Sometime in early 2001 I turned the final page of Fleming’s final bond book and sighed. I’d finished my 6-month task of reading the adventures of Bond and I’d nothing left to read.
“Why don’t you try Harry Potter?” My flatmate enquired. Ugh. Potter, I thought, I hate fantasy, I loathe Lord Of The Rings, why would I enjoy Potter – it’s the same thing – trolls, goblins and dragons.
“Seriously you should, I mean all your kids at school are reading them wouldn’t it be better to relate to them and read what they’re reading them?” flat mate continued eagerly pressing his copy of The Philosopher’s Stone into my hands. He was correct, the school at which I taught was flooded with Harry Potter – everyone seemed to be reading it.
Reluctantly I curled up on the battered sofa that adorned our student living room and began with chapter one, ‘The boy who lived’. Four hours later I was still there – absolutely hooked. Just a few days later and I’d finished The Goblet Of Fire and was desperate for more.
“But that’s it, the next one’s not out.” My flatmate informed me.
“Noooooo!”
Since then I’ve re-read the books a few times, I’ve seen the films – applied the Potterverse to my teaching a few times and attended the midnight book launches. But tomorrow night it all ends. The final book.
It’s weird that a children’s book should become so enthralling. While I have re-read Potter many times since I haven’t yet revisited the Bond novels that I read just prior to Potter… though I have a feeling that in a weird kind of bookend I will do so this summer.
So what will happen? I’m going to make some predictions tomorrow… then see how wrong I am!
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