Harry Potter is the name of a series of fantasy and wizardry novels by J. K. Rowling and the movies based on them. The main character is a fictional young wizard, Harry Potter. The first novel, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone in the United States), was released in 1997, but takes place in 1991 (see Dates in Harry Potter). The Harry Potter books have attained a profile unparalleled by any other series of children's books, with worldwide sales exceeding 275 million copies. They have been praised for encouraging children to read, while also drawing criticism from some quarters. A series of films based on the books is under production. Her publishers are Bloomsbury.

Overview

Despite J K Rowling's assertions that she did not have any particular age group in mind when she began to write the Harry Potter books, her publishers initially targeted them at children aged around 9 to 15. However they have acquired fans of all ages, and the books have more recently been released in two editions, one with the original 'children's' cover artwork and one with artwork more consciously aimed at adult readers. Additionally, as the series has developed, Rowling's writing style has become more sophisticated, and the content of the books has matured as the lead character, Harry Potter, has grown older. For instance, relationships are discussed as an issue for the teenage characters in later books. Accordingly the reading age for the books, both in terms of content and style, is rising as the series goes on.

The first book was published in the United Kingdom by Bloomsbury, a fairly small independent publisher, in July 1997. Its initial success was based on some positive reviews and word of mouth. Books one (Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone), two (Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets) and three (Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban) all won the Nestle Smarties Book Prize for the 9-11 age group. By the time book four (Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire) was published in 2000 the series had become very high-profile, and the launch received much wider publicity in the general media than was usual for a new book. At around the same time Warner Brothers began work on the series of films based on the books. The involvement of a global media conglomerate led to more concerted efforts to maximise the value of the Harry Potter "franchise". The first film, based on the first book, was released in 2001, and was accompanied by video games and other branded merchandise.

The hype escalated with the publication of books five and six ('Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix' and 'Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince' respectively), with midnight launch parties at hundreds of bookshops in the UK, simultaneous launch events around the English speaking world, and intense media interest, leading to unprecedented first day sales in the UK, US and elsewhere. The series is immensely popular around the world in translation. Such was the clamour to read the book around the world that the English language edition of book five became the first English language book ever to top the bookseller list in France.

Cover of the United States edition of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, retitled Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

According to the author, J.K. Rowling, the stories appeared in her head while she was on a train from Manchester to London. Her favourite place to write the first book was at an Edinburgh cafe table, while drinking endless cups of coffee. Sales from the books, as well as royalties from films and merchandise, have made Rowling the 620th wealthiest person in the world [[1]]. Rowling is richer than Queen Elizabeth II.

Each book chronicles approximately one year in Harry's life at the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry where he learns to use magic and brew potions. Harry also learns to overcome many obstacles - magical, social and emotional - as he struggles through his adolescence.

Rowling has announced that seven books are planned, each a little darker than its predecessor, as Harry ages and his nemesis, Lord Voldemort, gains power. As of July 2005, six books have been published. The latest, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, was published in its English language version on 16 July 2005. Rowling has revealed hints about the plot of each book on her personal website.

With the exception of a few chapters, the books are written in third person limited omniscient mode, with Harry as the central character. The books are generally written from Harry's point of view, with short exceptions in Philosopher's Stone, Goblet of Fire and Half-Blood Prince. This is one reason that readers feel such a strong kinship to Harry; the story is told through his character.

Rowling's main strengths as a writer include her ability to drive elaborate and largely seamless plots over a very wide canvas, the convincing internal logic of her fantasy world, and the acuteness of her characterisation. The three adolescents at the centre of the book are perceptively presented, the main adult characters have substance, and the minor characters are vivid and memorable. The Harry Potter books also contain much humour. On the other hand Rowling's prose style is not a major strength. Additionally, while there is much moral subtletly in many scenes in the books, the central clash between good and evil is drawn in largely black and white terms. Nevertheless, as the series develops, several characters have faced a choice between doing what is good or what is easy (a central theme), and moral 'shades of grey' have been presented.

Rowling lets the ideas of racism, genocide, and other prejudices find their way in; these are the trademark of Voldemort and his Death Eaters, but also occasionally shown in the relationship between wizards and the non-magical (or 'Muggle') population.

The books have been compared to many well-known novels, including C. S. Lewis' The Chronicles of Narnia and J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings. They also fit into a British genre of novels about boarding school life, and sections involving the Dursleys, Harry's relatives, are reminiscent of the works of Roald Dahl.

Aspects of the Harry Potter series have even entered the real world, such as Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans, which inspired an actual product of that name, marketed by the Jelly Belly Company. Also, knitting patterns have been created for the Quidditch Sweater and elf socks.

Harry Potter Series

1. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone in the United States)

• Story time: 1981, 1991–1992
• Release: June 26, 1997 (UK); September 1, 1998 (U.S.)

2. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

• Story time: 1992–1993
• Release: July 2, 1998 (UK); June 2, 1999 (U.S.)

3. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

• Story time: 1993–1994
• Release: July 8, 1999 (UK); September 8, 1999 (U.S.)

4. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

• Story time: 1994–1995
• Release: July 8, 2000 (UK/U.S.)

5. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

• Story time: 1995–1996
• Release: June 21, 2003 (worldwide)

6. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

• Story time: 1996–1997
• Release: July 16, 2005 (UK/U.S.)

7. Title unknown

• Story time: 1997–1998
• Release: Unconfirmed

The books have become popular enough that bookshops worldwide now hold simultaneous "release parties" on the day Harry Potter books are released, since the earliest time the books can be sold at retail is 12:01 am GMT (or the equivalent local time at the point of sale).

The Harry Potter books have been translated into many languages (see List of titles of Harry Potter books in other languages and Harry Potter in translation series). For the English language, there exists an adapted American English version of each book, with lexical changes like "football" to "soccer," "video recorder" to "VCR," or "do his nut" becoming "go ballistic."

2001 saw the publication of two slim spin off volumes called Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander and Quidditch Through the Ages by Kennilworthy Whisp. These were supposedly reproductions of two Hogwarts textbooks owned by Harry, complete with notes scribbled in the margins by Harry and his friends. These books were written by J. K. Rowling with proceeds going to Comic Relief.

Regarding the existence of Harry Potter novels beyond the seventh, Rowling has said that she might write an eighth book some day. If she does, she intends it to be a sort of encyclopaedia of the wizarding world, containing concepts and snippets of information that were not relevant enough to the novels' plot to be included in them. She has also said that she will not write any sort of "prequel" to the novels since by the time the series ends all the necessary back story will have been revealed.

Harry Potter movies

1. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone in the United States)

• Release: November 16, 2001
Director: Chris Columbus

2. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

• Release: November 15, 2002
• Director: Chris Columbus

3. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

• Release: UK: May 31, USA: 2004 June 4
• Director: Alfonso Cuaron

4. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

• Release: November 18, 2005
• Director: Mike Newell

5. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

• Release: Expected Spring 2007 (June)
• Director: David Yates

6. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

• Release: Expected Autumn 2008 (November)
• Director: Unknown