Harry, A History: The True Story of a Boy Wizard, His Fans, and Life Inside the Harry Potter Phenomenon (Paperback) by Melissa Anelli

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10/22/08

Cheryl rated it:

bookshelves: nonfiction

Read in July, 2008

recommends it for: Harry Potter fans

I am a good friend of the author's and I appear fairly often in this book, so I'm cheerfully biased about it. But judged solely as a piece of writing, it is excellent and essential reportage about the history of the Harry Potter books and phenomenon -- the only book with firsthand accounts from J. K. Rowling, her agent, her editors and publicists, and various other people involved in the publication of the series or who helped to make it big. Melissa covers the growth of the online fandom, from ...more

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10/29/08

Monica Edinger added it

This book defies my rating it. I mean, I'd rate it completely differently for different audiences.

For avid Harry Potter fans familiar with the Leaky Cauldron, fan fiction, the shipping wars, Harry and the Potters, and so forth the book is probably five stars. Melissa captures, with vim and tremendous enthusiasm, the history of Harry Potter fandom filtered through her personal experience. No doubt those on the wrong side of certain conflicts (notably those fans who were advocating ...more This book defies my rating it. I mean, I'd rate it completely differently for different audiences.

For avid Harry Potter fans familiar with the Leaky Cauldron, fan fiction, the shipping wars, Harry and the Potters, and so forth the book is probably five stars. Melissa captures, with vim and tremendous enthusiasm, the history of Harry Potter fandom filtered through her personal experience. No doubt those on the wrong side of certain conflicts (notably those fans who were advocating for Hermione and Harry's union) may feel differently. But I'd guess for many fans, reading Melissa's book is a way to go back in time and reexperience much of what went on throughout those Harry Potter years.

Then there are people like me. I consider myself a fan, but not on the level of those in Melissa's world. I enjoyed the books tremendously and loved the way kids took the series for their own. I'm a lover of fantasy and, as Melissa notes in the book, at the time Harry Potter first came out there was not a whole lot of fantasy being published for children. The emphasis was on realistic fiction back in 1998. And so I saw firsthand, beginning in September 1998 when the first book came out in the US, the appeal and kid-word-of-mouth that made these books so remarkably successful. At first my copy was passed around my classroom among the handful of fantasy readers (one girl and a bunch of boys). One parent managed to pick up the second book for us in London and so it went. (Melissa did an excellent job going over the publishing history of the books, by the way.) It was with the 4th that all hell broke loose and the books' fans went from being part of a tiny subculture to a huge one. The movies, the Internet, television, and such raised the situation to something quite remarkable. And I loved following it all. So for a person like me, not a fan like Melissa or those in her immediate circle, the book was a lot of fun to read.

And then there are those who may come to the book without any such experience, just curious about this whole thing. I think the book may be a challenge for them. The best parts, to my mind, for such readers, are those where Melissa's joy and happiness and excitement about the books, the author, and the world she became part of, come through. More challenging may be some of the aspects of this world. I have to admit that I wasn't terribly interested (no offense!) in Harry and the Potters who receive a whole chapter. And I almost think that the whole fan fiction thing probably deserves its own book. I became aware of it during the shipping wars (which I at first thought had something to do with ocean liners), but have to admit that Melissa's presentation was a bit all over the place for those of us on the periphery. She was so deep into it and I did enjoy her view of it all, but can also see that it might be hard to make sense of if you weren't aware of this before you began reading this book.

But for anyone who went through any part of this, who likes the books, who got a kick out of the whole intensity of midnight releases, the Internet sites, the interviews, the shipping wars, and so forth --- I recommended it. (less)

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01/16/09

Rachel rated it:

bookshelves: adult-non-fiction

Read in January, 2009

This is not actually a History of Harry, or even a book about the Harry Potter books. It is a book about one woman's experience with the books. The author, Melissa Anelli, was (is) a major player in the Harry Potter fandom, and she tells her story as an "almost insider." Her perspective is interesting to a point, but for someone (ie, me) who loves Harry, but operated outside the fandom, it isn't really particularly relevant. It kind of just made me mad. I felt like, "I love Har...more

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01/02/09

Allison rated it:

bookshelves: non-fiction

Read in January, 2009

An interesting read. Melissa is a good writer, and I was certainly cheering for her as she met, and interviewed JK Rowling. However, as Melissa discusses the in-depth-ness of many Harry Potter fans, which she treats with a mixture of awe and amusement, she neglects the fact that there are many HP fans who did not travel to conferences, read or write fan-fiction, speculate about the books online etc. etc. The book is written with the assumption that every HP fan was die-hard, neglecting the fact ...more

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12/22/08

Ciara rated it:

bookshelves: read-in-2008

Read in December, 2008

recommends it for: insane harry potter fans, Hr/R shippers, scarf-wearing muggles, wizard rockers

i confess i feel like a dork for even having read this book, which is all about the fandom & media phenomena surrounding the harry potter books. now, i am a big fan of the harry potter books, but i don't frequent fan sites or wear scarves declaring my allegience to certain hogwarts houses or anything like that. this book was written by someone who runs a fansite (the leaky cauldron) & is all about the types of people who wear scarves as an expression of their harry potter love, & honestly, the w...more i confess i feel like a dork for even having read this book, which is all about the fandom & media phenomena surrounding the harry potter books. now, i am a big fan of the harry potter books, but i don't frequent fan sites or wear scarves declaring my allegience to certain hogwarts houses or anything like that. this book was written by someone who runs a fansite (the leaky cauldron) & is all about the types of people who wear scarves as an expression of their harry potter love, & honestly, the whole thing squicked me A LOT. i mean, it was really fascinating...in the way that a terrible gruesome car accident is fascinating. there is a whole chapter on wizard rock, for example. now, again, i like harry & the potters. i have seen them play a bunch of times. but all of the sudden, their shows were over-run by teenage girls in gryffindor scarves giggling over which degeorge brother was cuter, & i couldn't bring myself, as a grown woman, to have fun at their shows anymore. i just felt embarrassed. there is a chapter in here about the "shipping wars"--the online debates & flame wars that broke out between fans who thought hermione should hook up with ron versus those who throught she was destined for love with harry. i mean...really? it's bad enough that these kinds of arguments even happened, but that they would be written up in a book in such a breathless manner, as if understanding the causes of & ramifications of the "shipping wars" was crucial to understanding the harry potter phenomenon as a historical curiosity. it reminded me of how sometimes i will have some dumb argument with an idiot on a feminist messageboard & jared will come home from work & i'll be all, "listen to this e-argument i had with someone!" & jared will be all, "wow, i really can't believe you wasted even two minutes engaged in this, & now you are wasting even more time telling me about it." i always feel embarrassed afterward, like he caught me playing with a stuffed unicorn or something equally as infantile. THIS ENTIRE BOOK IS DEVOTED TO PEOPLE WHO HAVE THIS KIND OF INFANTILE, SOCIALLY BACKWARD RELATIONSHIP WITH HARRY POTTER FANDOM & it seriously freaks me out. & early on in the book, the author writes about 9/11 & how no one knew where her sister was (her sister worked in the world trade center) & how her harry potter fandom buddies kept her company on instant messenger & really helped her through that rough time, & how she found friends in harry potter fandom, friends who really cared about her, etc. the story was meant to illustrate the depth of friendship that sprang up between fans, but it just made me incredibly sad, imagining a grown woman in a panic over how her sister might have been killed in a collapsing building (she wasn't; she was fine) turning to the online friends she made in fandom around a children's book. i mean, the whole book kind of begs for a lack of derision from non-fans, but i just couldn't get there. i love the books & all, but really, this account of fan culture made me really sad. in a sick, pleasureable way.(less)

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02/04/09

Jamieson rated it:

I am reading the most wonderfully, magnificent, incredible and enjoyable book I have read in ages. It is a breath of fresh air and I’m thrilled that I picked it up. I’m talking about Harry, A History by Melissa Anelli.

I remember the first time I read Harry Potter and The Philosophers Stone.

I had ignored the buzz surrounding Harry Potter for a long time. I remember thinking: No book could possibly be that good. I would see people reading it on the buss, on lunch breaks...more

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11/13/08

Runa added it

Read in January, 2009

For all the fanfare this book has gotten, I'm not entirely sure all of it is deserved. It is a lovely look back at how the Harry Potter fandom evolved and got to where it is today, but there are some issues I do have with the book. One of the things I noticed was that Melissa told the book like it was a novel, a fictional piece, filled with flowery description that I feel has no place in what is essential a memoir of sorts. The intent of the book is to retell the HP fandom, from start to fini...more

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04/03/09

Claire rated it:

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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03/26/09

Yamile rated it:

Read in March, 2009

OK, how do I start? Ever since I found out about this book, I've been wanting to read it, and even after I bought it, I took a long time to finally pick it up. Once I opened it though, I couldn't put it down.
Just the name, "Harry, A History" and the cover, a couple of old looking books with a familiar set of round glasses on top, brought tears to my eyes. So many memories...
I started reading Harry Potter after "Goblet of Fire" was released. I was expecting my firs...more OK, how do I start? Ever since I found out about this book, I've been wanting to read it, and even after I bought it, I took a long time to finally pick it up. Once I opened it though, I couldn't put it down.
Just the name, "Harry, A History" and the cover, a couple of old looking books with a familiar set of round glasses on top, brought tears to my eyes. So many memories...
I started reading Harry Potter after "Goblet of Fire" was released. I was expecting my first child, my husband was working nights, and we were living in a state thousands of miles from any family. Yes, I was lonely and friendless, and Harry walked into my life and became such a beloved friend that I lost myself in the series. I read the first four books in a week, and I reread them over and over.
Those three years until "Order of the Phoenix" came out were a torture I could only endure by participating in the online HP community, AKA, The Leaky Cauldron.
When I had the blue book in my hands, I quickly forgot the speculations I and others had raised on the online forums, and I ate the book up. In the early hours of the morning I finished reading it, and instead of happiness, I felt cheated, devastated; I hated the book! However, I reread it over and over, went online, and learned to love this change in Harry. Eventually "Order" increased my obsession for HP and JK Rowling.
I've dragged my kids to midnight book release parties, to celebrate HP birthday at the library, and for number 7, my husband gave me the perfect gift, and we took our whole family to Scotland for the book release.
I totally, utterly, completely love "Half Blood Prince" and "Deathly Hallows." I can read them over and over.
Well, you might be wondering what does my HP experience have anything to do with this book? I loved this book because even though I never had the joy of meeting JK or going to movie premiers, Melissa and I share this love for this story that has meant so much for us. I don't know how I ever survived childhood without Harry Potter!
I love her recounting of the "shipping wars", the fan fiction, the movies, interviewing JK with Emerson from mugglenet, etc.
I was a follower of leaky (I still visit the website every once in while) and I remember reading the interview for the first time; I felt like Melissa and Emerson were representing all the fans. I was grateful for the questions they asked, and the answers JK gave them.
I loved learning how HP came to pass; the chain of events that made this book so wonderful and popular. I loved learning about the music groups like Harry and the Potters.
I know!!!!!!! What a geek! But boy was it fun! And now, no more books to read, just the movies.
I'll never forget the anticipation, that feeling of magic in the air, when I got my hands on the newly released books for the first time. No one knew what happened, and I hurried home and read through the night, and I felt like I was living Harry's adventures by his side. I'm a little sad that my kids won't be able to experience that; but I have two images brandished in mind: my six year old son, who was just learning how to read, sitting on the hotel hallway, trying to read "Deathly Hallows," and now, seeing him, almost three years later, reading 200 pages of "Goblet of Fire" over one weekend, his eyes lit with the magic that emanates from the book. I'm reading HP for the first time again though him.
I loved that Melissa wrote this book, and that I could see that in spite of the details, our experiences were similar; except for the little detail of the two day interview with JK at JK's house. I'm so envious about that!!!! (less)

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01/23/09

Jenni rated it:

bookshelves: books-i-read-over-and-over-again---

Read in December, 2008

The Phenomenon of Harry Potter is unlike anything that's come before it. Melissa Anelli does a brilliant job painting a picture of the major points in the fandom. It also has wonderful personal anecdotes and the ever coveted conversations with Jo herself.

While Anelli's story is very personal (how else can someone write about such an experience except in the way they lived it?), almost any fan can relate her stories to their own. It perfectly captures the feeling of suspense, and insa...more

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06/29/09

Mallory rated it:

Read in January, 2009

recommends it for: Serious HP fans, people who don't mind a bit of whining

I knew about the Harry Potter "fandom" (websites dedicated to obsessing over Harry Potter, which is fun when the books are about to come out and creepy and dull during the long stretches between novels) and thought this book sounded cute. I was interested in hearing about the fansites and getting some inside information. There is a section dedicated to Wizard Rock (Harry and the Potters) which I think is funny and worth reading. But good god, Anelli's writing style is annoying and s...more

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06/17/09

Alyson rated it:

Read in January, 2009

The stories and experiences that Melissa writes about are really insightful. It tells you a lot about what it’s like to be a fan of such a huge series,although I doubt the amount of people who don’t know what it’s like will actually pick it up to find out. There are a lot of moments in the book where, I could imagine, every fan wished he or she was Melissa. Lemme think… well, she’s friends with the Jamie Waylett aka Crabbe, she’s held an original copy of Beedle, she’s been on to...more The stories and experiences that Melissa writes about are really insightful. It tells you a lot about what it’s like to be a fan of such a huge series,although I doubt the amount of people who don’t know what it’s like will actually pick it up to find out. There are a lot of moments in the book where, I could imagine, every fan wished he or she was Melissa. Lemme think… well, she’s friends with the Jamie Waylett aka Crabbe, she’s held an original copy of Beedle, she’s been on tour with Harry and the Potters, she’s interviewed Laura Mallory (you all know you wish you could at least meet the woman), she’s sat in Dumbledore’s chair, she’s met JK Rowling, she’s interviewed JK Rowling, she’s been inside Jo’s house, she’s just so essential to the community in so many ways.

One of my favorite chapters was when Melissa interviewed Laura Mallory. I can’t imagine having to talk to the lady who went so far to ban the Harry Potter books from libraries without even reading the book because God told her not too. She’s so firm in her faith it’s almost frustrating. I mean, you have to at least try to hear the other side out sometimes. And I think this is one of those times. But, I admired how Melissa seems to have handled the encounter and she wrote about it without making Laura Mallory out as a terrible fiend. I have no idea if I could even manage that much.

The only problem with the book I had was the actual writing. The style just didn’t sit well with me personally. Some of the metaphors Melissa uses and the way she explains things and describes events seems confusing to me, or at least a little wordy at times. But, that’s just my opinion and Harry, A History just goes against my general writing preferences.

But, other than that, I would certainly recommend this book to all Harry Potter fans whether or nor you are an extremely obsessed one or a casual movie-goer. It really gives you a sense of what you’re contributing to. And for those people who aren’t into Harry Potter, the book might give you some insight on why we fans are so crazed.

One last thing, there is a website for Harry, A History that has a bunch of fun extra tidbits. Vault 27 has some extra pieces from Melissa’s interviews that didn’t make it into the book which is worth a visit.(less)

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12/10/08

Danielle rated it:

I couldn't believe this book. I started reading Harry when i was 12, so i've been a fan a very long time but i've never been "active" in fandom. I browsed sites like Mugglenet and Leaky, back in the day i read a handful of fanfics and i listen to the podcasts. So to be confronted with a book reminding me so how much of fandom i'd actually known about (things as simple as the fic i read and loved when i was like... 15, which apparently was a majorly renowned piece) gave me a bit of a cu...more

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03/23/09

Josh de Lioncourt rated it:

Read in March, 2009

Wow.

I started reading this book a few weeks ago on the computer. Unlike a lot of blindies, I don't like reading books this way. Audio is my preferred format...well, Braille too, but obtaining a great book in Braille is only slightly easier than winning the California lottery. So, while I was enjoying the book, it was hard to stay focused on it.

On Saturday afternoon, I stumbled into a listing for the book on Audible.com. It had just been released there as an audio book a couple of w

...more

Wow.

I started reading this book a few weeks ago on the computer. Unlike a lot of blindies, I don't like reading books this way. Audio is my preferred format...well, Braille too, but obtaining a great book in Braille is only slightly easier than winning the California lottery. So, while I was enjoying the book, it was hard to stay focused on it.

On Saturday afternoon, I stumbled into a listing for the book on Audible.com. It had just been released there as an audio book a couple of weeks ago. I was very happy. I would get to read this intriguing book in a format that was more suited to my reading style. Great!

I knew about the book, released in printed form toward the end of last year, because its author, Melissa Anelli, runs The-Leaky-Cauldron.org, and hosts, along with others, the PotterCast podcast...both of which I'm very much a fan of. She's a funny, vivacious, and entertaining reporter, who has worked tirelessly for Potter fans such as myself...always bringing us the latest news as it breaks.

What unfolded off and on over the next 28 hours or so was amazing. The book exceeded any expectations I could have possibly had for it. On the OWL grading scale, it was definitely an O.

The book tells the story of the Harry Potter Phenomenon from all the angles that really matter: The birth of the fandom, its online explosion, J.K. Rowling's thoughts and genesis, the films, and the friendships that intersected, joined, and reenforced it all.

It's also Melissa's personal journey, from a somewhat closeted Potter fan sneaking reads between classes in college, through her rise to a strange sort of fan-fandom by the time the final installment of the series hit book shelves around the world.

To say I loved this book, would be an under statement of the most ridiculous level. It made me laugh. It made me cry. And, it gave me an escape on Sunday evening after some upsetting news came to me.

So much of it I could relate to, both in- and outside the Potter fandom. I was in a Barnes and Noble bookstore the night of the release of "Order of the Phoenix". I stood in that throng of people, many thousands of miles away from Melissa and her friends, but I experienced it in just the same way. It gave me the ability to relive the three midnight releases I'd attended in a way that I thought nothing ever could.

I can relate to the strange sense of unreality when Melissa is recognized and treated practically as royalty by other fans, when considering herself as just another fan in her own mind. I've been, for many years, a somewhat visible fan in the "Masters of the Universe" fandom, and have been stopped and treated much the same way by fans from He-Man.org at conventions.

The story of Heather, a girl who was told she had only months to live and inexplicably recovered, strangely mirrored my own story when, as a child, I too had become quite ill. For Heather, Harry Potter was her refuge. For me, it was Masters. I, too, experienced an inexplicable and miraculous recovery.

There will never be another Harry Potter book...not like those first seven, anyway. That feeling of anticipation, and reading the next installment of the saga will never come again. You can only read a book for the first time once...

Reading "Harry, A History" was as close to an eighth Potter installment as I could ever hope for. No, it wasn't the same. How could it be? But it gave me all the same feelings. It made me relive the fandom and the love for a boy wizard and his friends in a entirely fresh way that I thought was wholly lost, no matter how enduring that love has remained.

I wish I'd had the courage to say hello to Melissa and company last year at the San Diego Comic Con, when I attended their PotterCast panel.

If you're a Potter fan...and maybe even if you're not...you should read this book. It's a wonderful, emotional, and thoroughly incredible ride.

All I can say is...

Wow.

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12/24/08

Claudia rated it:

Read in November, 2008

recommends it for: Anyone who has read Harry Potter

The first Harry Potter book came out in my eighth grade year, I never read them and none of my friends were reading them so I didn't give them much importance. Throughout high school when the others continued to be published, I decided that I would read them one day when I wasn't so busy (I took a brief hiatus from reading a few years along the way).

So it's the summer before my last semester at college and I just decided to finally start reading them. From page one I was hooked. I r...more The first Harry Potter book came out in my eighth grade year, I never read them and none of my friends were reading them so I didn't give them much importance. Throughout high school when the others continued to be published, I decided that I would read them one day when I wasn't so busy (I took a brief hiatus from reading a few years along the way).

So it's the summer before my last semester at college and I just decided to finally start reading them. From page one I was hooked. I read books 1-4 in August and when I graduated and settled again, I finished 5-7 by early March.

I felt alone in the "old person reading Harry Potter--and becoming quickly obsessed" world, but I slowly realized that a lot of people were as in to it when they were older as were the ones who actually grew up with them. I got 3 of my best friends to read them and more and more people still come up to me to tell me that they stared!

Since I was a late bloomer to the books, I was also a late bloomer for the fandom, But since I was out of college and unemployed, I quickly learned about the websites and podcasts. I gravitated towards "The Leaky Cauldron" and they are still my favorite source for everything Potter.

I was exstatic to learn about Melissa's book. I don't think I have ever smiled so much while reading a book, and I definitely have never talked back to a book as much either. Random outbursts included: laughter and squeeing as well as quotes such as "Me too!" and "Oh my God, I thought I was the only one!"

There is so much wonderful information about all the things that readers take for granted, like the amazing process that took place for the books to be published. It makes you wonder what would have happened if those people involved didn't go through so much trouble to get it in the right hands. There is also a lot of fun commentary about the Wizard rock movement, all the book release events and other parties. I truly appreciated being a part of it all even though it was the stories told in retrospect. It was written in a way that makes you feel like Melissa is in your living room telling you the story herself.

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12/09/08

Kelli rated it:

Read in December, 2008

This book was a well-written and insightful perspective on the "Harry Potter" phenomenon. Written from a true fan's perspective, Melissa gives us insight into why the books are so important to people around the world. It's not an objective view of the fandom that has grown exponentially, but an insider's view of how "Harry Potter" changed the way we read books and grew into something bigger than itself. She covers everything from Wizard Rock to fan-fiction in a way that ad...more

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02/16/09

Nick Ewen rated it:

Read in February, 2009

This is a really fascinating look at the Harry Potter phenomenon through the eyes of an individual fully entrenched in its center. I personally never got caught up in the release parties, fan sites, or "Wizard rock" bands, though I probably would have succumbed for the release of Deathly Hallows if I hadn't been in China. Despite my lack of personal experience with the movement, I was still enthralled with Anelli's story, which alternates between autobiographical (her story of her Harr...more

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04/13/09

Purplycookie rated it:

bookshelves: biography-memoir, fanfiction, harry-potter-related, non-fiction, young-adult

Read in November, 2008

With infectious, at times frenetic excitement, the webmistress of the Leaky Cauldron Web site Melissa Anelli, presents narratives in this hip report on how a boy wizard became a rock star. Anelli pays exhaustive attention to the power of the Internet and its symbiotic relationship with fan communities, known as fandoms. "That before I read Harry Potter I was composed of magic dust and fairy breath, and reading the first book had been what brought all my particles together. That Harry Potter...more With infectious, at times frenetic excitement, the webmistress of the Leaky Cauldron Web site Melissa Anelli, presents narratives in this hip report on how a boy wizard became a rock star. Anelli pays exhaustive attention to the power of the Internet and its symbiotic relationship with fan communities, known as fandoms. "That before I read Harry Potter I was composed of magic dust and fairy breath, and reading the first book had been what brought all my particles together. That Harry Potter was my personal big bang."

Eventhough there have been many dozens of books attempting to chronicle the particulars of Harry Potter fandom in all its dimensions -- the fan fiction (Fanfiction Alley, Restricted Section, etc.), the popularity of AU most notably Cassandra Claire's "Draco Trilogy", the R/Hr & H/Hr shippers (oh the Ship Wars! Personally I was a D/G shipper myself), the newest music genre Wizard Rock (led by the band "Harry and the Potters"), the websites (Mugglenet, Sugar Quill, etc.) , the conventions (there's going to be Lumos 2009!) -- all have fallen short because of the inherent difficulty in condensing its breadth and scope to manageable size; but this one admirably compacts ten, detailed years of Harry Potter history in its 356 pages, and covers the subject thoroughly.

In reading Melissa's first-hand account of what's happened in Harry Potter fandom and the book/movie worlds drawn from the seven Harry Potter novels, it's as if you're right there with her, being caught up in all the excitement: of finally getting a copy of the newest installment to the Harry Potter book series, of knowing that it is indeed a fact that a lot of children were helped in getting to enjoy reading because they were introduced to the Harry Potter books, of getting a chance to land an interview with J.K. Rowling herself, to wondering out loud about Rowling's genius over the intricacy of her plots.

Included are remembrances from J. K. Rowling's editors, agents, publicists, fans, and Rowling herself; plus black-and-white pictures of everything Harry Potter, Anelli takes us on a personal journey through every aspect of the Harry Potter phenomenon.

Book Details:

Title Harry, A History: The True Story of a Boy Wizard, His Fans, and Life Inside the Harry Potter Phenomenon
Author Melissa Anelli; J.K. Rowling (Introduction)
Reviewed By Purplycookie(less)

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02/12/09

jill rated it:

bookshelves: memoir

Read in March, 2009

I read through it in just a couple of hours yesterday, so definitely a nice quick read. I probably would have quit after the first 50 or 60 pages though, if Lani hadn't recommended it. Other than being excited that she really got into the series at The Prisoner of Azkhaban, which is clearly the best of the Harry Potter books, I didn't really care that much about the first few chapters. The sections on the children's book industry and the way J.K. Rowling got published were pretty interesting, ...more I read through it in just a couple of hours yesterday, so definitely a nice quick read. I probably would have quit after the first 50 or 60 pages though, if Lani hadn't recommended it. Other than being excited that she really got into the series at The Prisoner of Azkhaban, which is clearly the best of the Harry Potter books, I didn't really care that much about the first few chapters. The sections on the children's book industry and the way J.K. Rowling got published were pretty interesting, but overall I was "meh" on the whole thing until it got to the section on Harry and the Potters and the wizard rock genre, which cracked me up. The book got more interesting for me when Anelli got more personally involved in and excited about the books and the fandom; I found myself getting excited for her, and that made the book more enjoyable. My favorite parts were the parts in which her excitement were most obvious -- when she sneaks away from her job to fly to London to meet J.K. Rowling, or holes up in a lake house for the weekend to read the latest Harry Potter with her friends (using a Real World style "confessional room"? genius!), or the slow realization that Harry Potter reporting has become her full time job. Anelli's story is super-cute, and her enthusiasm is appealling.
I just didn't care that much about most of the fandom aspects, though. Luckily I already liked her by the time she got into the fanfiction rivalries and whatnot, because that was tedious enough to make me want to stop reading again. Nor did the development of the internet aspects thrill me, though I did think the discussion of Rowling and WB's strategy for controlling the intellectual property and the fan appropriation of that work was interesting. I guess I mostly liked the part of this book that was memoir, and not so much the history of the fandom parts. I get that there wouldn't be much of a memoir without that overall fandom element, but that part just didn't interest me at all.
This book did make me really happy for Anelli (and some of the other people who got so excited about Harry Potter), and it made me want to reread the Harry Potter books. We're supposed to get some serious snow tonight, which seems like an excellent occasion to have some cocoa and reread a kids book about wizards.
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01/08/09

Megan rated it:

Read in January, 2009

I often felt embarrassed while reading this book. Those of us who aren't the "Potterheads" described in the book might have some difficulty getting through it. But it is extremely well written, which makes it both readable and relevant. Written journalistically, it is fairly objective chronicle of the Harry Potter phenomenon. It was interesting to learn how the first HP book got published and the extent to which the series' popularity impacted children's literature and the literary wor...more

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Harry, A History: The True Story of a Boy Wizard, His Fans, and Life Inside the Harry Potter Phenomenon

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Harry, A History: The True Story of a Boy Wizard, His Fans, and Life Inside the Harry Potter Phenomenon

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other editions (3)