There’s no mistaking it, I’m a positively HUGE Harry Potter fan, which makes this a discussion I genuinely never thought I would be capable of writing. It’s a question I would have thought inconceivable. There have been loads of Harry-Potter-related developments in recent years, and even as a super-fan, I’m not entirely sure how I feel about all of them. The time has finally come when I’ve had to ask myself, is there such as thing as too much Harry Potter?
The Books:
We’ll start with the obvious, and work towards the obscure, shall we? Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone was released in 1997, and I started reading the series in 1999. All of my books are the original Bloomsbury covers, and some are even First Editions (not the ones worth a small fortune, unfortunately). I’ve decided that I really want a First Edition of the first book. I’ve been keeping an eye on rare book auctions, and some of them are reasonably priced. I feel like it’s the ultimate collector’s item, and basically an investment. The perk of being an adult Harry Potter fan is that you get to spend your hard earned money on First Editions, if you want to.
Harry has had many new cover releases over the years, from really bright colours (which I hated), to adult-appropriate versions (to reduce the embarrassment of reading a “children’s book” in public), from Scholastic’s beautiful American editions (I loved these but couldn’t deal with it being “the sorcerer’s stone”), to Bloomsbury’s latest releases by illustrator, Jonny Duddle (see right). As much as I love my books with their original covers, if I wanted to preserve them as much as possible, the time came when I could really do with a new set. I eventually went for the new Bloomsbury covers. Luckily, I’m not the kind of super-fan who needs to own multiple sets of the same series. There was a logical reason for my decision to purchase a second set of Harry Potter books. But then, the illustrated edition was released…
Well. That changed everything. With an RRP of £30, there wasn’t a hope in hell I was paying that, die-hard fan or not. But of course, the book was being sold from the majority of retailers for £15. Much more palatable, and definitely worth it for this book. The quality is fantastic, and the illustrations are superb. But, this is only book one. It has been confirmed that book two, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, is being released as an illustrated edition, but I can’t seem to find confirmation that the entire series is being re-released (if you know the answer, tell me in the comments!). And if it is, surely the massive tomes that are Goblet of Fire, Order of the Phoenix, Half-Blood Prince, and Deathly Hallows, will require more than one book each for the illustrated versions?
I don’t currently own any of the spin-off books, though I have had my eye on “the Vault” series (Character, Artefact, Creature), whether or not I’ll ever add them to my collection? At present, it doesn’t seem likely. Until recently, I also didn’t own any of the books released for Comic Relief (Quidditch Through The Ages, The Tales of Beedle the Bard, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them). I picked up Fantastic Beasts last week in honour of the upcoming movie release, and I’d like to have Tales of Beedle due to its significance in the original story. I could live without Quidditch, but why not go the whole hog and have the set?? Sigh.
The Movies:
When the first Harry Potter movie was released in 2001, I was 11 years old and positively ecstatic.
I think I went to the cinema to watch the first 3, and drifted from them until I bought them all on DVD when I was around 21. I tend to watch them every year at Christmas-time (with the family, whether they like it or not!), and I think they are a wonderful addition to the franchise. The actors are perfection (though Richard Harris will always be my Dumbledore), that score sends chills up my spine, and considering the size of the novels, I think they did a great job at keeping the movies true to the books (I still haven’t quite forgiven them for removing Peeves).
The latest movie release, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, is an odd one for me. I initially knew hardly anything about it, is it just me or is there not that much buzz? By the time I knew there was a new movie coming out, the whole thing had already been filmed! While it’s set in the same “world” as Harry Potter, I don’t really see it as an extension of the same series, as it’s not really based on any of the original characters (correct me if I’m wrong!). So I’m excited for it, but also see it as separate from the franchise.
The Studio Tour & Theme Park:
It upsets me greatly that I still haven’t managed to go to the Studio Tour in London yet. It has to be one of the most significant to-do’s on my Bucket List. The movies really captured and brought to life the atmosphere, detail and physicality of the books, so I think any Harry Potter fan would revel in the opportunity to see that in the flesh. While I know I would need a month’s wage for the Gift Shop (I’ve had my eye on a wand for a long time), there are items in there that do seem a little silly. Life-size brooms and ridiculously over-priced House jumpers (that you can’t realistically get away with wearing in public, can you?). Yes, if I had unlimited funds and nothing better to spend my money on, I’d probably be surrounded by every Harry Potter item I could get my hands on, but some of it does feel a little extreme.
As for the Wizarding World of Harry Potter Theme Park in Universal Studios, Florida. Well, it’s just a pipe dream that I’ll ever get to go there. BUT HAVE YOU SEEN IT?! I need to move on, or I’ll cry at the unfairness of it all.
The Merch:
I once saw an interview with J K Rowling, where she said the public would be amazed at the amount of Harry Potter merchandise ideas she rejected. From Harry Potter toilet seats, to a musical in collaboration with the late Michael Jackson. While she may have said no to many things, there is a plethora of Harry Potter merchandise available, a lot of which I’m unlikely to ever have any interest in – lunch boxes, fluffy toys, duvet covers, tapestries (?!), you name it, and I bet I can find it Harry-Potter-ified.
That’s not to say that I don’t enjoy an abundance of Harry Potter merchandise. I have a wide range of clothing, stationary, jewellery, framed posters, key rings, and a bunch of some other odds and ends… including a Quidditch set… It was a collector’s item I got on offer for £12, which will look fabulous on my bookcase. Don’t judge me.
The Play:
So, now we come to the main issue that spurred on this entire post. Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. Initially, when news of the play broke, there was an outcry that only those who could afford to travel to London would be able to find out what happens in the story. That fear was appeased with the release of the play as a book. Twice. First, we’re getting the Special Rehearsal Edition, and I’ve heard that a second edition of the final script will also be released. Then there’s the fact that the play is split into two parts, both 2 hours and 45 minutes long (!). On top of all this, while J K Rowling is credited as an author of the work, there are two other authors. I just don’t know how I feel about all of this. Part of what makes Harry Potter so great, is J K Rowling’s ability to tell a fantastic story. I’m not sure how it will come across as a play, when viewing it or reading it. I’m reserving judgement until I’ve read it myself, but I can’t help thinking the canon is being diluted, and I don’t like it.
J K Rowling has famously said, in many interviews, that there would only be 7 Harry Potter books. She has always maintained that she would never say “never” to doing more in the future, but that she felt like Harry’s story had been told. Granted, a play isn’t quite a novel, but it is a continuation of the story, and I’m completely petrified at what she’s going to do with it. Anything Rowling says, becomes canon. What if I don’t like what she does with the story? Will I be able to pretend that it never happened, and go on living in my own little Potter bubble?
Out of the vast (and ever growing) world that is Harry Potter, there are only two things I ever truly wanted to see. The first would be a massive encyclopedia of the information Rowling gathered on all of her character backstories and futures. A behind the scenes look at the making of the books, and the world she created, and some seriously deep insight into the characters’ lives. We get snippets of this in Pottermore (yet another extension of Harry Potter, and one that I enjoy from time-to-time), but to have a definitive collection, would be something else. The second is the story of the Marauders. Novels about Sirius, James, Remus, Lilly, Snape & Co during their time at the school, and the adventures that they had. I guess I do want more set in the world of Harry, just not necessarily about him.
I’m so pleased Harry Potter has managed to survive, no thrive, for almost 20 years so far. I’m so happy that the younger generations are falling in love with Harry as much as I did. I’m so grateful that I got to be a part of it the first time round, and for the massive role Harry & Co played in my childhood. But I’m also afraid. Afraid that the magic of Harry Potter is becoming overly commercialised, and that there will be no end to the additions, extensions and collections. I just hope that I can block out the background noise, and keep Harry Potter sacred to me.
Are you a Harry Potter fan? How do you feel about the upcoming play? What about the rest of the Harry Potter world? Are you a first generation fan, or a new-comer? And does that impact how you feel about the commercialisation? Let me know your thoughts in the comments!
Confessions of a Book Geek 
I’m kind of actually hesitant to read Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, because I’m afraid it will ruin the original series for me. Harry Potter is such a nostalgic thing for me that I’m not sure I’m ready for it to suddenly change. Really interesting post!
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So am I, though I have it pre-ordered. I think I’m going in to it tentatively and knowing if it doesn’t meet the mark, I’m going to pretend it never happened. Like Sex and The City 2. R xx
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It is funny that as a fan of Harry Potter, so many of us are afraid that this soon to be released story might be a let down to our beloved Harry Potter World. I loved your post because you took so many of my thoughts and feelings and expressed them so perfectly. I will most likely read the play but I am afraid it will be so different from the original stories that I will be disappointed. One thing I am sure about is that I will re-read the Harry Potter books over and over again and nothing will diminish how much joy I get each time I read them.
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Yes, very valid point, Karen! I don’t know if I feel like I’m betraying JK by not trusting her with this, or if I’m more afraid that even she could betray HP! Only time will tell! Part of me is most afraid by the new format. If this were a new novel, there wouldn’t be as much trepidation, but it’s going to read like a play, and there are two additional co-authors. I’m nervous.
I’m so pleased this post resonated with a fellow fan, I was afraid I’d be shouted at by those more die-hard than me (but it appears we are all a little scared of the Cursed Child!). Thanks so much for commenting. You should come back and tell me your thoughts once you’ve read the play! R xx
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I also grew up with Harry Potter in-the-making, although I refused to read them (long story). I finally read the entire series the months following college graduation and I fell in love. And I regretted not reading them with my peers growing up. I felt I missed out on a lot of the magic. For Christmas I finally broke down and bought the Scholastic box set (not the one you’ve linked to, those covers are much prettier). I bought a shirt this past spring with Hermione’s favorite addage “When in doubt, go to the library.” Otherwise, I don’t own any HP merchandise. I do feel like it is becoming over-commercialized, like Hello Kitty (which I never understood).
When I first heard news of the play circulating around, my first thought was that it was going to ruin a little of what Rowling left us with. I don’t intend to read it. I also wonder how much of her original story and ideas for it where changed because of having co-writers (both of which are men).
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Ahhh, I kind of want to know what the long story is now! Lol
I LOVE the scholastic box set, is that the one with the spines that makes up Hogwarts? They were the ones I wanted, but I couldn’t handle Sorcerer’s Stone and not Philosopher’s Stone, and then I wondered if other words in the story were changed, like sidewalk and elevator. That tee is subtle merchandise too, unless there’s a Hogwarts crest on there as well. I always think quotes that aren’t a direct reference make great adult merch, because only those in the know will get it. I think I fall somewhere in between on the 1 to crazy merch scale. I have quite a collection of tees – mostly for pjs or the gym, but a couple I wear with jeans. I do think it is starting to get to the stage of HP overdrive, but the merch doesn’t bother me so much as everything else – the tours and theme parks, but especially this play. It’s… unsettling me, I guess.
I wonder if JK wrote it at all, or just approved it? Sure, she’s credited, but how much of it is hers? I want to trust her judgement, but why now? Why set 19 years later? Why a play? Hmm… I am going to read the book (I’m unsure if I will ever go to the effort to see the play), but I’m going in bracing myself to be able to detach from it and walk away blissfully ignorant if it flops. Interesting point about the gender of the other two writers, do you think that will have an impact? R xx
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For me it comes down to the fact the gap is so big.
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Hi Alex, thanks for commenting. Do you mean the gap between the publication of the last book to now, or the 19 year gap in the storyline? I definitely thought the change in format would have been the bigger issue. R xx
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The gap in publication
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I read the first book when I was 10, about a year after it was released, and I grew up with them. So, I guess that makes me a first generation potter fan. I’m a huge fan of the books and movies, and I re-read/re-watch them frequently. But…I don’t know how I feel about the Cursed Child. I mean, I’m kind of curious, but I also don’t want to read about Harry Potter and his mid-life crisis or anything, you know? I’m kind of afraid it will kill the magic for me. That being said, I’m stoked about Fantastic Beasts, and I definitely plan to see it!
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Everyone seems to feel the same way! I just spotted Ashley at Nose Graze’s post this morning, and I didn’t read the spoiler sections, but she seems to have been very impressed with the play, though not so much the story itself. I can see why reading it isn’t going to be as good as seeing it, so I may have to add a theatre trip to my wishlist! It wouldn’t have been fair for only those who could afford to go see it to find out what happens though. We’ll have to wait and see… I’m looking forward to Fantastic Beasts too. For me it’s a spin-off, so the HP canon can’t be ruined really! R xx
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I get what you’re saying. There is an awful lot of Harry Potter out there in the world and whilst I love that fact it does make me nervous that at some point something is going to come out to spoil my love just a little bit. I stick with liking the original book series and the little extra Potter texts. I have preordered a copy of the Cursed Child script and I can’t wait for the Fantastic Beasts film but I can easily write off anything I don’t like in my mind. Harry Potter has become a sacred thing for many so any new release will always be received tentatively by me. I don’t accept the film as canon (they were nice but the books will always be better because it includes everything!) and I’m glad that we’re all still keeping the HP love alive because I was scared it would be gone after the books ended and that is obviously not true.
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It seems to be a really popular opinion – look forward to the release to see what it’s like, but if you have it, ignore it and act like it never happened. It seems as though the whole fandom feels the same way! I’m looking forward to Fantastic Beasts now. Should be fun R xx
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I’m not too sure about the Cursed Child, I have high hopes, but there is also a part of me that would be okay if it’s no good because I’ve kind of compartmentalized HP the books and all the “extra” HP stuff that’s been released over the years. Truth be told, I’ve dismissed things Rowling has said in the past because they mess with my memory of the books and I find it completely unacceptable (referring to her opinion on Harry and Hermione here).
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Yes, I think I’ve done that as well. Protected the original series, in my mind, so I can separate it from anything that comes after. Yea, I think I hear those but I dismiss them too, though I do remember Hermione and Harry being my original ship when I was quite young, so that one made sense to me, but she can’t go and change it now! R xx
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Yeah, it feels kind of wrong to establish one ship and then shoot it down later. I have a thing with authors killing ships, Rachel, can you tell? Still not over what Maas did!
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Lol. I’m just hoping there’s no new ship in the next 2 books! I can’t cope! R xx
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[…] Is There Such A Thing As Too Much Harry Potter? […]
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I loved the HP series, but I haven’t jumped on board with all of the extra books and such. I HAVE been to Wizarding World in Orlando, though, and it was incredibly awesome – but, on the flip side, I can’t do the studio tour, so maybe we’re even?
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Do you plan to get Harry Potter and the Cursed Child?? I had managed to avoid the extra books, but I thought I’d go the extra mile and get the library collection she released for charity. Those “vault” books I’ve been eyeing up, but I’ve no plans to get them yet. I’m content with my random merch and clothing lol Hmmm. I don’t know how even that it… the Wizarding World is meant to be IMMENSE! Lol R xx
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I’ll probably get Cursed Child, if only for curiosity’s sake. I want to read it!
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Did you get it? Have you read it? Have I already commented on your review and I’m suffering from late night amnesia? (It’s midnight here!). R xx
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Ha! I got it, but I haven’t read it yet.
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[…] point, so I posted a Transatlantic Book Project Catch-up. I asked the impossible question – is there such a thing as too much Harry Potter? I also decided to create The Ultimate Book Geek Glossary so newbies know what we’re talking […]
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[…] going into this story. I wasn’t sure how I felt about the play, going so far as to ask if there’s ever such a thing as too much Harry Potter. There’s historically a bad outcome when something is literally perfection, and then you try […]
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[…] going into this story. I wasn’t sure how I felt about the play, going so far as to ask if there’s ever such a thing as too much Harry Potter. There’s historically a bad outcome when something is literally perfection, and then you try […]
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