Harry Potter and the Annoyed Reader
Don’t get me wrong: I’m not saying I don’t like Harry Potter. I do; in fact, I’m borrowing it from someone.
What bothers me is the disturbing
trend Harry Potter has started. Since its release, it’s impossible to
go to any university or office without hearing conversations about
Harry Potter. It’s everywhere, and it gets annoying when you’re at the
restroom, only to hear someone wash his face while conversing to his
friends about how book 7 ended (which I have heard several times now).
I’d like to think that one of the
joys of reading a book comes from the suspense of not knowing what’s
going to happen (and how rewarding it could be if the denouement turns
out unexpected). But these days and ages, it’s become nigh impossible
to read a popular book without its details already spoiled, unless if
you’re the first to have read it. Is this the reason why people line up
for the new Harry Potter: so that they will be the first to know what’s
happened and will spoil the story to those who haven’t read while they
feel their ego boosted? Why deprive the enjoyment of those who want to
read but couldn’t afford it immediately? Why all this disrespect?
Also, does everyone have to follow
the media hype? Is everyone out of touch with their own preferences
that they just have to keep following the trend, without discovering
the gems on their own? What happened to the time when those who go to
the bookstore go to different sections scrounging for the book that
speaks to them, regardless of whether or not it’s popular? Nowadays,
the only books that people ever buy are those humongous hyped
bestsellers piled in front of a bookstore: Harry Potter, The Secret,
Laws of Attraction, Da Vinci Code, Rich Dad Poor Dad, The Alchemist,
etc. I’m not saying these books are inherently bad, I’m saying that
it’s likely that there are other books on the similar subject matter
that could be better than all these. And yet people don’t take the
trouble to read Bartimaeus Trilogy, Faucoult’s Pendulum, or Siddharta.
As for my assessment in Harry
Potter series, I like it. I find the concept very appealing. However,
I’ll be damned if I just stick to Harry Potter without exploring other
works of fiction and I can’t remember a book release ever reaching the
anticipation level of Star Wars. This guy here prefers bookstore quiet.
For me, the beauty in reading a
book comes from its giving each of us a different experience. Everyone
has their own biases and interpretations. It doesn’t matter how much a
book has sold, if it doesn’t communicate a message appreciable by the
reader then it doesn’t serve its purpose. A book isn’t supposed to be
like technology where the latest is the best; it’s supposed to be like
a t-shirt, in which only the person will know what fits him/her. It
doesn’t have anything to do with what sells and what everyone else
likes; just imagine if everyone is wearing torn jeans. How crazily
monotonous would the world be then?
