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. :)
does this even answer the question?
Date: 2007-03-30 10:44 pm (UTC)Growing up with the books. I distinctly remember being in a car with my mom and she told me about this book that was very popular over there and I sure would like it. I disagreed even though I had no clue what it was about, but what my mom recommends Can't Be Good. That was 99. My best friend in grade school got the book for Christmas and loved it. Somehow, I got it pretty soon then. My mom read it to me - my parents read LOTS of books to me - but then it was too exciting, so I continued on my own. I got CoS immediately afterwards and then catched up with my friend. That's when the great times of Harry Potter theories started. We had many and we would walk around on the school yard and talk about them, our personal mini-fandom. :)
I distinctly remember reading PoA insanely often. Around that time, more of my friends started reading HP. In 2000, I started secondary school and that's when HP really started shaping my life.
But before I went there, I went to London with my dad. It was exciting not only because I saw my first living statue, bought toe socks and was incidentally at the Buckingham Palace at Queen Mum's 100th birthday, but also because I specifically went to King's Cross to go to Platform 9 3/4. It felt very important.
GoF came out in German in October and the months before were spent finding out who at my school liked HP, too, and who had older siblings/parents who'd read the book already and making promises to go see the movie together.
I had my first encounter with real fandom at the release party which took place at a hotel that was wonderfully decorated, complete with framed golden pages from the Harry Potter books and bats and pumpkin juice.
I also had my first real English classes, which was exciting, but I was pretty bad. And then in 6th grade my aunt gave me PS in English for Christmas, despite the fact that I barely knew any English yet.
I was really determined to read the original though, and after quick introduction into the different tenses in the English language I actually read the whole thing. [my dad: You don't know what "did" means? What are they doing in your English class? That's do in past tense. Those words with -ed at the end are past tense, too.]
I suddenly was good (sixth-grade-good) in English. This would come in handy when I discovered there were whole websites on Harry Potter and some of them were in English and so interesting that I just had to read their theories. I think I read the RedHen articles pretty early on, but understood virtually nothing. I've never really read articles or books with a dictionary in my hand, but me and an internet friend of mine did when we tried to understand what the changeling hypothesis was all about. Apparently my English was not good enough, as I still don't know.
Anyway, I read more and more HP-related articles and fanfiction in English, which later would enable me to have conversations with real English-speaking people who are now my friends. They aren't necessarily HP fans, but I very much doubt I'd know them that well otherwise. I visited one in Ireland last summer. Next week, I'm going to meet a French girl in Toulouse who only can speak English because of HP, too.
I started reading about a ten-year old Harry when I was ten, and I'll finish the series when we both are 17. Inbetween I stuffed my brain with loads of ridiculous knowledge about HP, reread the books lots of times and learnt a new language. Pretty cool.
Re: does this even answer the question?
Date: 2007-03-30 10:51 pm (UTC)When HBP came out, there were actually other people waiting for the shop to open.
An internet friend of mine visited me and we read 9 hours non stop, eating cold pizza from the day before.
I'm also still convinced a saw an Interview with Jo in early 2000 in some train in which she implicitly stated that Ron would die in book 7. Sadly, my memory is beyond fogged, but I remember being very upset about it and discussing it with my grade school friend.
oh, the memories...