Another fandom I pretty much missed

[frayadjacent]

I've been failing to find new music for my runs and workouts so, taking a page from isis's book, I finally tried out some audio books. I've been vaguely intending to re-read Harry Potter for a few years now, so that seemed like a good place to start: easy to follow, and a story I know I'll enjoy.

Except I distinctly remember *not* enjoying the first book the one and only time I read it, circa 2004. Unless you count the time I tried to read it in 2001 and gave up on the whole series about 50 pages in because I really didn't like it. I gave the books another shot only after seeing the third film, which I'd liked. So I held my nose through the first book, tolerated the second, and got really into the series starting with The Prisoner of Azkaban. When I re-read the series six or seven years ago, I skipped the first book entirely. And all this was a few years before I got into fandom.

But when I downloaded the audio books last week, I started with The Philosopher's Stone without thinking about it.

And I'm enjoying it. A lot. I'd completely forgotten about the first scene, when Dumbledore, McGonnigal, and Hagrid bring baby Harry to the Dursleys. I can see why I disliked it at first, especially with the fat-phobia around the Dursleys but also with an overall tone that is, well, childish.  And not just in the fun, imaginative, silly, or innocent way, though there are elements of all that: in a way that views the world very simply. Way too simply. Though I was more bothered by all that at 19 than I am at 34. :p

But it's also quite charming. The narrator might help; he probably makes it sound more fun and magical than my internal voice would. And I get a little thrill to think of what's coming. I came to really care for Harry as a character and I like having this glimpse of him before he's ever gone to Hogwarts. (I'm currently at the part where he and Hagrid go to Diagon Ally.) I like how we see his rebellious, even foolhardy spirit right from the start in his interactions with Dudley and Mr. Dursley.

It's slow going because I'm saving it for workouts. But I have a lot to look forward to. I might even find myself needing to find more HP icons. :D

(And aside: wow, I really *did* miss this fandom -- this is my first post tagged with harry potter!)

Comments

[kay_brooke]

I was in Harry Potter fandom very briefly around 2003, but I actually didn't start with the first book. One Christmas my brother was gifted Prisoner of Azkaban by a grandparent who had heard of Harry Potter's popularity but probably didn't realize the specific book she had found was from the middle of the series...anyway, I read it one day when I was bored, and was intrigued enough to borrow Goblet of Fire from the library. I didn't read the first two books until later, and I did find them pretty weak compared to the ones I started with, so I wonder if my fandom wouldn't have happened if I'd read the books in order!

What do you think of audio books in general? I've found that I get frustrated with the narrator very easily. I think I'm just picky about narrators, because if there's even one thing that annoys me about the reading I just can't continue it.

[frayadjacent]

Yeah, the early books are better for me now that I know what's coming, because I appreciate the early character and world building that come to fruition later more than I would on their own, and because it's easier to excuse the simplistic or (for me) overly cute bits since I know that will change.

I'm liking the narrator so far, though I've listened to very few audio books so I haven't yet cultivated my taste. It's the Steven Frye narration because I heard a few people complain about how the other guy does Hermione's voice. She's way too important to me to risk that. But I'm still so early in the story, we'll see how it goes.

[parcequelle]

I remember having a lot of problems with the overly simplistic archetypal characters in the first book - fat phobia aside, the Dursleys were just so irrationally, improbably evil, and I just hated that even as a kid. It got better when I realised that Rowling's writing improved with each book, and that she was probably deliberately telling the story through the juvenile eyes and senses of an abused 11-year-old central character, but I still wonder if it was really necessary to that degree. If I re-read I do still re-read the first book, but I skip the first few chapters because I still find them daft. The Prisoner of Azkaban is still my favourite. Sirius! Remus! :D

[frayadjacent]

Gah, it took me forever to respond to this, and then when I did DW lost it! TL;DR version of the comment I wrote and then lost: yes, I agree!