Growing up with Harry
Mar. 29th, 2007 09:06 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
author_by_night(Yet again, non-Harry Potter people- forgive me.)
Many of us were children or in our early teens when we first picked up the book with that odd guy in front of a train (or on a broomstick, or somewhere else, depending on where you reside.)
So I'm conducting a survey of sorts, and want feedback from those of you who were in your teens or younger when you first read the books. In a short paragraph or sentence, tell me these things
- Your country of residence.
- The fandom/LJ name you want to be quoted as (in case I decide to quote yours), or if you'd rather not be quoted, but still want to answer.
- How old you are now, and how old you were then.
- What it was like, growing up with the books.
If you know someone who grew up with the books (little brother/sister, younger friend, your own kid, etc.), you may also post about that.
Note: I will be quoting a number of these unless you request otherwise, but it is possible not all answers will be used. I will make an effort to link to this post when I complete the project, but if it is hard to fit the number I recieve in, I will not be able to. However, again, I will link to this.
Oh, and just FYI: I was fourteen when I first read the books. I'm now twenty two. Time flies!
ETA: Thanks to all of you who have replied so far! 41 comments! One of these days I will catch up on replying, but in the meantime, it's been cool hearing all of your stories, and look forward to more. :)
Many of us were children or in our early teens when we first picked up the book with that odd guy in front of a train (or on a broomstick, or somewhere else, depending on where you reside.)
So I'm conducting a survey of sorts, and want feedback from those of you who were in your teens or younger when you first read the books. In a short paragraph or sentence, tell me these things
- Your country of residence.
- The fandom/LJ name you want to be quoted as (in case I decide to quote yours), or if you'd rather not be quoted, but still want to answer.
- How old you are now, and how old you were then.
- What it was like, growing up with the books.
If you know someone who grew up with the books (little brother/sister, younger friend, your own kid, etc.), you may also post about that.
Note: I will be quoting a number of these unless you request otherwise, but it is possible not all answers will be used. I will make an effort to link to this post when I complete the project, but if it is hard to fit the number I recieve in, I will not be able to. However, again, I will link to this.
Oh, and just FYI: I was fourteen when I first read the books. I'm now twenty two. Time flies!
ETA: Thanks to all of you who have replied so far! 41 comments! One of these days I will catch up on replying, but in the meantime, it's been cool hearing all of your stories, and look forward to more. :)
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no subject
Date: 2007-03-30 04:30 am (UTC)What it was like, growing up with the books? Oh god what was it like. What was it NOT like is the better question, really. Even though that makes very little sense grammatically. I didn't grow up with the books- I grew up. And Harry Potter was that. Growing up and those books, those characters, those quotes and feelings and plots and worries and happiness and closeness - all that was twisted up into ME and who I was, and my happiness and fears and friends and life.
I didn't read before Harry Potter. I hated it. I didn't want to learn. All I can say when I think back on that now is WOW. I can't imagine what I would be like if HP was never written. Sure, I would learn to read like all the other kids. But not in the same way or for the same reasons. I got Sorcerer's Stone for Christmas from my aunt and a few days later I was board and my mom suggested reading my new book. Angry, I scoffed and stormed into my room, flopped on my bed and (I still don't know why I did it) grabbed HP and started to read. I struggled, at first. I knew knew how to read but I just hated it. but as the first page went by and then the second and the third I started going a bit faster and it was like my frustration melted away. I finished the book that night. I stayed up WAY past midnight and I'm sure there were many words that I didn't get quite right... but I read it. I read it all. And that was the first night I dreamed of it. I dreamed of everything.
The next morning I felt different. I knew, even at age seven, that this was something big. This was something that I would never give up and would always stay with me. I knew that this was Harry Potter.
From that day on I worked. I convinced and, in some cases, bribed my friends to read the books. I introduced it to my whole circle of friends. We were all affected by it.
I started HP roleplay way back when I was still so young I referred to it as "playing Harry Potter". Childhood arguments about who should play Ron abounded. I was Harry.
Then the internet came. And with it, Fandom. Communities and fanfiction and shipping oh my. And a few years later there was SLASH.
It's really hard to even think about separating me from Harry Potter. I saw the world not only from my eyes but from his. Brown and green fused together.
There have been so many discussions had and friends made because of Harry Potter. I've been to club meetings and midnight book releases and worn Harry Potter costumes downtown and walked around with huge 'Snarry is my OTP' picket signs. I've thrown birthday parties for the characters and spent hours fangirling and flailing and my family is so used to it all by now that they rarely notice. I do fanart and that has helped me immensely to develop my artistic skills. Harry Potter has made me bolder, more free to be myself. It gives me something with which I can use to bond with people from all over the world. It's stirred my passions and my fears. I has made me debate and wonder and theorize and organise and so many more verbs.
This is my generation. We were all so deeply affected by these books, this phenomenon.
Harry Potter is millions of children and adults. Harry Potter is US.