It Is Finished

At 4:16 this afternoon ... I finished it.

My Harry Potter Project. It's done.

I have read 4100 pages in 12 days. That's 341 every day. There is no way that I would have been able to do this if I had to work more than the 3 days I had to work during that time.

But ... first I have to finish my time line.

Thursday November 25th, 2010

I finished book 4. I was still going strong ... only about two days to finish it.


Saturday November 27th, 2010

Finished book 5. This is my least favorite book. I had to trudge through that one. And it really shouldn't be my least favorite because it does have a lot of memorable things: Luna, Sirius & Lupin coming back for large portions of the book ... however, Harry is a angry, malicious teenager and that ruins the book in some degree for me. I have to force myself through the book because I don't like how Harry feels and it just gets to me.

However ... I finished it. So, moving on.

Monday November 29th, 2010

Finished book 6. It was the first book I had to take to work to finish out of the series. I felt sad that I could no longer spend half my mornings in bed with my books just enjoying the experience of reading. But I have to pay the 'bills' so I went to work, and so I read my book the second I got home. I really do like the 6th book, its probably my third favorite book (the 3rd book is my favorite, then the 7th). In the 6th book -- Snape finally gets interesting, and things start falling in place for the magnificent ending. I wonder if Rowling understood the magnitude of Snape's actions and the effect it would have in the story. She's brilliant ... enough said.

Wednesday December 1st, 2010

I finished book 7. I completed my task. I love the 7th book - I almost started crying today at work ... it still gets me even after reading it a number of times. As a movie review stated when the 7th movie came out -- it's different than all the other books/movies because instead of this magical world that we explore with the characters, Harry and the other characters are outside in the real world. It has a way of being more attainable to us mere Muggles. It pulls at your heart strings, and it makes you think as you try and follow the different story lines and ideas. It's still a 'children's story' but Rowling understood that her audience that start the journey with her all those years ago are no longer children - but adults themselves, trying to figure out how they are going to take on the world and make some kind of difference, worrying about what will come next in their life after leaving the comforts of school and home. It's a real story to me because Harry's journey is what defines my own childhood: starting from a child worried about school, friends, but growing into a teenager with worries about dating and family, and finally culminating into a journey about the future, and life after the predetermined path of school and other responsibilities.

I love the Harry Potter Series ... I mean I don't think there are many other books that would enthrall me for 12 days as I raced to consume them. 4100 pages isn't something to sneer at ... but I would love to do it again and again and again.

Now I have another project to undertake ... watching all 7 movies again. [When the 8th movie comes out ... I'll have to try and watch all movies in one day to have a little fun!]

And even now ... the words "Dear Mr. Potter, We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry" still give me goosebumps.

Cheers!