Wednesday, July 25, 2007

The Harry Potter Phenomenon...

One of the great things about the latest book and the series in general is that it has such a following. I love the fact that everyone is reading this book now. I'm normally not so much of a trend-follower and often times "dance to the beat of my own drum," but there is truly something remarkable about the way so many people are enjoying J.K. Rowling's world at this particular time. The Monday after the book came out, everyone on the train on their commute had their book out, pouring over the pages as the trains rumbled through the tunnels. It's phenomenal how strangers will start up conversations about the books and how it really brings people together and encourages reading.

For instance, the other day a woman in her late twenties or maybe early thirties was reading the book on the train. This woman was smartly dressed in business attire. Glancing over her shoulder, I saw that she had just finished a rather emotional part in the book. As she continued to read, tears slid down her face. Then all of a sudden she broke down into a heavy sob. The passengers around her comforted her and engaged in a conversation, expressing how they felt when they had read the same passage.

The book has really opened up conversations between the customers at work and I. Some of them I see everyday, but keep to themselves mostly. The most in-depth our conversations get are: "Would you like room for milk in that?" But this week, we've discussed our favorite parts, what we didn't like, what we were confused about or didn't understand clearly, what we'd have liked to have seen, and all sorts of things relating to the series.

It has been truly a magical week.

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