My niece has been waiting (none too patiently) for two years for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows to be released. Her wait is finally over and the book comes out now, on the verge of her adolescence. Whatever happens to Harry and his friends now will very likely affect her on subtle levels for the rest of her life.
My niece has grown up with Ron, Harry and Hermione, just as they have grown up. The books have matured as she has matured.
The story patterns established by the books may well influence her views on the world in much the same way that the story patterns of Lady Hawke, The Dark Crystal and Dragonslayer influenced me. The characters will be friends to her in much the same way that the characters from The Lord of the Rings books stay with me, even to this day. These patterns could find their way into her writing, into the stories she tells herself about herself and into the circumstances she finds herself longing for.
This book is big for her.
What books were formative for you?
1 comment:
What a distinctively odd sensation it is to know that the Harry Potter phenomenon is older than my daughter. Odd!
And what fun to remember books of my childhood. Remember "The Secret Garden" by Frances Hodgson Burnett? As a young girl with a soft, simple heart, I was completely enthralled with Dickon and his enchantment of animals. Oh, the visions!
Thanks for the wonder-full reminder.
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