Five Good Reasons It Is Important to Reread “Harry Potter”
Hogwarts will always be there to welcome you home.
It has been over four years since that iconic quote was uttered by J.K. Rowling at the July 7 premiere of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2. There are many ways to interpret the quote, but the most popular reading has to do with returning to the Harry Potter series itself, whether by page or by screen. J.K. Rowling is telling her fans that even though the films were coming to a close, they would always be there to watch again and again, and the books would always be there to read. This way, if a fan grows sad and wants to return to the world they love so dearly, the books and films will always be there to fill that void.
If you have yet to pick up the books a second time, here are five good reasons you should do so right away!
1.Return Home
Just as Dorothy tapped her shoes three times, you too can be transported home by merely flipping through the pages of your favorite book. Rereading the Harry Potter books allows you to step back inside Hogwarts castle for the first time and feel the cold air of the corridors and smell the feast you are about to eat. You can be instantly reunited with the characters that you love and adore as friends. Just imagine you were away on holiday and are now back home, to real life. It is an amazing feeling.
2. Nostalgia
For some reason, every time I smell chocolate chip cookies I am reminded of Christmastime and am immediately transported back to the days of my youth, sipping hot chocolate and opening presents while Karen Carpenter sings “Merry Christmas, Darling.” It is an amazing feeling and reminds me of a time in my life that I long to return to. Harry Potter is also very nostalgic to most of us, and rereading the books is a great way to be transported back to those days when we first encountered the Boy Who Lived.
3. Uncover Secrets
The Harry Potter books have a lot to offer deep within their pages that can’t be obtained through only one reading. Observing character growth is always a lot of fun, as well as seeing how characters interact with one another. Another awesome perk is seeing when Rowling inserted clues in the books way before you ever realized it. That’s why the carriages are horseless to most people! They haven’t witnessed death! or The locket was at 12 Grimmauld Place the entire fifth book! Plus, rereading gives readers a glimpse into the intelligent mind of J.K. Rowling and reveals patterns from other great literary works, like Jane Eyre and Emma, and literary techniques like Ring Composition.
4. Books Change as We Do
Books are a unique medium in that they must be interpreted, and the words on the page will always be different to different readers. This tells us that when you are a child you are going to read certain scenarios much different than you will once you are an adult. Even if you first read the series as an adult, you will not be the same adult you were when you first experienced the books. Your experience since first reading will give new meaning to the text in your hands and therefore will change the way you view it. This challenges how we think and keeps us learning long after we have graduated!
5. Just for Fun!
At the end of the day, rereading the Harry Potter books should be a fun experience! Return because you enjoy reading. Rereading is a great exercise and will certainly provide an endless amount of entertainment! And to make the experience even more fun, why not listen to MuggleNet’s very own Harry Potter reread podcast, Alohomora!
How many times have you read the Harry Potter books? What other books do you love to read again and again? Do you have other reasons for revisiting your favorite books? Let us know in the comments below!
I have read the whole series twice. I love re reading the series and am currently listening to the audio books by Jim Dale. So this will be my third read through.
Awesome! I’ve never listened to the audio books. Maybe I will give it a go soon 🙂
i have read the Prisoner of Azkaban 21 times… needless to state that it is my favourite one amongst the seven
Wow! That is amazing! I only wish to have read one of the books that many times. Hats off to you my friend
Wow, well done Stella. Impressive. I imagine you know that book like the back of your hand.
I’m close. I’ve read the complete series exactly 20 times. And I’ll re-read it for the rest of my life.
I have read all the Harry Potter books for more than 20 times and it always gives me something new. When I was 23 I even made a tattoo – “ubi est thesaurus tuus ibi est et cor tuum” – where your treasure is, there your heart will be also – this is the most powerfull words for me. HP is something in my life I will always be appreciate for. It gives me courage in difficult times and it reminds me to turn on the light in the darkest times in my life.
I generally try and re-read the series every year or so, time allowing, although more recently I’ve been treating the books more as a reference resource for my own attempts at fanfic than anything else. Problem is, once you’ve found the reference you were looking for, you find yourself still reading …
I have tally marks on the inside cover of each book for every time I’ve read it. I’m reading Sorcerer’s Stone for the 26th time and I’ve read all the other books 25 times except for Deathly Hallows which I’ve only read 22 times.
I suffer from depression but Harry Potter has always been there there to help me through even the darkest times.
That is really cool! I may steal your method of keeping count of how many times I read the books… 😛
Harry Potter is a great way of getting through rough times. It truly is always there to welcome us home 🙂
starting to listen to Alohomora now must be like reading the books for the first time in 2007. There’s so much brilliant material, but the end is in sight. A little sad.
I’ve read every Harry Potter book at least 8 times but im sure it’s more i never ever get bored of them. The films I admit i’ve lost count of how many times i’ve watched them. My other favourite books are the inheritance cycle; Eragon series they’re massively long books but incredible and only read them 3 times.
Can’t count how many times…I’ve read each one probably 5 to 7 times, but my Dad read each of them aloud to me first. I’ve read one through four in French, and even did a half-read of DH from Dobby’s death on after I watched DH part 1. (Well, I had to finish the story, even if the movie format was still 8 months away!)
Have also read the Inkheart trilogy about 3 or 4 times…. 🙂
I read them twice. First in French and then in English.
Once when I was a child and didn’t understand everything in the last book, I was only 12 when it came out XD
The second was this summer and I was 19 and understood a lot more than before :3
I have read the books 10-12 times as I recall … 5-6 times in English and 5-6 times in Danish, and no doubt that I will re-read them again and again 🙂
The movies I guess I have seen 3-4 times, but I still have problems seeing them in their own right, can’t help but compare them to the books, and for me the movies fade very much in comparison.
I have read them 8 times and I probably read them again when I have enough time ?