I recently realized it had been over 2 years since I posted something new here at The Hog’s Head. There are a myriad of reasons around why that’s the case, most of it owing to my need to finish out graduate school. In that time, so many things have happened:
- The Hunger Games has become the most recent literary/movie franchise to draw huge fan attention
- Twilight has become the subject an internet meme disparaging its central love story
- I moved from Kentucky to Minneapolis, Minnesota—after spending a year in Norfolk, Virginia.
- In an effort to create a viable social network, Google sold Wave to Apache, folded Buzz, and then launched Google+ (none of which I’ve participated in to any great depth)
- Facebook bought Instagram for a billion dollars
- My beloved Kentucky Wildcats won a basketball national title
- My even more beloved Chicago Cubs are still terrible
And, most importantly, the Harry Potter saga is now complete in its two most significant media forms: books and film. I’ve loved the story or Harry and his friends since my wife, Jamie, convinced me to give the first book a shot. Once I read Philosopher’s Stone, I read through the other four that were out at the time in less than three weeks. If you’re reading this blog (especially at this point and time), then I don’t have to explain why the story is so important to me. (I do fall into the camp that believed Snape was by far and away the most interesting and compelling character in the entire series.)
But I’ll confess a secret I’ve realized over the last couple of years: I loved participating in the HP community more. In my Harry Potter experience, participation with this website and others has been crucial to my joy and interest in the novels and films. As brilliant as Rowling’s story was, layered in literary allusions and medieval symbolism and wrapped in a thrilling adventure story, the conversations I’ve had here on THH and elsewhere are the things that have stuck with me. More so than the cupboard under the stairs at No. 4 Privet Drive. More so than Harry and Ron’s encounters with acromantulas, basilisks, three-headed dogs, hippogriffs, or dragons. More than the first time Hagrid boomed into the cabin to announce, “You’re a wizard, Harry!” More than the first time I read about Dumbledore’s death—or Fred’s, or Lupin’s and Tonk’s, or Colin Creevey’s, or Snape’s… Or the when Ron and Hermione finally realized what foreshadowing and alchemy had been telling us for over 900 pages.
That participation has been so important to me that I spent much of my graduate work since 2008 studying participatory communities like Harry Potter fandom. (I almost wrote my dissertation on THH and HP fandom in general, but decided I was too close to the scene and the people—it would be weird to write a scholarly monograph about one’s friends.)
My favorite THH memories involve epic debates about Snape’s allegiance and ultimate fate in the interlibrum before Deathly Hallows; Travis’s discussions about the hallows symbolism and importance; and the debate about Voldemort’s character development over time. These debates, sometimes heated, were huge sources of insight that only provoked more curiosity and thought about the overall narrative.
As I start to re-engage here with THH and its readers, I can’t help but wonder quite a bit at how the community has evolved now that we’re not waiting with baited breath for the next book or film. I’ll probably spend quite a bit of time writing here about what I’ve discovered and thinking “out loud” (as it were) about why those changes have taken place.
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{ 22 comments… read them below or add one }
I’ve really missed you, Dave, and look forward to your coming contributions. Welcome back!
Me and my cats have missed your thoughts and insights, Arabella ! I’m looking forward to getting back into the swing of everything.
Nice to see you again, Dave. I’ve been missing more lately. It has felt odd not to check in every day. But I just haven’t been engaged in some of the discussions that followed Harry – for me, they just didn’t capture my imagination and after a few musings about The Hunger Games, I was done. So done, in fact, that I only read the books once, then gave them to my daughter and I’ve decided to skip the movies. Twilight was easy for me to avoid, but it also meant I really wasn’t part of those conversations.
But I feel the same way you do about all those friendly and not so friendly discussions about Harry Potter, whether it was the books or the movies. And nothing since has come close to that for me. But I don’t want to lose touch with that wonderful and very unique community. I think that was a once in a lifetime experience, mainly because it was the first time people had such easy access to have those discussions.
I only have one big area where I really disagree with you, Dave. I am as loyal to my Kansas Jayhawks as you are to the Kentucky Wildcats.
-Started working full time again
-Joined a grown-up book club
-Had a couple of family crises
-Got on Twitter
-Introduced my son to HP. He can’t wait to read CoS this summer.
I’m with you Dave I miss THH and it has been so much fun to be a part of this community. If I could do some sort of second masters that primarily involved reading back through all the posts I missed before I joined, that would be so fantastic. Or even just research the wizarding world and information/research. But some how I don’t think that is very useful for promotion and tenure. Blast.
But really, I have been lurking, though I don’t comment as much as I used to. As far as influential books go, HP and Imagination is right up there for me. Not a Sunday goes by that I”m not tempted to bring up HP in Sunday School at church as an illustration off understanding the beyond, and how God uses our imagination to teach us greater and better things. So thank you to all who helped shape that discussion.
Dave, welcome back! So good to see a post by you here. And I hear what you’re saying. The community and discussion around HP were as important to me as the stories themselves.
I have an English teacher friend who I asked, just last week, what the kids say about Harry Potter these days. She says that apart from a few senior kids who have some nostalgia about their experience finishing up the books years ago, there just isn’t any discussion about them anymore. That was jarring to hear, though perhaps not surprising. Just a few years later, and no one is even thinking about the experience that we all lived, and some haven’t even had it post-publication of all the books.
“Where does the community go from here?” has been the question we’ve not been sure how to answer for almost 6 years, I think. But we still show up, even if not as often.
Dave,
I missed out on the on-line community discussions during those years when I was living and breathing the Harry Potter stories. I came late to understanding how to use all the new computer technology. I did read all scholarly books that came out related to Harry Potter, but I had barely anyone to discuss them with besides my three kids, who grew up with the books. I mean, I knew plenty of other adults who had read the books and liked them, but no one even close to as fanatical and deeply into them as I was, who wanted to talk about them all the time.
I did used to look at Mugglenet and the Leaky Cauldron sites, so I was aware of a lot of the discussions, but I either did not know how to use the web sites properly, or when I would try to get into a discussion it would be more at a teenage level, from a very different perspective than mine.
I don’t know when I finally found the Hog’s Head— a year or two ago, maybe? I enjoy at least the camaraderie of knowing I’m with other adults who shared the obsession I have. There is a feeling of connection there. I still read the books that come out about Harry Potter. Right now I’m reading the new book about Hermione Granger and feminism (can’t remember the exact name of the book right now.) I found out about it on this site. I also learn about new articles that come out, on this site.
The Harry Potter books still hold a magic, a comfort, a fascination for me. To this day I listen to the British version on CD in my car, over and over. I start again with The Philosopher’s Stone as soon as I finish The Deathly Hallows. The Hog’s Head is my home page for the Internet, so I see if there is anything new in the Harry Potter world that would be of interest, each time I go on line.
I think I was supposed to get my letter from Hogwarts when I turned eleven, and I still think it should be coming one of these days.
I do feel a little bit sad that I was not part of all the discussions during those years. Regarding what Travis said about kids today and the Harry Potter books, I don’t think it will ever be the same as those days when the books were coming out, with at least two years in between to wait for the next book, with so many mysteries to be solved. It would be so different to be able to read all the books one after another— it should almost be required that one would have to have time to think in between the books, to have to read them again and again before you could read the next one.
My three kids grew up on the Harry Potter books; one or another of them was the age Harry was when the book came out. They, and I, will always remember the H.P. stories as part of the fabric of their childhoods, as part of our home and our family culture.
That is not to say that the books are not as great for ALL time— I know if I had had the set as a child, even if I received them all at once, that I would have read them over and over. I read the Narnia chronicles a few times and loved them and always remembered them, and I know I would have loved the Harry Potters even more, much more.
But, still, that was a very special time in the history of English literature, in the history of all literature, those years when the books were being written and published.
I am sad that I missed out on the camaraderie of other adult fans in the on line community. I feel a bit on the outside looking in on this site at times, knowing that many of the rest of you share a history of all that and I can’t go back in time and get in on it. Maybe with all they are discovering in quantum physics, I will one day find myself in an alternate universe where the books are just coming out and I’m a part of the community this time! And, another day, I’ll be in a universe where I receive my Hogwarts letter, and I take the Hogwarts express from Platform 9 3/4, and I am actually there at Hogwarts, in Gryffindor, friends with Harry, Hermione and Ron, helping to defeat evil in our world and learning to do magic.
Hey Phoenixsong58, I feel the same way for different reasons. I never had the time to discover (nor the right age to actually realize) that there were online groups discussing Harry. Duh! And none of the people I knew who also read and enjoyed HP were quite as interested in going on as deep as I wanted to. In fact I have been banned from mentioning Harry around my kids. As one says, “All roads eventually lead to Harry.” But I’m still game and think there’s plenty of things to talk about. So anytime you want to get onto a topic, don’t hesitate.
Hi, Nana, I was also even more fanatical than my kids. Yes, all roads eventually lead to Harry!
Currently I’m on Half-Blood Prince on CD. I recently listened to Harry’s and Dumbledore’s trip into the pensieve, where they visit the Marvolo Gaunt household. I realized that is one of my LEAST favorite scenes out of all of the books. I thought it would be interesting to hear what scenes others groan to reread. I know that another one I’ve never enjoyed is where Hagrid is describing his visit to the giants in Order of the Phoenix. To me it’s slow moving and boring.
I don’t like to complain about the books, because I’d rather read through a bad part in a Harry Potter book rather than a good part in a lesser book! But, still, we have all re-read the books SO many times that surely we all have scenes that we can barely stand.
The chapter about the giants wasn’t one of my favorites either, escept the name Karkus made me laugh when I read it aloud. Other than that, I wasn’t sorry that it was dealt with in a retelling in the movie.
And then there is quidditch. I’m not much of a sports fan once you go beyond college basketball, specifically my Kansas Jayhawks (who are a tad disappointing this year to say the least). So endless descriptions of quidditch games just didn’t do much for me. On rereading the books, I tend to skip through those pages quickly and move on to more interesting parts of the story.
I would have to agree about the giants chapter funnily enough. I don’t know if I could’ve thought of it on my own because I generally feel pretty good about the books, length and all. The story of Hagrid’s journey is just so off-piste that it feels unrelatable, but I suppose it’s necessary to explain the presence of Grawp. It creates a bit of mystery as we wonder along with Harry about all Hagrid’s injuries. Jo seldom puts in things unless there is a good reason and Grawp is very important. Harry sees that no matter how difficult it gets, Hagrid instinctively feels he must look after Grawp. I think it’s one of those experiences that Harry doesn’t talk about or analyze, but it just sinks in. Harry learns that we must not turn our backs on those who need us, especially those who are less fortunate or those we don’t understand or particularly relate to. Sometimes we are our brother’s keeper.
Nana, I’m writing an upcoming post on the Hagrids as part of my family and OotP series (http://thehogshead.org/family-ties-in-harry-potter-and-the-order-of-the-phoenix-part-5-the-grangers-and-the-lovegoods-3-9336/).
I like very much your summation of Grawp’s purpose in your comment above, and would like to quote it with your permission.
I’m not fond of the giant section, either. The Gaunt section troubles me because of the abuse, but that’s one of the points, isn’t it.
Reading about the Gaunts was hard but it gives us a real glimpse into Riddle’s family history. It also seems to be a way to show how little the Gaunt family evolved. They seem much more like a family living in the 14th century, isolated and clinging to a life style that no longer exists.
Marvolo Gaunt comes from the same stock as Simon Price, another twisted and cruel father. And I see hints of Merope in Krystal Weedon – although Krystal is made of sterner stuff . But in The Casual Vacancy characters like these are the norm, which is why it’s a more difficult book to read than Harry Potter.
Good point about the similarity of characters. Krystal, though, had something else going for her, at least for a while. She had her grandmother and a teacher who believed in her. Merope really had no one that we knew of.
I think it’s been long enough – I need to reread The Casual Vacancy. But yes, it is a hard book to read but it’s the kind that makes me think and look at people around me with a more careful eye.
Arabella, Sure go right ahead and use it. I think I summed it up better in my guest post essay a couple months back. To me it was always very important to take note of the events that I considered to be transformational for Harry. I like the idea that we have to take a good look at ourselves and ask whether we are willing to be inconvenienced or burdened by those we don’t even know or like. People with different lifestyles and points of view. Those who have made other choices in life. (Jo does make this point in CV as well, in fact, it may be the entire point in CV.) How responsible are we for others? I believe this is why Hagrid was one of Harry’s most important teachers. He so often provided Harry direct experiences that could be internalized in a way that other teachers’ lectures and classes could not.
I’ve had to be absent too much, Nana. Would you please give me the name of your guest post? Thanks!
If you hit the News tab at top and scroll down, it’s still there. Called “Guest Post: Harry’s Visit to the Forbidden Forest.” It was posted on 5 January by RevGeorge. I have something else small I wrote about Hagrid if you’re interested…let me know.
I remember that post, it was wonderful! And I would like the “something else small,” please. If you can, please post it here. I’m really looking forward to doing the Hagrids and adding your thoughts, credited, of course (and under what name?).
I wrote a piece about Harry making seven trips into the FF. Yes, the number 7 again! Here I want to talk about the fact that it was Hagrid who accompanied him so often on these excursions. I have always maintained that Hagrid is one of the most important characters, if not the most important after Harry. He is rough around the edges. He’s not brilliant, refined or even careful, but his role is essential.
In an earlier piece I discussed how Hagrid lives on the edge of the FF and how symbolic that is since he is half human, part of our world, but half giant and so remains closely connected to the place where wild things live. It is entirely appropriate then that Hagrid is the one who takes Harry to the place where he will have experiences and gain knowledge that you cannot get in a classroom or be taught by a teacher. He is Harry’s guide to the underworld or the unconscious where the lessons learned will become part of who he is at the deepest level.
It is Hagrid who takes him into the FF for the first time in PS to search for the unicorn and Harry sees there are worse things than death. Harry goes into the FF again in CoS at Hagrid’s instructions to find Aragog who tells him the truth. Harry learns there is much to be gained by facing his fears. In OotP Hagrid shows him the Thestral herd and Harry is able to see that sometimes good things are invisible to the eye. Hagrid also takes him to meet Grawp and by example shows Harry that those who need us must not be abandoned.
And don’t forget, it was Hagrid who gently plucked baby Harry from the ruins at GH to carry him from the danger of the Wizard World. And it was Hagrid who returned ten years later to tell him who and what he was and led him back to world where he belonged. It is Hagrid who accompanies Harry away from the Muggle world on the brink of adulthood to embark on the final quest. And of course it is Hagrid who bears witness to Harry’s sacrifice and carries him out of the darkness back to the light of the living in DH.
Hagrid’s role is not teacher because he doesn’t teach or lecture. He is the Guide who, more importantly, takes Harry to the places where he will learn for himself the things he needs most of all. Hagrid leads him to the well of knowledge and because of the half-Giant’s gentle, loyal and loving nature, Harry trusts that he can drink deeply from that well. And we all know how that turned out.
Although the Gaunt house scenes were difficult to read, I liked them for how clearly they illustrated the kind of background Tom Riddle came from. It was mentioned that consistent inbreeding resulted in poor intelligence and a streak of violence. It seemed to me one more comment by Jo regarding pure-blood attitudes. In addition, she was creating contrast between Harry and Voldemort’s birth families. Both were orphaned, but Harry had a loving mother for 15 months. Jo has talked about reading studies showing that physical love in the earliest months actually causes certain changes in the brain that allow for normal development of the ability to form healthy and loving relationships. Once there, it cannot be taken away. It is the “love protection” that DD explains to Harry that provided Harry with his greatest weapon against evil. The Gaunt visit in the Pensieve shows us that the sort of abuse Merope endured probably left her without the faculty to love and care for her son. Jo drives home this idea by showing us that Merope wasn’t even able to stay alive for her son. We can infer that young Tom received no such love protection and we certainly see that he is unable to care about others. Imagine the shame and disgust he felt when he first visited that hovel. And he could hardly cozy up to his Muggle side since they had abandoned him.
As unpleasant as it was being witness to the harsh cruelty of the Gaunts, it was vital for us to see what can happen to a child deprived of love and filled with shame. I was surprised when I felt pity for LV, but then so does Harry and that was the point. In the end DD says not to pity the dead, but pity all those who live without love.
Thanks, Nana!
Hi Dave! Nice to see you again!
I, too, have taken a long break from THH. One of my favorite HH activities were the read-throughs. So much insight from all of the uber-intellects on this site added immensely to my appreciation and enjoyment of the series.
Ditto the comments about living the experience of waiting for each of the books to be published. It was like nothing else and likely to not happen again in my lifetime.
Very interesting comment, Travis, about what kids these days think of HP. I hadn’t thought about how the lack of hype or excitement would have on the community. Rather sad, actually.
And what does that say about things such as Universal’s Wizarding World of HP? Will it become blasé 10 years from now?