I've recently started on the Harry Potter books for the first time. I resisted for a decade and a half only because I was told too many times that I "had" to read them - best way to get me to not watch a movie or read a book is to tell me I have to. Anyway, I was never terribly interested in it and didn't think I'd enjoy it.
At the beginning of the summer, my good friend Lisa was bemoaning the fact that, with all the things she and I have in common, she wished HP was one of them. She also promised me that a whole new world of derivative slash fic awaited me if I would just give it a shot.
It obviously meant a lot to her, so after some hemming and hawing, I told her that because she mentioned it so nicely, I would give it a shot. I promised nothing more than that I would read the first book.
With life being as busy as it is, and still trying to keep a regular writing schedule, I decided the audiobook would be a good compromise. I have a 25-minute drive to work; I could listen to it in the car and get through it that way.
As I made my way through the first book, I was quite pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it. The narrator, Stephen Fry, is at least 50% responsible for that - the way he reads, how he inhabits the characters and their accents. I couldn't imagine anyone else narrating it. I also like the characters a lot, the friendship Ron and Harry have with each other and with Hermione. Fred and George are a riot. I adore Hagrid and I love that he was the first person Harry met from the magical world - he was an awesome person to introduce Harry to that world. It's also been really nice learning the meaning of all these words I've heard for years and years - like Gryffindor, quidditch and Dumbledore.
So, having enjoyed it much more than I expected, I've gotten through Books 1 and 2, and right now I'm early in the going on Prisoner of Azkaban. It's all good.
But - and I realize I could be taking my life into my hands here - I'm having trouble with picturing Alan Rickman as Professor Snape. From the instant he was introduced in the first book, I've pictured Jason Isaacs as Snape. Maybe Stephen Fry has something to do with that, but I close my eyes and picture him talking, and there's no one else it can be. Alan Rickman is great...he's just not my Snape.
But now I find out that Jason Isaacs plays Lucius Malfoy! ::horror:: I'd have to go back and find it, but I was certain Lucius was blond and pale just like Draco.
And that's why I can never, ever watch the Harry Potter movies. They will simply have to exist on audiobook for me. :)
