Alright witches and wizards, now that the release of the first installment of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is just a few weeks away, I thought I’d break out the butterbeer and pumpkin juice and celebrate one of the greatest series of books in history, Muggle or otherwise…
Confession. I came a bit late to the Hogwarts Express. I read Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone in college and always planned to read the rest at some point, but Merlin’s beard people, those books are LARGE. It’s a commitment, and there were always so many other books and manuscripts that were pressing.
Well, this summer I received the boxed set for my birthday and plowed through those books faster than you can say “expecto patronum.” (By the way, my Patronus is a space monkey. In case you’re wondering).
When I read the series I was just stunned at Rowling’s talent, ambition, the depth of the world building, the immediacy of the characters, the attention to detail. To say I admire Rowling is kind of like saying Dobby sort of likes Harry. I kept putting down the books, looking at my wife, and crying, “It’s not fair. This is so good. It’s not fair.”
But rather than just talk about how awesome Harry Potter is (AND I COULD GO ON), I thought we’d delve a little deeper into some of the writerly things that make Harry Potter so great.
So stay tuned for a week of Harry Potter themed posts!
In the meantime, one of the more stunning things to me about Harry Potter, which I will talk more about tomorrow, is how much Rowling is able to accomplish with a third person limited perspective. With a few scattered exceptions, we’re only inside Harry’s head, seeing his thoughts, and seeing everyone else filtered through Harry’s perspective.
It’s astounding how many compelling, memorable, hilarious, and terrifying characters Rowling draws with that constraint. We know so much about what makes the other characters tick, and yet we’re never seeing their thoughts. Go look! Not a single “Hermione thought such and such.”
So. Before we delve into how she does it, let’s talk favorites.
Who is your favorite character??
Jessi Heinrich says
Kreacher. He was so important to the outcome of the story, and to see him at the end of the series starting a house elf riot was just amazing. Apart from Kreacher, I have to give props to Rita Skeeter, Arthur Weasley and the Lovegoods. Power to the minor characters 😀
Shell says
I love Harry, of course, and Ron and Hermione, but I have to say I have to put my vote in for Lupin. He was never in the spotlight, either in his friendship with James and Serius, or in his relationship with Harry, but he was always there. I just love him. And thank you, Nathan, for still being here. My heart broke a little when you said you were leaving, but I think I'll survive if you still keep posting your blog.
Laura says
Wow, such a deep question. Neville Longbottom because he was so tortured with his memories (or lack thereof). But she created so many great characters, Hagrid, Dudley, Luna, Draco, Fred and George, Snape, Dumbledore, Rita Skeeter, etc… there was something about all of them that was out there and just interesting.
Jim Bessey says
Since the time, 30-some years ago, that I raced through a borrowed copy of Cinnamon Skin, I've loved John D MacDonald's Travis McGee. Who wouldn't want to be a carefree, capable, trustworthy white knight?
I've read thousands of books over the years, but am always game to re-read any of the 26 "color" installments in the Travis McGee series.
Jim Bessey says
sorry, should have read the rest of the comments first — I would have understood the question! As you were, then.
robinC says
Sev, of course. The Snape chapter in Deathly Hallows had me in tears.
And I had a little fiction crush on Sirius Black, even though he was a bit arrogant. He had the whole dark, mysterious, troubled thing going for him.
It really is hard to pick just one!! The characters are so well drawn.
Julie says
Ron Weasley. He had me laughing out loud so often, I developed my very first redhead crush.
I'm so excited for the Harry Potter themed posts!!
Anonymous says
Ginny. And pretty much all of the Weasleys. Also Harry. Gosh, is there a character in those books that isn't perfect. But mainly… Ginny.
The thing I admire most about Harry Potter – I was watching the second movie the other day and there were all of this LITTLE details that totally set up for the later books. It's amazing. It made me want to cry
Vincent Kale says
Snape. Hands down. For his unbroken ambiguity throughout the series, the emotional impact of the price of his atonement and the palpable suffering he feels as revealed in the final book.
Snape's suffering is on par with, if not exceeding Harry's own. Harry lost his parents and mentor, but his friends help him deal with his destiny. Snape lost the only person he ever loved and is reminded of her everyday. He has no true friends and must constantly hide his real self from his master.
It will always be Snape. Rowling's development of his character and arc is abso-lutely-brilliant!
You want a fresh read on the series? Read them all again through the eyes is Snape. Paints a whole new picture.
DailyDrawing says
It's a toss-up between Bellatrix Lestrange and Luna Lovegood. Of course, I might only like Bellatrix because she is played by Helena Bonham Carter….
Lisa says
I think Snape is the most interesting character (I don't think I could pick a favorite).
His storyline has always been really rich and moving. And you just never knew if you could trust him or not. It's amazing she kept that going for 7 whole books!
Catherine Lavoie says
So many great characters to choose from! I love Fred and George (troublemakers rule) but my absolute favorite is Snape. I fell in love with the character on paper and on film (oooooh, Alan Rickman.)
Anonymous says
Snape, then Harry.
Like you, I am in awe of her talent at writing this long and complex saga. I really don't know how she kept track of the complexities and wove the story from book one to seven without leaving anything unsettled, contradicting herself or ending up in dead ends. I guess that's where good editors help out (and magic of course).
Courtney Odell says
We were probably reading the series at the same time. A friend recommended it and I read all 7 books this summer.
Moody was totally my favorite character! Even though, for his first appearance, he wasn't actually Moody, but Barty Crouch JR. He was portrayed in a very dynamic way. He was terrifying to the students, but knowledgeable. A very no-nonsense kind of guy, strategic in his actions, and even though he seemed so paranoid about everything, I took it as efficiency and respected him for it.
Cathi says
I like my fictional characters long-haired and a bit ornery. It's Lucius Malfoy for me. Love Snape too…especially after finding out his motivation. The bravest man, indeed.
Jaden Terrell says
One???!!! Only one?!
Harry, of course, with Neville and Snape tied for second. I loved the part when Dumbledore said it was brave to stand up to your enemies, but even braver to stand up to your friends, then gave Neville a boatload of points for Gryffindor.
Nathan, I'm glad you're keeping the blog going, and also glad it's Harry Potter week.
M.A.Leslie says
Ron Weasley. I love the chemistry between him and Hermonie.
Spring says
How can you not fall head over heels for at least half the characters?
I guess I’ll start with the twins- I love to laugh, and I SOOO just wanted to be BFF’s with Fred and George. I still have emotional scars because of Fred’s demise.
But if I had to choose someone to be on my side, who better than Professor Dumbledore, who usually had the villains shaking in their boots?
Hermione is fierce! Girl power! And I very much enjoyed the “crushing” that was going on between she and Ron- so fun.
Who couldn't love Hagrid with his love for all creatures cute and ugly?
And the moment I knew I was in love with Harry was when he first arrived at Hogwarts, and rejected Draco as a friend.
But I’d also have to agree with a few other posts- Molly Weasley was not messing around when she put the smack-down on Bellatrix, and commenced to whoopin’ her tail! When I watched it on the big screen, I think I was so excited that I nearly jumped into some strangers lap!
patriciamar says
The Twins: Fred and George
I include them as one character, because they (together) are just an integral part of the humor in the books- through the good, the bad, and the (very) ugly.
Give her hell Peeves!
Anonymous says
Definitely Fred, George, and Ginny. They're hilarious! Some of my favorite sections in the books were when they ganged up on Percy!
PatriciaW says
Hermione, closely followed by Minvera McGonagall
Laura Martone says
Oh, this is an easy question! While I love many of the characters in the Potterverse, Hagrid is indeed my favorite – from beginning to end, in fact – and I think Robbie Coltrane was BORN to play him!
Sherry says
Lee Jordan. He doesn't get the attention he deserves, but every time Rowling brought him up he was doing something spectacularly awesome. Really.
A Paperback Writer says
Remus Lupin
Sirius Black
Tonks
Luna
corp-minamiji says
Ginny Weasley. Smart, funny, and takes no crap from anyone.
MACSwriter says
Harry, because he's the perfect flawed hero, for his innocence, and his longing for a family that manifested itself in such unconditional gobsmacked fascination with anything "family": the Weasley's, his godfather, any trace of his parents. And especially because he never let his fame go to his head. His humility was what made him a great hero.
Hagrid, because he's simple, loyal, warmhearted and iconic.
Dumbledore, for his subtlety and restraint.
Sirius and Lupin, because I always root for the misunderstood underdogs.
And Snape, villainous, but not the villain, because it was so much fun wondering where his loyalties lay. I always thought he was a good guy, despite his tortured, jealous soul, and I cheered when I was finally vindicated.
Jenna says
Dobby. I don't know why, I just always loved the little guy! I bawled like a baby when he died! And when he wasn't in the fourth, fifth, or sixth movie, I was very upset. I'm glad he'll be getting his justice in this last movie.
T. Anne says
OK, I confess, I have never read a Harry Potter book. Perhaps if I receive the entire boxed set as a gift, this will entice me.
Ishta Mercurio says
Dude – I haven't read them yet. The amazingness that is Harry Potter is my major Middle Grade literary gap. Sorry.
I'll get to it as soon as NaNo is over, and I've finished reading MSs for my CPs, and after I've finished polishing… You get the picture. When I can, I'll get to them. Cross my heart. I'm kind of desperate to read them now.
Julia A. Haynes says
There are so many great characters, it's hard to choose just one, so I'll choose two: Fred and George Weasley.
They're brave, they're funny, they love a good joke, a good fight and they're fiercely loyal to family and friends. They went against everything that was expected of them and forged their own path. They aren't afraid to stand up for what's right or what they believe in.
And they never once turned their backs on Harry. Need I say more?
Kel says
Hermione, mostly because she reminds me so much of myself. But Lupin is very close to the top of my list too– he's a very loving and honorable character, and is so loyal.
Ted Cross says
Snape is my favorite, although I love many of them. I was enjoying the movies, too, until they decided to turn Lavender Brown from black to white. I also felt they got the mates wrong, as I never bought the idea of Hermione and Ron together. Harry belonged with either Hermione or Luna.
Tricia says
Favourite three: Hagrid for his fierce loyalty to Harry, his bumbling, honest nature and his love of all magical creatures; Luna because she is so quirky and original and has hidden depths, and she teaches Harry so much; and finally…well, it's between Tonks, because I identify with the characters who have that vulnerability, love the way Hagrid and Luna all have aspects of that trait, but are so different; or Dumbledore and Sirius for the way they could have done everything for Harry but they let him find out for himself. Ha. I limited myself to three, but didn't do very well.:) They're all amazing.
C.Smith says
Fred and George, without question. My second favourite character? George and Fred. Only because they go hand in hand, one can't be without the other. They're like the comic relief you NEED when you're reading about the trials and horrors of someone like Goggles…agh, I mean Harry. 😉 Which is why I'm glad she ended the series off the way she did, else it would never have been the same and made me a major sad panda.
hannah says
Charlie Weasley! I am so hardcore about him. Dragons!
Leah says
Ah! Best.Blog.Post.EVER! Anything to do with Harry Potter series I love, as I've spent exactly half my life (which is 11 years) ogling the world JKR built.
I honestly can't say who is my favorite character because the they are all so unique and so flawed yet so perfect at the same time that it is completely impossible for me to choose between people like Ron, Harry, Hermione, Luna, Neville, etc…
Elie says
Harry and Snape, and the dynamic between them.
So glad you arrived in my inbox today, Nathan, and I love this post.
Your blog is currently featured on SCBWI_BI Ning!
realityanalyst says
I admit, I've almost always picked protagonists as my favorites — Frodo in TLOTR, hurrah — and Harry is my favorite in HP-verse. At the same time, I love reading pretty much every character . . . which, I suppose, is what you were discussing; the many wonderful characterizations. They're all so clear and so different and I feel like I know and can recognize all of them. Even the way they speak — Snape has elegant turns of phrase; Hagrid has dialect concealing a definite intelligence; Dumbledore has a definite liking for sere phrases — distinguishes them. It's glorious.
MET says
As one of the few thirty-somethings, who waited in line with children at midnight to buy various new installments, I am a huge Potter fan. (I love Luna – how genuine she is) I've recently discovered "A Charmed Life" by Diana Wynne Jones… see if some of the ideas in there (published in 1977) don't seem a bit familiar… That said, the writing doesn't compare. Rowling sucks me in and makes me live in her world with her – like a pensieve.
William Jones says
Neville Longbottom, hands down. I love how he developes from a nobody loser to one of the major characters. I cheered when his last part came up (refrains from spoilers).
On a side note, the sixth movie really pissed me of. In the book he had been invited into the slug club, but in the movie they made him a server. Poor unappreciated Neville.
Istvan Szabo, Ifj. says
Harry, Hermione and Ron as they're good main characters, but the ultimate favorite is Professor Snape.
deedeemckenzie says
I have a hard time choosing, because I do love them all, but I think it's between Sirius and Dumbledore, with Sirius a tiny bit in the lead.
Oddly enough, neither of their deaths is the one that upset me the most. Fred's did.
Matthew Rush says
This is impossible. Dumbledore. No, wait, Hagrid, – er, Sirius. I don't know.
I mean I LOVE Harry, Hermione and Ron, and Neville, but for some reason I really connect with a lot of the secondary characters. Maybe because I read them all as an adult.
I guess Severus, overall. He is absolutely the most sympathetic villain I have ever read.
Terry Stonecrop says
Harry and Snape.
JenniferWriter says
My favorite is Professor Trelawney and runner up is Luna Lovegood. Both women have unexpected strengths and don't apologize for being themselves.
Zoe says
Character? As in singular? My oh my, where to start?
It's impossible, there are too many brilliant ones, even those that only appear in a few books! Luna, Tonks, Lupin, Dobby to name a few. Then there are those in all the books, Dumbledore, Hagrid, McGonagall, Fred and George and so on.
On a side note, I had a quick glance at the Character list on Wikipedia … Wow! I mean, totally, Wow!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_potter_characters
Megan says
Ginny Weasley. The movies don't really do her justice but she's totally bad ass, even if you don't start to see it until Order of the Phoenix. I also love Hermione, Tonks and Lupin.
Hart Johnson says
Luna is my favorite of the students–love the wisdom hidden in the wacky.
Of the adults, Remus Lupin. Though I am pretty fond of Dumbledore, too.
Bethany Mattingly says
Ron. I love almost every character, but with Ron, I think Rowling really showed her talents. He could have been just Harry's devoted sidekick, but instead he's just as complex as Harry. He and Harry fight. He gets jealous and he leaves Harry in a time when his friend really needed him. It's easy to write a friend to a character. It harder to made that friendship more than the average.
kourtneyheintz says
Hermione. Gotta love the brainiac in the group.