Harry Potter – Is it Really Over?

I’ve been so excited about the final movie in the Harry Potter series, but as I was sitting in the theater last Friday night about to actually watch the movie, it suddenly hit me. It’s over. I was honestly upset when the final book came out, but with the movies, it was as if the story lived on. There was still this unique way to see the characters and the story come to life visually. But now, what’s left?

The ebooks are going to be released on J.K. Rowling’s recently announced Pottermore, but the ebooks are just the books in digital format. Don’t get me wrong, I fully intend to buy them and devour them again, but it makes me sad that the newness of it is over now that the final movie is out.

The funny thing about the release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows book in 2007 is that even though I preordered the book and picked it up the day it came out, I didn’t actually read the book until October. I just didn’t want it to be over. The Harry Potter series is seriously the very best series I have ever read in my life. It’s genius. The characters became my friends. I wanted to live in that world (minus Voldemorte, of course) and know those people. I wanted to learn magic and go to Hogwarts. Yes, I was an adult even when it was starting, but it made me want to be a kid again. And just as a funny story, the whole reason I started reading the HP series was because one of my old teachers told me I needed to read them because the girl (Hermione) in the story was just like me, haha.

Anyway, I didn’t read the final book for several months because I didn’t want to let go. I didn’t want to accept that there would be no more new adventures for Harry, Ron and Hermione. Yes, I wanted Voldemorte to die, but I still wanted to know what was happening in their world. When I finally sat down to read the book, I didn’t come up for air until it was over. It took me about two days to read the whole thing and when it was over, my eyes were so red from crying, my husband thought someone died. And I guess someone did. Some of my good friends died in that final battle, and I felt their loss deep in my heart. I felt the loss of the series, too. The movies gave me a chance to relive some of that experience.

When I sat down in the movie last Friday night, I wanted that same emotional impact. I wanted to grieve for the final movie and for the end of one of the best series of all time. Unfortunately, even though the cinematics were gorgeous and the story was basically the same as the book, I just didn’t get to that same place of emotional depth that I got to with the books. It makes sense when you think about it. The book took me days to read and the characters lived in my mind and my imagination. The movie was just over two hours long and there wasn’t time for the same development you get in the book. That’s one of the reasons I love books so much. You get so much more into the stories and you get to know the characters and their motivations and their souls so much better. It’s part of the magic of reading that just can’t be translated to the big screen.

Anyway, all this rambling is basically just me saying that I’m sad the series is officially over with the final movie. I can’t wait for the ebooks to come out so I can start the series over and read it all again on my ereader.

What did you think about the movie? Have you had a chance to see it yet? Did you read the books? Did you love them the way I did? Have you ever had a series that touched your life that way?

2 Comments

  1. Yep, I loved them just like you did. Have read all of them in the US and UK editions. I have a good friend who lives in Hursley and she always mailed me the UK releases.

    I haven't see the movie yet. Maybe in Boston this Friday.

    Lucie j.

  2. I saw the last movie a week ago and cried for 80% of the 2 hours. I read the final book so long ago that I'd forgotten much of what took place. As I started to remember what was coming, the tears coated my cheeks like glaze on a cinnamon roll. I left the theater with a wet spot in the center of my t-shirt (embarrassing).

    I'm pretty sure I cried reading the book as well, but the distance between when I read the book and when I saw the movie made the movie seem so real and so final.

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