by Jennifer A. Walker

Created on: August 03, 2009   Last Updated: September 22, 2009

The Harry Potter series has achieved a level of popularity beyond anything J.K. Rowling could have imagined when the skinny, bespectacled boy wizard first popped into her head while on a train to London. What started as a story written longhand in a coffee shop has become a multi-billion-dollar franchise of seven books, eight movies, a theme park, a travelling exhibition, and a plethora of merchandise. References to Harry Potter have infiltrated our culture in overt and subtle ways, and for the first time in perhaps decades children are voluntarily forgoing video games and television shows in favor of reading. Even adults have fallen in love with the series, accounting for a large portion of book sales and movie attendance. Many adults are fully as enthusiastic about the series as their pre-teen and teen counterparts, as is evident at any midnight book release or movie premiere.

The depth and richness J.K. Rowling brings to her stories allow the characters to become as familiar as old friends, and lend to the locations all the comforts of home. Her ability to evoke a vivid imagery allows readers to become thoroughly immersed in the magical world of her creation, and to lose themselves in the adventures of Harry, Ron and Hermione as they fight yet another battle against various Dark forces, striving to let good prevail over evil.

While some may claim the popularity of Harry Potter is simply due to good marketing, a large portion of the credit must go to J.K. Rowling's skill as a writer. She does not write in the formal style of many authors of classic literature, which critics are quick to note. There may be a few awkward phrases, a few repetitive descriptions - but these only serve to enhance the intimacy of the stories, rather than detract from it; who among us could think of fifty different ways to describe Hagrid's "beetle-black" eyes and not come across as stuffy or pretentious? Instead, J.K. Rowling writes in a manner that is engaging, compelling, and relevant.

Although the Harry Potter world is imaginary, Rowling has an ability to infuse the experiences of the characters with real-life meaning. The students at Hogwarts, while learning Charms and Potions and Transfiguration, also struggle with peer pressure, worry about exams, and deal with teachers who seem devoted to making their lives miserable. Death, love, honor, loyalty, integrity, and choosing what is right over what is easy are constant themes in the series, always cloaked in shades of grey, and delivered in a way that is neither patronizing nor pedantic.

J.K. Rowling can reach out from the pages of her books and quickly draw the reader into the magical world she's created. The reader truly feels as if they know the characters, and leave each story wanting to know even more. Rowling's skill at evoking in her readers page-turning suspense, out-loud laughter, or heart-rending tears is a testament to her gift as a writer. It is this ability, this connection to the reader, which has endeared Harry Potter to millions of fans worldwide, and which make the acclaim J.K. Rowling has received truly well-deserved.

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