered a miscarriage. Then she had a child, however she was diagnosed with depression, which led her to a suicide attempt and her writings were also affected by her mother’s death. Rowling was really poor and felt helpless, however she started writing fantasy series which would not even exist without her tragic past. The author could pour all of her worries to the books while escaping the reality. When she won her first prizes, it changed her life forever.

“Harry Potter” fantasy series are the most significant achievement, this is why I would like to concentrate only on this part of author’s creations. There are seven books which are telling the story about young wizard, Harry Potter, who became an orphan when he was a toddler. Main character’s parents were killed by Lord Voldemort, a revengeful wizard who wanted to become immortal. Harry goes through his adventures at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry with his friends, Ron and Hermione. What is worth mentioning is overall death that accompanied Rowling in various forms finds its place in her “Harry Potter” series: “My books are largely about death. They open with the death of Harry’s parents. There is Voldemort’s obsession with conquering death and his quest for immortality at any price, the goal of anyone with magic” (Telegraph, 2006).

Almost everyone knows these magical series, which is part of writer’s success, however it is essential to point out why this happened, also according to my personal experience. The world of Harry Potter is unique and extremely distant, however we can all find our own part or role in it. People my age actually grew up on these books, which make the children really connected to each other. When reading Rowling’s books one can forget about the real world and its problems and nowadays they can give the reader the sentimental mood. Every time I have enough of the reality and all the issues, there is possibility to run away for a bit by reading these series. One can actually call them “comfort books”.

The magical world is complicated and not only concentrates on magic, but also on friendship, love, meaning of family. Moreover, even if they are books for children, the subjects of death, insanity, sorrow are not omitted. What is outstanding about “Harry Potter” is that one can find aspects of real world in this magical story, which is a way of giving another meaning to reality or finding parts of ourselves in fantasy. For instance, Harry Potter, before knowing that he was a wizard, was just an ordinary boy without parents who was treated really badly by his uncle. That part can give a hope for these children who are in some way abandoned in their lives and for these ones who were also told that they are not worthy. The character of Harry Potter shows that everyone is special and in particular these ones who suffered the most. Moreover, the idea of different houses (Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Slytherin, Hufflepuff) shows that people are very different and they can bring out the best from their unique attitudes and mindsets. When it comes to friendship, the book series present how powerful and important it is; in some way friends are family who are chosen by ourselves, not by genes. Friends should be cared as much as family.

According to J.K. Rowling, the idea of soul-sucking Dementors was created due to her depression (BBC News, 2003). As I mentioned before, the aspect of death was not omitted in books. It started from very beginning with Potter’s parents death and also deaths of friends and enemies. Children should be familiar with the reality and “Harry Potter” series show this in the best way possible. The pain and acceptance connected to death are clearly shown in books.

The author’s novels became so popular and meaningful for the readers that there is a term for the fans of series: Potterheads. “Harry Potter” saw the light of day more than 20 years ago and “the spirit” of the fictional world is still alive for people. There are special websites about “Harry Potter”, forums and even not so long ago, there was “The Wizarding World of Harry Potter” created – the park entirely dedicated to the universum. All of these are proof, that Rowling writings are timeless and inspire people for more.

In my opinion, J.K. Rowling is the writer of the century because she made her fantasy series so worth of world’s attention, that the story is still with us. The novels not only saved her life, but also, due to wealth, urged her to take part in charity organizations. The writer is a president of Gingerbread charity, which is dedicated to families with only one parent. Due to the fact that her mother suffered from multiple sclerosis, she also donated money for research dedicated to this illness. There is a lot more philanthropy from Rowling, which shows that the author is influenced by her private life and achievements. The woman understands the world’s social problems because she experienced struggle by herself. J.K. Rowling saw the opportunity which can inspire others, and all of that started just from the fantasy book. The writers biography proves that a person can feel like the world is falling and not worth living, but the opportunity and luck can arrive at any time. Rowling is one of the best writers owing to the fact that she created the world that is very close to people’s hearts for almost twenty years.

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