Adventures in Harry Potter, Part Two

[przed]

Ros and I have been pushing through Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone and finally finished it earlier this week. She loved it, and has been discussing the books with her friends. (I was all set to retire my spoiler t-shirt, but she already knows that Dumbledore dies!)

Tonight we watched the first movie for family movie night. It's the first movie she's been enthusiastic about since she was a toddler and wanted to watch Snow White over and over again.

It was adorable watching her react to all the bits in the movie she knew from the book. Mostly she kept saying "that's not how I imagined it." Except for Ollivanders Wand Shop, which she said was exactly how she imagined it.

She freaked out a bit at the end--Fluffy and Voldemort appearing in the back of Quirrell's head were just a bit too much for her--but still gave it a firm thumb's up at the end. Yay!

We've already started reading The Chamber of Secrets. The Sweetie picked it up this week whilst I was indisposed. (I'm finally feeling mostly human! Yay!) Ros loves the flying car. The Sweetie, on the other hand, keeps wondering why the heck they keep sending Harry back to spend summers with those horrible Dursleys! (I have to admit I question Dumbledore's wisdom on this point as well.)

Comments

[dawnebeth.livejournal.com]

I always wondered why he couldn't go to Ron's house for the summer straight away!

[moth2fic.livejournal.com]

Because the blood magic of being with relatives was much better protection when he wasn't in the safety of Hogwarts. Dumbledore explains it at some point in the books but I'm not sure the films ever explored the issue.

[przed.livejournal.com]

Well, that explains why it never made sense to me. I bailed on the books after the first one and have only seen the movies. (Though it still seems a hand-wavey way of keeping Harry in a situation just for dubious comic relief and/or added drama. ::side eyes J.K. Rowling::)

[przed.livejournal.com]

Glad we're not the only ones! ;-)

[moth2fic.livejournal.com]

The Harry Potter series - books and films - was the first ever look at an English boarding school that really did look like the reality!!! Well, obviously our staircases didn't actually move, and neither did the portraits, but otherwise... And my cousin went to college in Alnwick Castle which is used for the exterior of Hogwarts - she gained great street cred from her kids and her students!!! I think the locations were what hooked me from the start - as a boarding school child (in the 50s and 60s) I was tired of boooks and films that didn't look the part!!

[przed.livejournal.com]

That's very cool to hear! Both that they got the boarding school look right and that your cousin when to Alnwick Castle.

And all this is reminding me I've got to get on booking our tickets to the sets soon. Nothing's sold out yet, but I don't want to find we can't get in if I leave it too long.

[moonlightmead.livejournal.com]

Wow, that didn't take long!

I did think that the first film was very true to the book, but perhaps that was the dialogue rather than the appearance of things, now I think back. I shall always remember seeing it and Hermione saying something like 'There's only one person who would know...' (something) and into the dramatic silence in the auditorium piped up a very small child's voice. 'Professor Dumbledore!'

You will get an answer on why Harry always ends up back at the Dursleys', but you may have to wait some time for it :)

[przed.livejournal.com]

We've been doing a chapter a night pretty regularly, with a couple of two chapters days on weekends.

Watching and reading so close together, I think they did a pretty good job of adapting it all. Though I have to say I was miffed that they cut Hermione solving the logic puzzle at the end. (Hermione and Neville Longbottom are totally my favourite characters. Them and the Weasely twins. What does that say about me? *g*)