by Melissa Anelli
Anelli, the webmistress of the Leaky Cauldron website, wrote this lovely tribute to Harry Potter, a must-read for any Harry Potter fan. It recalls how Anellis fell in love with the books, and how she got drawn deeper and deeper into the magical world created by J K Rowling. Her excitement and passion is infectious, and together with the reader she relives the moments of the book releases and movie releases. It makes me want to read the books and watch the movies again. Just like a chatting friend, Anellis gushes about meeting J K Rowling and the actors of the movies, as well as the various music bands and fan fic writers, in ways that makes you both happy for her but also a bit jealous too.
There are some trivia that is interesting, though I suspect that a true Potter fan would likely have read of it somewhere else already. Dumbledore’s sexual orientation, for example, is no news to my friend when I told her about it. The author also tries to make the book more substantial by including some facts and stats about the Potter phenomenon and other social/cultural aspects, though her attempt is not very skilled. I also wish there is more Harry/Rowling and less Harry. Or maybe a more accurate title, for the book is not quite a comprehensive book about Harry; it’s a girl’s fascination with a book and a fan’s view and experience.
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