Harry Potter
2387806
225847912
2008-07-15T18:00:34Z
Synthebot
3658625
robot Modifying: [[ml:ഹാരി പോട്ടര്]]
{{pp-semi-vandalism|small=yes}}
{{otheruses4|the fantasy series|the character himself|Harry Potter (character)|related topics|List of Harry Potter related topics|other uses|Harry Potter (disambiguation)}}
{{Infobox Book
| name = Harry Potter
| image = [[Image:Harry potter stamps.jpg|300px]]
| image_caption = <span style="font-size: 8pt">The success of the Harry Potter franchise has led to a set of stamps being commissioned by [[Royal Mail]], which feature the British children's covers of the seven books.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200705/s1929389.htm|title=Special stamps to mark Potter book release|publisher=[[Australian Broadcasting Corporation]]|date=2007-05-22|accessdate = 2007-06-06}}</ref></span>
| author = [[J. K. Rowling]]
| country = [[United Kingdom]]
| language = [[English language|English]]
| genre = [[Fantasy literature|Fantasy]], [[Thriller (genre)|Thriller]], [[Bildungsroman]]
| publisher = [[Bloomsbury Publishing]] <sup>UK</sup><br /> [[Scholastic Publishing]]<sup>USA</sup>
| release_date = [[26 June]], [[1997]] – [[21 July]], [[2007]]
| media_type = Print ([[Hardcover|Hardback]] & [[Paperback]]) and <br />[[audiobook]]
| pages = [[United Kingdom]]: 3407 (in total) <br /> [[United States]]: 4126 (in total)
}}
'''''Harry Potter''''' is a [[heptalogy]] of [[fantasy novel]]s written by [[United Kingdom|British]] author [[J. K. Rowling]]. The books chronicle the adventures of the [[eponym]]ous adolescent wizard [[Harry Potter (character)|Harry Potter]], together with [[Ron Weasley]] and [[Hermione Granger]], his best friends from the [[Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry]]. The central [[story arc]] concerns Harry's struggle against the evil wizard [[Lord Voldemort]], who killed Harry's parents in his quest to conquer the [[Harry Potter universe|Wizarding world]], after which he seeks to subjugate the [[Muggle]] world to his rule.
Since the release of the first novel ''[[Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone]]'' in 1997, which was retitled ''Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone'' in the [[United States]], the books have gained immense popularity, critical acclaim and commercial success worldwide.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/2996578.stm|title=Potter's place in the literary canon|publisher=[[BBC]]|last=Allsobrook |first=Dr. Marian|date=2003-06-18|accessdate=2007-10-15}}</ref> The series has spawned films, video games and Potter-themed merchandise. As of June 2008, the seven book series has sold more than 400 million copies<ref>{{cite web|title=Potter tops 400 million sales|author=Flood, Alison|work=theBookseller.com|url=http://www.thebookseller.com/news/61161-page.html|date=2008-06-17|accessdate =2008-06-17}} [It is not clear whether this figure includes the two companion books.]</ref> and the books have been translated into 67 languages.<ref>{{cite web|title=Potter tops 400 million sales|author=Flood, Alison|work=theBookseller.com|url=http://www.thebookseller.com/news/61161-page.html|date=2008-06-17|accessdate =2008-06-17}} ["The Christopher Little Agency also said that the seven Harry Potter book [''sic''] are now translated into 67 languages."]</ref> The seventh and last book in the series, ''[[Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows]]'', was released on [[21 July]] [[2007]].<ref name="releasedate">{{cite news|url=http://www.jkrowling.com/textonly/en/news_view.cfm?id=97|title= Publication Date for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows|accessdate = 2007-06-26|publisher=[[Joanne Rowling]]}}</ref> Publishers announced a record-breaking 12 million copies for the first print run in the United States alone.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/books/article1521607.ece|title=Harry Potter's final adventure to get record print run|work=[[The Times]]|last=McLaren|first=Elsa|date=2007-03-15|accessdate = 2007-03-27}}</ref>
The success of the novels has made Rowling the highest-earning novelist in history.<ref>{{cite news|author=Kellner, Tomas; Watson, Julie |date=2004-02-29|url=http://www.forbes.com/maserati/billionaires2004/cx_jw_0226rowlingbill04.html|title=J.K. Rowling And The Billion-Dollar Empire|work=[[Forbes]]|accessdate=2008-07-12}}</ref> English language versions of the books are published by [[Bloomsbury Publishing|Bloomsbury]] in the [[United Kingdom]], [[Scholastic Press]] in the [[United States]], [[Allen & Unwin]] in [[Australia]], and [[Raincoast Books]] in [[Canada]].
Thus far, the first five books have been made into [[Harry Potter film series|a series of motion pictures]] by [[Warner Bros.]] The sixth, ''[[Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (film)|Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince]]'', began filming in September 2007, with a scheduled release of [[21 November]],[[2008]].<ref name="release-date-hbp-film">{{cite web|url=http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0417741/|title=Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (IMdB)}}</ref> The series also originated much [[tie-in]] [[merchandise]], making the Harry Potter brand worth £7 billion ($15 billion).<ref name="brand"/>
==Overview==
===Plot summary===
The story opens with the conspicuous celebration of a normally secretive [[Wizarding world]]; for many years, it has been terrorised by the evil wizard, [[Lord Voldemort]]. On the previous night, [[October 31]], Voldemort discovered the Potter family's hidden refuge (after learning the location from the Potter's Secret Keeper, Peter Pettigrew), killing [[Lily and James Potter]]. However, when he attempted to murder their toddler son, [[Harry Potter (character)|Harry]], the ''[[Avada Kedavra]]'' killing curse he cast rebounded upon him. Voldemort's body was destroyed, but his spirit survived: he is neither dead nor alive. Meanwhile, the orphaned Harry is left with a distinctive lightning bolt-shaped scar on his forehead, the only physical sign of Voldemort's curse. Harry is the only known survivor of the curse, and Voldemort's mysterious defeat causes the Wizarding community to dub Harry "The Boy Who Lived". Harry is protected by the enchantment that was produced when Harry's mother died while protecting him from Voldemort. This protection will last until his seventeenth birthday.
On [[November 1]], [[Rubeus Hagrid]], a "half-giant", delivers Harry to his only living relatives, the cruel and magic-phobic [[Potter family#The Dursleys|Dursleys]], comprised of [[Vernon Dursley|Uncle Vernon]], a bad-tempered uncle; [[Petunia Dursley|Aunt Petunia]], a woman who appears to absolutely loathe Harry; and Dudley, their spoiled and overweight son. The Dursleys are, in the words of [[Professor McGonagall]], "the worst sort of Muggles imaginable" and seek to deny Harry his magical birthright by making up a false story about Harry's parents dying in a car accident. They treat Harry like a slave and force him to live in a small, cramped closet under the stairs at their [[Privet Drive]] home.
However, as his eleventh birthday approaches, Harry has his first contact with the magical world when he begins receiving letters from [[Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry]], which are delivered by [[owl]]s. Unfortunately, his uncle confiscates the letters before he can read them. Much to the Dursleys' chagrin, Hogwarts is aware that Harry is not receiving his letters. However, the letters keep on coming and Uncle Vernon decides to move the family (Harry included) to a deserted island off the coast, hoping that the letters will cease. At the stroke of midnight on Harry's eleventh birthday, Rubeus Hagrid (Hogwarts' half-giant gamekeeper) kicks in the door of the house where they are staying, and presents Harry with a letter explaining that he is a wizard and has been selected to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Each book chronicles one year in Harry's life, which is mostly spent at Hogwarts. There he learns to use [[magic (Harry Potter)|magic]] and brew [[Magical objects in Harry Potter|potions]]. Harry also learns to overcome many magical, social, and emotional hurdles as he struggles through his adolescence, Voldemort's second rise to power, and the [[Ministry of Magic]]'s corruption and incompetent negligence. After facing many obstacles, forging lasting friendships, and losing countless loved ones, Harry Potter confronts the Dark Lord for the last time.
For a detailed synopsis of the novels, see the relevant article for [[#Series|each book]].
===Universe===
{{main|Harry Potter universe}}
[[Image:Hogwarts.jpg|thumb|300px|right|Hogwarts school, as depicted in the [[Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (film)|first film]]]] The [[Wizarding world]] in which Harry finds himself is both completely separate from and yet intimately connected to our own world. While the fantasy world of [[Narnia (world)|Narnia]] is an alternative universe and the ''[[Lord of the Rings]]''’ [[Middle-earth]] a mythic past, the Wizarding world of ''Harry Potter'' exists alongside that of the real world and contains magical elements similar to things in the non-magical world. Many of its institutions and locations are in towns and cities which are recognisable in the real world, such as London. It possesses a fragmented collection of hidden streets, overlooked and ancient pubs, lonely country manors and secluded castles that remain invisible to the non-magical population (known as "[[Muggle]]s"; i.e. the world of the reader). Wizard ability is inborn, rather than learned. Most wizards send their children to Wizarding schools to learn the magical skills necessary to get along in the magical world. There is no educational equivalent to college or graduate school in the Wizarding world. After graduation from their magical school, students are considered fully trained witches and wizards who are ready to take their places in the Wizarding World. It is possible for wizard parents to have children who are born with little or no magical ability at all (known as "[[Blood purity (Harry Potter)#Squibs|Squibs]]"). Since one is either born a wizard or not, most wizards are unfamiliar with the Muggle world, and what they do know of the Muggle world is either inaccurate or patronizing.
==Series==
There are seven books in the Harry Potter series:
# ''[[Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone]]'' ([[26 June]],[[1997]]) <br>(Released in the [[United States]] as ''Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone'' on 1 September 1998)
# ''[[Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets]]'' ([[2 July]],[[1998]])
# ''[[Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban]]'' ([[8 July]],[[1999]])
# ''[[Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire]]'' ([[8 July]],[[2000]])
# ''[[Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix]]'' ([[21 June]],[[2003]])
# ''[[Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince]]'' ([[16 July]],[[2005]])
# ''[[Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows]]'' ([[21 July]],[[2007]])
* All seven books in the series have been released in the [[English language]] as [[audiobook]]s. The UK editions are performed by [[Stephen Fry]], while the American versions by [[Jim Dale]].
'''Supplementary works'''
* ''[[Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them]]'' (2001)
* ''[[Quidditch Through the Ages]]'' (2001)
* ''[[The Tales of Beedle the Bard]]'' (2007)
* ''[[Harry Potter prequel|Untitled Harry Potter prequel]]'' (2008) - see [http://www.waterstoneswys.com/]
===Origins and publishing history===
[[Image:Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone.jpg|thumb|left|Cover of the UK children's edition of the first ''Harry Potter'' novel, ''Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone''; a more austere design was later made available for adult readers]]
In 1990, J. K. Rowling was on a crowded train from [[Manchester]] to [[London]] when the idea for Harry suddenly "fell into her head". Rowling gives an account of the experience on her website saying:<ref name="Harry falls into author's head">{{cite web|publisher=JKRowling.com| url=http://www.jkrowling.com/textonly/en/biography.cfm| title=Biography| first= J.K.| last=Rowling| accessdate = 2006-05-21}}</ref>
{{Cquote|I had been writing almost continuously since the age of six but I had never been so excited about an idea before. I simply sat and thought, for four (delayed train) hours, and all the details bubbled up in my brain, and this scrawny, black-haired, bespectacled boy who did not know he was a wizard became more and more real to me.|}}
In 1995, ''Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone'' was completed and the [[manuscript]] was sent off to prospective [[literary agent|agents]]. The second agent she tried, Christopher Little, offered to represent her and sent the manuscript to Bloomsbury. After eight other publishers had rejected ''Philosopher's Stone'', Bloomsbury offered Rowling a £2,500 advance for its publication.<ref>{{cite web|publisher=BusinessWeek Online| url=http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/05_22/b3935414.htm| title=Nigel Newton | first=John| last=Lawless| accessdate = 2006-09-09}}</ref>
Despite Rowling's statement that she did not have any particular age group in mind when she began to write the ''Harry Potter'' books, the publishers initially targeted them at children age nine to eleven.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.kidsreads.com/harrypotter/jkrowling.html|title=Harry Potter - Brought to you by Kidsreads.com<!-- Bot generated title -->}}</ref> On the eve of publishing, Joanne Rowling was asked by her publishers to adopt a more gender-neutral [[pen name]], in order to appeal to the male members of this age group, fearing that they would not be interested in reading a novel they knew to be written by a woman. She elected to use J. K. Rowling (Joanne Kathleen Rowling), using her grandmother's name as her second name, because she has no middle name.<ref>{{cite web|publisher=The Daily Telegraph| url=http://www.quick-quote-quill.org/articles/2000/0700-savill-telegraph.html| title=Harry Potter and the mystery of J K's lost initial| first=Richard| last=Savill| accessdate = 2006-09-09}}</ref>
The first ''Harry Potter'' book was published in the [[United Kingdom]] by Bloomsbury in July 1997 and in the [[United States]] by [[Scholastic Press|Scholastic]] in September 1998, but not before Rowling had received $105,000 for the American rights — an unprecedented amount for a children's book by a then unknown author.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/21/business/web21interview.html?_r=2&pagewanted=1|title=A Brief Walk Through Time at Scholastic|last=Rozhon|first=Tracie|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=[[2007-04-21]]|accessdate = 2007-04-21|page=C3}}</ref> Fearing that American readers would not associate the word "philosopher" with a magical theme (as a [[Philosopher's Stone]] is alchemy-related), Scholastic insisted that the book be given the title ''Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone'' for the American market.
Rowling's publishers were able to capitalise on this buzz by the rapid, successive releases of the first four books that allowed neither Rowling's audience's excitement nor interest to wane while she took a break from writing between the release of ''[[Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire]]'' and ''[[Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix]]'', and also quickly solidified a loyal readership.<ref name="Books' Hero Wins Young Minds">{{cite news
|publisher=New York Times
|title=Books' Hero Wins Young Minds
|date=[[12 July]],[[1999]]
}}</ref> The series has also gathered adult fans, leading to two editions of each ''Harry Potter'' book being released (in markets other than the United States), identical in text but with one edition's cover artwork aimed at children and the other aimed at adults.
===Completion of the series===
In December 2005, Rowling stated on her web site, "2006 will be the year when I write the final book in the ''Harry Potter'' series." Updates have since followed in her online diary chronicling the progress of ''[[Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows]]'', with the release date of [[21 July]] [[2007]].
The book itself was finished on [[11 January]],[[2007]] in the [[Balmoral Hotel]], [[Edinburgh]], where she scrawled a message on the back of a bust of Hermes. It read: “JK Rowling finished writing ''Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows'' in this room (652) on [[11 January]],[[2007]].”<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/edinburgh_and_east/6324289.stm|title=Potter author signs off in style|publisher=[[British Broadcasting Corporation]]|date=2007-02-02}}</ref>
Rowling herself has stated that the last chapter of the seventh book (in fact, the epilogue) was completed "in something like 1990".<ref name="last chapter">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/5119836.stm|title="Rowling to kill two in final book"|publisher=[[BBC News]]|date=[[2006-06-27]]|accessdate=2007-07-25}}</ref><ref name="last chapter means epilogue">{{cite news|url=http://www.accio-quote.org/articles/2001/1201-bbc-hpandme.htm|title="Harry Potter and Me"|date=[[2001-12-28]]|accessdate=2007-09-12}}</ref>
In June 2006, Rowling, on an appearance on the British talk show ''[[Richard & Judy]]'', announced that the chapter had been modified as one character "got a reprieve" and two others who previously survived the story had in fact been killed. She also said she could see the logic in killing off Harry to stop other writers from writing books about Harry's life after Hogwarts.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://mugglenet.com/mnnews/06262006/transcriptrandjudy.shtml|title=JKR On Richard & Judy – Transcript}}</ref>
On [[March 28]], [[2007]], the cover art for the Bloomsbury Adult and Child versions and the Scholastic version were released.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.the-leaky-cauldron.org/gallery/dh|title=Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Cover Art|accessdate = 2007-04-02}}</ref>
===After ''Deathly Hallows''===
Rowling spent seventeen years writing the seven Harry Potter books. In a 2000 interview through [[Scholastic Corporation|Scholastic]], her American publisher, Rowling stated that there is not a university after Hogwarts. Concerning the series continuing past book seven, she stated, "I will not say ''never'', but I have no plans to write an eighth book."<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www.scholastic.com/harrypotter/author/transcript1.htm
|title=Transcript of JKR's live interview on Scholastic.com
|date=2000-02-03}}</ref> She has since said that if she does write an eighth book Harry Potter will not be the central character, as his story has been told, and that she would not begin such a project for at least ten years.<ref>{{Citation |last= |first= |title=JK Rowling hints at eighth Potter |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7164884.stm |publisher=''BBC'' |date=2007-12-30 |accessdate=2008-01-11}}</ref>
When asked about writing other Harry Potter-related books similar to ''[[Quidditch Through the Ages]]'' and ''[[Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them]]'', she has said that she might consider doing this with proceeds donated to charity, as was the case with those two books. Another suggestion is an encyclopaedia-style tome containing information that never made it into the series, also for charity.<ref name="new_chapter">{{cite web |url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml;?xml=/news/2007/05/13/npotter13.xml|title=A new chapter for Harry Potter and JK|publisher=[[The Daily Telegraph|The Telegraph]]|accessdate=2007-06-15|date=[[2007-05-12]]}}</ref> She has revealed she is currently penning two books, one for children and one not for children.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/6918723.stm|publisher=BBC News|title=Potter author 'penning two books'|date=[[2007-07-27]]|accessdate=2007-07-30}}</ref>
In February 2007 Rowling issued a statement on her website about finishing the final book, in which she compared her mixed feelings of "mourning" and "incredible sense of achievement" to those expressed by [[Charles Dickens]] in the preface of the 1850 edition of ''[[David Copperfield (novel)|David Copperfield]]'', "a two-years' imaginative task." "To which," she added, "I can only sigh, try seventeen years, Charles…"
On [[July 24]], [[2007]], Rowling announced in an interview that she "probably will" write an encyclopaedia of the ''Harry Potter'' world, which would include background information cut from the narrative as well as post-''Deathly Hallows'' information, including details of what happens to the other characters, who the new Hogwarts headmaster is, and more.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/19935372/|title=Stop your sobbing! More Potter to come|publisher=[[MSNBC]]|date=2007-07-24|accessdate=2007-07-27}}</ref> Rowling refers to the encyclopaedia as the "Scottish Book", a take on the [[Scottish play]].<ref>{{Citation |last=Rowling |first=Joanne |title=Why 'The Scottish Book'? |url=http://www.jkrowling.com/textonly/en/faq_view.cfm?id=123 |publisher=''http://www.jkrowling.com'' |date= |accessdate=2008-01-11}}</ref>
In a 90-minute live Web chat, Rowling revealed<ref>{{cite news|url=http://entertainment.msn.com/news/article.aspx?news=270634>1=10150&mpc=1|title=Rowling Answers Fans' Final Questions|publisher=[[MSN|MSN Entertainment]]|date=2007-07-30|accessdate=2007-07-31}}</ref> what several of the characters did in the years between the conclusion of the book and the epilogue.
Rowling has written [[Harry Potter prequel|an 800-word prequel adventure]] to the Harry Potter series for [[Waterstone's]], "What's Your Story" postcard book, which was auctioned for charity and fetched £25,000. Rowling has stressed that she is not intending to write a full length prequel.<ref>{{Citation |title=Harry Potter Prequel |url=http://lordoftheweb.x10hosting.com/41/harry-potter-prequel/ |publisher=LOTW |date= |accessdate=2008-06-15}}</ref>
===Translations===
[[Image:Harry Potter en de Steen der Wijzen Uitgeverij De Harmonie 2001 edition.jpg|thumb|right|The cover of ''Harry Potter en de Steen der Wijzen'' — the [[Dutch language]] translation of the first book, jointly published by De Harmonie and Standard.]]
{{main|Harry Potter in translation}}
The series has been translated into 65 languages,<ref>{{cite web|title=What now for Harry Potter fans?|url=http://www.news.com.au/sundaytelegraph/story/0,,22103790-5001026,00.html|work=Daily Telegraph|author=Alyssa Braithwaite|year=2007|accessdate=2007-07-21}}</ref> placing Rowling among the most translated authors in history.<ref>{{cite web|title=Guinness World Records: L. Ron Hubbard Is the Most Translated Author|author=KMaul|work=thebookstandard.com|url=http://www.thebookstandard.com/bookstandard/news/author/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1001476331|year=2005|accessdate=2007-07-19}}</ref> The first translation was into [[American English]], as many words and concepts used by the characters in the novels may have been misleading to a young American audience.[http://www.uta.fi/FAST/US1/REF/potter.html] [http://home.comcast.net/~helenajole/Harry.html] Subsequently the books have seen translations in languages as diverse as [[Ukrainian language|Ukrainian]], [[Hindi language|Hindi]], [[Bengali language|Bengali]], [[Welsh language|Welsh]], [[Afrikaans]] and [[Vietnamese language|Vietnamese]]. The first volume has been translated into [[Latin]] and even [[Ancient Greek]],<ref><span class="plainlinks"> [http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~loxias/harry_potter.htm Harry Potter in Ancient Greek]. Accessed [[25 November]],[[2006]]. </span></ref> making it the longest published work in that language since the novels of [[Heliodorus of Emesa]] in the 3rd century AD.<ref><span class="plainlinks"> [http://playalicious.com/reference/news/greek_harry.html Greek Harry] Accessed [[25 November]] [[2006]]. </span></ref>
The high profile and huge public demand for a decent local translation means that a great deal of care is often taken in the task. In some countries such as Italy, the first book was revised by the publishers and issued in an updated edition, in response to feedback from readers. In countries such as China and Portugal, the translation is conducted by a group of translators working together to save time. Some of the translators hired to work on the books were quite well known before their work on Harry Potter, such as [[Viktor Golyshev]], who oversaw the [[Russian language|Russian]] translation of the series' fifth book. Golyshev was previously best known for translating [[William Faulkner]] and [[George Orwell]];<ref>{{cite web|title=Translating Harry — Part I: The Language of Magic|author=Steven Goldstein|url=http://www.globalbydesign.com/resources/articles/translating_harry_potter_part1.html|work=GlobalByDesign|year=2004|accessdate = 2007-05-09}}</ref> his tendency to snub the Harry Potter books in interviews and refer to them as inferior literature may be the reason he did not return to work on later books in the series. The [[Turkish language|Turkish]] translation of books two to seven was undertaken by [[Sevin Okyay]], a popular literary critic and cultural commentator.<ref>{{cite web|title=Not lost in translation: Harry Potter in Turkish|author=EMRAH GÜLER|url=http://www.turkishdailynews.com.tr/article.php?enewsid=29054|year=2005|accessdate = 2007-05-09}}</ref> For reasons of secrecy, translation can only start when the books are released in English; thus there is a lag of several months before the translations are available. This has led to more and more copies of the English editions being sold to impatient fans in non-English speaking countries. Such was the clamour to read the fifth book that its [[English language]] edition became the first English-language book ever to top the bestseller list in [[France]].<ref>{{cite news
|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/world/newsid_3036000/3036350.stm
|publisher=BBC
|title=OOTP is best seller in France — in English!
|date=[[July 1]], [[2003]]}}</ref>
==Literary analysis==
===Structure and genre===
{{seealso|Harry Potter influences and analogues}}
The novels are very much in the [[fantasy literature|fantasy]] genre; in many respects they are also [[bildungsroman]]s, coming of age novels. They can also be considered to be part of the British children's boarding school genre, which includes [[Enid Blyton]]'s [[Malory Towers]], [[St. Clare's series|St Clares]] and the [[Naughtiest Girl]] series, and [[Charles Hamilton (writer)|Frank Richards]]'s [[Billy Bunter]] novels. The stories are predominantly set in Hogwarts, a fictional British boarding school for wizards, where the curriculum includes the use of [[magic (Harry Potter)|magic]]. In this sense they are "in a direct line of descent from [[Thomas Hughes]]'s ''[[Tom Brown's School Days]]'' and other Victorian and Edwardian novels of British public school life".<ref>"J. K. Rowling" by Leslie Ellen Jones, ''NoveList/EBSCO Publishing'', 2003, retrieved [[9 September]],[[2005]]</ref> They are also, in the words of [[Stephen King]], "shrewd mystery tales",<ref name="Wild About Harry">{{cite news|publisher=New York Times|title="Wild About Harry"|date=[[23 July]],[[2000]]}}</ref> and each book is constructed in the manner of a [[Sherlock Holmes]]-style [[Mystery fiction|mystery]] adventure; the books leave a number of clues hidden in the narrative, while the characters pursue a number of suspects through various exotic locations, leading to a twist ending that often reverses what the characters had been led to believe. The stories are told from a [[Third-person narrative#Third person.2C limited|third person limited]] point of view; with very few exceptions (such as the opening chapters of ''[[Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone|Philosopher's Stone]]'' and ''[[Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows|Deathly Hallows]]'' and the first two chapters of ''[[Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince|Half-Blood Prince]]''), the reader learns the secrets of the story when Harry does. The thoughts and plans of other characters, even central ones such as Hermione and Ron, are kept hidden until revealed to Harry.
The books tend to follow a very strict formula. Set over the course of consecutive school years, they each begin with Harry at home with his relatives the Dursleys in the [[Muggle]] world, enduring their ill treatment. Subsequently, Harry goes to a specific magical location ([[Diagon Alley]], the [[Weasley family#Residence|Weasleys' residence]] or [[Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place]]) for a short period before the new school year begins, which he commences by boarding the [[Hogwarts Express|school train]] at Platform 9¾, [[London King's Cross railway station|Kings Cross Station]]. Once at school, new or redefined characters are introduced, and Harry overcomes new everyday school issues, such as difficult essays, awkward crushes, and unsympathetic teachers. The stories reach their climax in the summer term, near or just after final exams, when Harry confronts either [[Voldemort]] or one of his followers, the [[Death Eaters]]. In the aftermath, he learns important lessons through exposition and discussions with head teacher and [[mentor]] [[Albus Dumbledore]]. This formula was completely broken in the final novel, ''[[Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows]]'', in which Harry and his friends spend most of their time away from Hogwarts, and only return there to face Voldemort at the dénouement.
===Themes===
{{seealso|Politics of Harry Potter}}
According to Rowling, a major theme in the series is the theme of [[death]]. She says:<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006/01/10/nrowl110.xml|title='There would be so much to tell her…'|accessdate = 2007-04-04}}</ref>
{{cquote|My books are largely about death. They open with the death of Harry's parents. There is Voldemort's obsession with conquering death and his quest for [[immortality]] at any price, the goal of anyone with magic. I so understand why Voldemort wants to conquer death. We're all frightened of it.}}
Rowling has stated that the books comprise "a prolonged argument for tolerance, a prolonged plea for an end to [[bigotry]]" and that also pass on a message to "question authority and… not assume that the establishment or the press tells you all of the truth".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.the-leaky-cauldron.org/2007/10/20/j-k-rowling-at-carnegie-hall-reveals-dumbledore-is-gay-neville-marries-hannah-abbott-and-scores-more|title=J. K. Rowling at Carnegie Hall|work=The Leaky Cauldron|accessdate=2007-10-21}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7053982.stm|title=JK Rowling outs Dumbledore as gay|accessdate=2007-10-21|date=2007-10-21|work=BBC News|publisher=[[BBC]]}}</ref>
While the books could be said to comprise many other themes, such as power/abuse of power, [[love]], [[prejudice]], and free choice, they are, as J.K. Rowling states, "deeply entrenched in the whole plot"; the writer prefers to let themes "grow organically", rather than sitting down and consciously attempting to impart such ideas to her readers.<ref name="Mzimba, Lizo, moderator. Interview with Steve Kloves and J.K. Rowling">{{cite news
|url=http://www.quick-quote-quill.org/articles/2003/0302-newsround-mzimba.htm
|publisher= Quick Quotes Quill
|title=Mzimba, Lizo, moderator. Interview with Steve Kloves and J.K. Rowling
|date=February, 2003}}</ref> Along the same lines is the ever-present theme of adolescence, in whose depiction Rowling has been purposeful in acknowledging her characters' sexualities and not leaving Harry, as she put it, "stuck in a state of permanent pre-pubescence".<ref name="Favorite chapter">{{cite news
|url=http://www.quick-quote-quill.org/articles/1999/0299-guardian-carey.htm
|publisher=Scholastic.com
|title=About the Books: transcript of J.K. Rowling's live interview on Scholastic.com
|date=[[16 October]],[[2000]]}}</ref>
Rowling said that, to her, the moral significance of the tales seems "blindingly obvious." The key for her was the choice between what is right and what is easy, "because that, that is how [[tyranny]] is started, with people being [[apathetic]] and taking the easy route and suddenly finding themselves in deep trouble."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.accio-quote.org/articles/2000/1000-vancouversun-wyman.htm|title=2000: Accio Quote!, the largest archive of J.K. Rowling interviews on the web<!-- Bot generated title -->}}</ref>
==Achievements==
===Cultural impact===
{{details|Harry Potter fandom}}
Since the publishing of ''The Philosopher's Stone'', a number of societal trends have been attributed to the series.
The ''Harry Potter'' books have gained recognition for sparking an interest in reading among the young at a time when children were thought to be abandoning the book for the computer and the television,<ref>[http://www.scholastic.com/aboutscholastic/news/press_07252006_CP.htm New Study Finds That the Harry Potter Series Has a Positive Impact on Kids' Reading and Their School Work]. Scholastic. [[25 July]],[[2006]]. Accessed [[10 February]],[[2007]].</ref> though the series' overall impact on children's reading habits has been questioned. US [[National Endowment for the Arts]] Chairman Dana Gioia said in 2007 "God bless Harry Potter, and please send us many more. But one book or series of books is not strong enough to counterbalance the trends" of declining youth readership.<ref>Mehegan, David. {{cite web|url=http://www.boston.com/ae/books/articles/2007/07/09/in_end_potter_magic_extends_only_so_far/?page=1|title= In end, Potter magic extends only so far|work=[[The Boston Globe]]}} [[9 July]], [[2007]]. Accessed April 16, 2008.</ref> Charlie Griffiths, director of the UK's National Literacy Association, said "Anyone who can persuade children to read should be treasured and what Rowling has given us in ''Harry Potter'' is little short of miraculous,"<ref name="mcginty">{{Citation | last =Stephen | first =McGinty | title = The legacy of Harry: The JK Rowling Story — Part III | newspaper=The Scotsman | date=[[2003-06-18]] | url=http://news.scotsman.com/topics.cfm?tid=3&id=669512003 | accessdate=2007-05-29}}</ref> and now-British Prime Minister [[Gordon Brown]] said as Chancellor "I think JK Rowling has done more for literacy around the world than any single human being."<ref name="brownpraise">{{cite web | title =Chancellor praises Potter books | publisher = BBC News | date = [[14 July]] [[2005]] | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/arts/4683219.stm| accessdate = 2007-06-25}}</ref>
[[Image:Harry Potter lines.jpg|thumb|300px|left|Crowds wait outside a [[Borders Group|Borders store]] in Newark, [[Delaware]] for the midnight release of ''[[Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince]]'']]
The series has also garnered a large following of fans. So eager were these fans for the latest series release that bookstores around the world began holding events to coincide with the midnight release of the books, beginning with the 2000 publication of ''Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire''. The events, commonly featuring mock sorting, games, face painting, and other live entertainment have achieved popularity with Potter fans and have been incredibly successful at attracting fans and selling books with nearly nine million of the 10.8 million initial print copies of ''Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince'' sold in the first 24 hours.<ref name="Harry Potter casts spell at checkouts">{{cite news
|url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,927-1698839,00.html|publisher=Times Online|title=Harry Potter casts spell at checkouts|date=[[18 July]] [[2005]]}}</ref><ref name="Potter book smashes sales records">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/arts/4692093.stm|publisher=BBC
|title=Potter book smashes sales records|date=[[18 July]],[[2005]]}}</ref> Among this large base of [[Fan (person)|fans]] are a minority of "super-fans", similar to the [[Trekkie]]s of the ''[[Star Trek]]'' [[fandom]]. Besides meeting online through [[blog]]s, [[podcast]]s, and [[fansite]]s, ''Harry Potter'' super-fans can also meet at ''Harry Potter'' [[Academic conference|symposia]]. These events draw people from around the world to attend lectures, discussions and a host of other ''Potter'' themed activities.
The ''Harry Potter'' books have inspired the "[[Harry Potter fandom#Wizard rock|wizard rock]]" movement, where a number of bands were formed whose names, image and song lyrics relate to the ''Harry Potter'' world. Examples include [[Harry and the Potters]] and [[The Cruciatus Curse]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.syracuse.com/articles/cny/index.ssf?/base/living-3/118492494174900.xml&coll=1|title=Wizard Rock|publisher=[[The Post-Standard]]|date=2007-07-20|accessdate=2007-10-21|last=Loftus|first=Meghan}}</ref>
''Harry Potter'' has also brought changes in the publishing world, one of the most noted being the reformation of the [[New York Times Best Seller list]]. The change came immediately preceding the release of ''Goblet of Fire'' in 2000 when publishers complained of the number of slots on the list being held by ''Harry Potter'' and other children's books. The Times subsequently created a separate children's list for ''Harry Potter'' and other children's literature.<ref>{{cite web|publisher=CNN| url=http://archives.cnn.com/2000/books/news/07/21/potter7_21.a.tm/|title=Why 'Harry Potter' did a Harry Houdini|date=[[21 July]] [[2000]]}}</ref>
The word [[Muggle]] has spread beyond its ''Harry Potter'' origins, used by many groups to indicate those who are not aware or are lacking in some skill. In 2003, "Muggle", entered the [[Oxford English Dictionary]] with that definition.<ref>{{cite web|title='Muggle' Redux in the Oxford English Dictionary|author=Meg McCaffrey|url=http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA294413.html|year=2003|accessdate = 2007-05-01}}</ref>
There is an accredited course at [[California State University, Bakersfield]] devoted to the literature of Harry Potter titled "The World of Harry Potter."<ref>{{cite web|title=The World of Harry Potter|url=http://dolphin-diver.com/277 hp.htm|accessdate=2007-07-14}}</ref>
===Awards and honours===
J.K. Rowling and the Harry Potter series have been the recipients of a host of awards since the initial publication of ''Philosopher's Stone'' including four Whitaker Platinum Book Awards (all of which were awarded in 2001), three [[Nestlé Smarties Book Prize]]s (1997–1999), two [[Scottish Arts Council|Scottish Arts Council Book Awards]] (1999 and 2001), the inaugural [[Costa Book Awards|Whitbread children's book of the year award]], (1999), the [[British Book Awards|WHSmith book of the year]] (2006), among others. In 2000, ''[[Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban]]'' was nominated for Best Novel in the [[Hugo Awards]] while in 2001, ''[[Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire]]'' won said award. Honours include a commendation for the [[Carnegie Medal]] (1997), a short listing for the Guardian Children's Award (1998), and numerous listings on the notable books, editors' Choices, and best books lists of the [[American Library Association]], [[New York Times]], [[Chicago Public Library]], and [[Publishers Weekly]].<ref>{{cite web|publisher=Arthur A. Levine Books| url=http://www.arthuralevinebooks.com/awards.asp| title=Awards| first= Levine| last=Arthur| accessdate = 2006-05-21}}</ref>
===Commercial success===
{{seealso|List of best-selling books}}
In November 2007, the magazine ''[[Advertising Age]]'' estimated the total value of the ''Harry Potter'' brand at roughly $15 billion (£7 billion).<ref name="brand">[http://www.exchange4media.com/kids/KidsFullStory.asp?news_id=26820&tag=21718 Harry Potter, the $15 billion man]. Business Week. Accessed [[7 November]] [[2007]].</ref> The popularity of the ''Harry Potter'' series has translated into substantial financial success for Rowling, her publishers, and other ''Harry Potter'' related license holders. This success has made Rowling the first and thus far only [[billionaire]] author.<ref>{{Citation |last=Watson |first=Julie |title=J.K. Rowling And The Billion-Dollar Empire |url=http://www.forbes.com/2004/02/26/cx_jw_0226rowlingbill04.html |publisher=''Forbes'' |date=2004-02-26 |accessdate=2007-12-03}}</ref> The books have sold more than 375 million copies worldwide and have also given rise to the popular film adaptations produced by [[Warner Bros.]], all of which have been successful in their own right with the first, ''Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone'', ranking number four on the [[List of highest grossing films|inflation-unadjusted list of all-time highest grossing films]] and the other four ''Harry Potter'' films each ranking in the top 20.<ref name="boxofficemojo">{{cite web
|url=http://www.boxofficemojo.com/alltime/world/
|publisher=BoxOfficeMojo.com
|title=All Time Worldwide Box Office Grosses
|date=[[27 April]],[[2008]]
}}</ref> The films have in turn spawned eight video games and have in conjunction with them led to the licensing of more than 400 additional Harry Potter products (including an [[iPod]]) that have, [[as of 2005|as of July 2005]], made the Harry Potter brand worth an estimated 4 billion US dollars and J.K. Rowling a [[US dollar]] [[billionaire]],<ref>[http://www.forbes.com/lists/2007/10/07billionaires_Joanne-(JK)-Rowling_CRTT.html The World's Billionaires:#891 Joanne (JK) Rowling]. [[Forbes.com]]. [[March 8]], [[2007]].</ref> making her, by some reports, richer than [[Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom|Queen Elizabeth II]], however, Rowling has stated that this is false.<ref name="J.K. Rowling Richer than the Queen">{{cite news
|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/2979033.stm
|publisher=BBC
|title=J.K. Rowling Richer than the Queen
|date=[[27 April]],[[2003]]
}}</ref><ref name="Harry Potter Brand Wizard">{{cite news
|url=http://www.businessweek.com/innovate/content/jul2005/di20050721_060250.htm
|publisher= Business Week
|title=Harry Potter Brand Wizard
|date= [[21 July]],[[2005]]}}</ref>
On [[12 April]], [[2007]], [[Barnes & Noble]] declared that ''Deathly Hallows'' has broken its pre-order record, with more than 500,000 copies pre-ordered through its site.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rte.ie/arts/2007/0413/potterh.html|title=New Harry Potter breaks pre-order record|date=2007-04-13|publisher=RTÉ.ie Entertainment|accessdate = 2007-04-23}}</ref>
A [[Maine]] bookseller said she had to sign a legal form stating that she would not open the boxes of ''[[Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince]]'' until their official release date at midnight, and that she would cover the boxes with blankets in her back room so they would not be seen.<ref name=Maine-today-hbp>{{cite news|url=http://news.mainetoday.com/stories/050714potter.shtml|title=Latest Rowling release? It will be Harry|last=Routher|first=Ray|work=Maine Today|date=[[2005-07-14]]|accessdate=2007-01-15}}</ref> For the release of ''Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows'', extra security was added by limiting the number of librarians who handle the book prior to its release. Those who failed to comply with the written agreement, which employees were required to sign, would jeopardise those libraries' access to "future embargoed titles."<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,264391,00.html|title=Libraries Must Follow Rules of Secrecy to Get New 'Potter' Book|date=[[2007-04-05]]|accessdate=2007-04-05|work=[[Fox News Channel|Fox News]]}}</ref> Prior to the release of ''Deathly Hallows'', the [[BBC]] reported that some booksellers and libraries may have been tempted to break the embargo for publicity, as there were no future ''Potter'' books to be banned from selling.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/6292128.stm|title=Potter embargo 'could be broken'|date=[[2007-07-12]]|last=Savage|first=Mark|publisher=BBC|accessdate=2007-07-27}}</ref>
For the release of ''Goblet of Fire'', 9000 [[FedEx]] trucks were used with no other purpose than to deliver the book.<ref name=ew-gof-midnight>{{cite news|url=http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,276735_2,00.html|title=Wild About Harry|date=[[2005-08-31]]|accessdate=2007-03-04|work=[[Entertainment Weekly]]|last=Fierman|first=Daniel|quote=When I buy the books for my grandchildren, I have them all gift wrapped but one...that's for me. And I have not been 12 for over 50 years.}}</ref> Together, Amazon.com and [[Barnes & Noble]] pre-sold more than 700,000 copies of the book.<ref name=ew-gof-midnight/> In the [[United States]], the book's initial printing run was 3.8 million copies.<ref name=ew-gof-midnight/> This record statistic was broken by ''[[Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix]]'', with 8.5 million, which was then shattered by ''Half-Blood Prince'' with 10.8 million copies.<ref name=cnn-hbp>{{cite news|url=http://www.cnn.com/2005/SHOWBIZ/books/07/14/harry.potter/index.html|title=Harry Potter hits midnight frenzy|date=[[2005-07-15]]|work=[[CNN]]|accessdate=2007-01-15}}</ref> 6.9 million copies of ''Prince'' were sold in the U.S. within the first 24 hours of its release; in the [[United Kingdom]] more than two million copies were sold on the first day.<ref name=bbc-hbp-record>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/newsid_4700000/newsid_4701400/4701409.stm|title=Worksheet: Half-Blood Prince sets UK record|work=BBC Newsround|date=[[2005-07-20]]|accessdate=2007-01-19}}</ref> The initial print run for ''Deathly Hallows'' was 12 million copies, and more than a million were pre-ordered through Amazon and Barnes & Noble.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/6452987.stm|title=Record print run for final Potter|work=BBC|date=[[2007-03-15]]|accessdate=2007-05-22}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.thenewstribune.com/business/story/65378.html|title=Final Potter book expected to shatter records|last=Turner|first=Sarah|date=[[2007-05-18]]|accessdate=2007-05-22|work=[[The News Tribune]]}}</ref>
Others have claimed that sales of the Harry Potter books have not been highly profitable for book retailers. Intense competition to offer the best price on the popular novels has whittled away expected revenue. The suggested retail for ''Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows'' was $35 but Amazon.com offered the book at a discounted price of $18, with other major chains following suit to remain competitive. Some hope that the frenzy associated with the book will create sales of other items when customers are drawn to bookstores. Other small, independent sellers have tried to protect revenues necessary to keep them in business by selling the book at the suggested cover price but offering other "add-on" items like Potter memorabilia or coupons towards other purchases.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.projo.com/business/content/BZ_HARRY_21_07-21-07_N86EGSK.266a0b5.html|title=Projo.com: Business: Sells Like A Charm|accessdate=2007-11-25 }}</ref>
==Criticism, praise, and controversy==
<!-- linked to from [[Religious opposition to the Harry Potter series]]-->
===Literary criticism===
Early in its history, ''Harry Potter'' received overwhelmingly positive reviews, which helped the series to quickly grow a large readership. Upon its publication, the first volume, ''Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone'', was greatly praised by most of Britain's major newspapers: ''[[The Mail on Sunday]]'' rated it as "the most imaginative debut since [[Roald Dahl]]"; a view echoed by the ''[[Sunday Times]]'' ("comparisons to Dahl are, this time, justified"), while ''[[The Guardian]]'' called it "a richly textured novel given lift-off by an inventive wit" and ''[[The Scotsman]]'' said it had "all the makings of a classic".<ref>{{cite book|title=Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets|author=JK Rowling|year=1998|pages=253|publisher=Bloomsbury}}</ref>
By the time of the release of the fifth volume, ''Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix,'' the books began to receive strong criticism from a number of literary scholars. [[Yale]] [[professor]], [[literary]] [[scholar]] and [[critic]] [[Harold Bloom]] raised pungent criticisms of the books' literary merits, saying, “Rowling's mind is so governed by clichés and dead metaphors that she has no other style of writing."<ref>{{cite web|publisher=Boston.com| url=http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2003/09/24/dumbing_down_american_readers/| title=Dumbing down American readers| first= Harold| last=Bloom| accessdate = 2006-06-20}}</ref> [[A. S. Byatt]] authored a ''[[New York Times]]'' op-ed article calling Rowling's universe a “[[Fictional universe|secondary world]], made up of intelligently patchworked derivative motifs from all sorts of [[children's literature]] … written for people whose imaginative lives are confined to TV cartoons, and the exaggerated (more exciting, not threatening) mirror-worlds of soaps, reality TV and celebrity gossip".<ref name="Harry Potter and the Childish Adult">{{cite news|publisher=New York Times|title=Harry Potter and the Childish Adult|date=[[7 July]],[[2003]]}}</ref>
The critic [[Anthony Holden]] wrote in ''[[The Observer]]'' on his experience of judging ''[[Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban]]'' for the [[1999 Whitbread Awards]]. His overall view of the series was very negative — "the Potter saga was essentially patronising, very conservative, highly derivative, dispiritingly nostalgic for a bygone Britain," and he speaks of "pedestrian, ungrammatical prose style.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://observer.guardian.co.uk/review/story/0,6903,335923,00.html|publisher=The Observer|title=Why Harry Potter does not cast a spell over me|date=[[25 June]] [[2000]]}}</ref>"
By contrast, author [[Fay Weldon]], while admitting that the series is "not what the poets hoped for," nevertheless goes on to say, "but this is not poetry, it is readable, saleable, everyday, useful prose".<ref name="Rowling books 'for people with stunted imaginations'">{{cite news|url=http://books.guardian.co.uk/harrypotter/story/0,,996243,00.html|publisher=The Guardian|title=Rowling books 'for people with stunted imaginations' |date=[[11 July]],[[2003]]}}</ref> The literary critic A.N. Wilson praised the Harry Potter series in 'The Times', stating: "There are not many writers who have JK’s Dickensian ability to make us turn the pages, to weep – openly, with tears splashing – and a few pages later to laugh, at invariably good jokes…We have lived through a decade in which we have followed the publication of the liveliest, funniest, scariest and most moving children’s stories ever written."<ref>The Times, [[29 July]], [[2007]], article title:'A Farewll To Charms'</ref> Charles Taylor of [[Salon.com]], who is primarily a movie critic,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.salon.com/col/bios/tayl/index.html|title=Salon Columnist | Charles Taylor<!-- Bot generated title -->}}</ref> took issue with Byatt's criticisms in particular. While he conceded that she may have "a valid cultural point — a teeny one — about the impulses that drive us to reassuring pop trash and away from the troubling complexities of art", he rejected her claims that the series is lacking in serious literary merit and that it owes its success merely to the childhood reassurances it offers. Taylor stressed the progressively darker tone of the books, shown by the murder of a classmate and close friend and the psychological wounds and social isolation each causes. Taylor also pointed out that ''Philosopher's Stone'', said to be the most lighthearted of the seven published books, disrupts the childhood reassurances that Byatt claims spur the series' success: the book opens with news of a double murder, for example.<ref name="A.S. Byatt and the goblet of bile">{{cite news| title=www.purevolume.com/rendermn|url=http://archive.salon.com/books/feature/2003/07/08/byatt_rowling/index_np.html|publisher=Salon.com|title=A. S. Byatt and the goblet of bile|date=[[8 July]],[[2003]]}}</ref>
[[Stephen King]] called the series "a feat of which only a superior imagination is capable," and declared "Rowling's punning, one-eyebrow-cocked sense of humor" to be "remarkable." However, he wrote that despite the story being "a good one," he is "a little tired of discovering Harry at home with his horrible aunt and uncle," the formulaic beginning of all seven books.<ref name="Wild About Harry">{{cite news|publisher=New York Times|title="Wild About Harry"|date=[[23 July]],[[2000]]}}</ref> King has also joked that "[[Rowling]]'s never met an [[adverb]] she did not like!" He does however predict that Harry Potter "will indeed stand time's test and wind up on a shelf where only the best are kept; I think Harry will take his place with [[Alice (Alice's Adventures in Wonderland)|Alice]], [[List of characters in the Tom Sawyer series#Huck Finn|Huck]], [[Frodo Baggins|Frodo]], and [[Dorothy Gale|Dorothy]] and this is one series not just for the decade, but for the ages."<ref>{{cite web|publisher=Guardian Unlimited| url=http://observer.guardian.co.uk/7days/story/0,,1980741,00.html| title=JK Rowling:The mistress of all she surveys| first= Killian| last=Fox|date=2006-12-31|accessdate = 2007-02-10}}</ref> [[Orson Scott Card]] wrote a review of ''[[Deathly Hallows]]'' in which he said, "J.K. Rowling has created something that . . . deserves to last, to become a permanent classic of English literature, and not just as 'children's fiction.'"<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hatrack.com/osc/reviews/everything/2007-07-29-extra.shtml|Orson|title=Scott Card, "Uncle Orson and the Deathly Hallows,"}}</ref> Tina Jordan of ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'' called ''Deathly Hallows'' "stunningly beautiful" and predicted that "these books are going to be on my grandchildren's shelves, and my great-grandchildren's, and maybe even further down the line than that."<ref>Tina Jordan, "Enchanted,"|http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20047649,00.html</ref>
A ''[[The Daily Telegraph|Telegraph]]'' review of ''Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince'' and of the series as a whole, observed that Rowling's success was entirely self-made and not due to hype of her books by the publishing world, which has instead followed in her wake.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/arts/main.jhtml;?xml=/arts/2005/07/24/borow24.xml |title= It smacks of the dark arts | publisher = Telegraph.co.uk |accessdaymonth = [[31 May]]|accessyear= [[2007]] | date=[[27 May]],[[2005]] }}</ref>
The books have also spawned studies investigating the saga's literary merit. One collaboration by a number of critics is ''The Ivory Tower and Harry Potter''. In this volume, Amanda Cockrell concludes, "Harry Potter is not the lightweight imitation of such serious high fantasy as ''A Wizard of Earthsea'' or ''The Lord of the Rings'', but a legitimate descendant of the darker and more complicated school story," and suggests that "we need to take a deeper look into Harry Potter, who is deeper than we think."<ref>Amanda Cockrell, “Harry Potter and the Secret Password: Finding Our Way in the Magical Genre,” in: Lana A. Whited (ed.), ''The Ivory Tower and Harry Potter: Perspectives on a Literary Phenomenon'' (Columbia, MI: University of Missouri Press, 2002), p. 18.</ref> She points to Rudyard Kipling, C.S. Lewis, Jill Murphy, Anthony Horowitz, Diana Wynne Jones, Thomas Hughes, Roald Dahl, and others as legitimate literary predecessors to the Harry Potter saga.<ref>Cockrell, in ''Ibid''.</ref> Lana A. Whithead, editor of the book, notes that Rowling "appears to be very seriously attempting a literary achievement."<ref>Lana A. Whithead, “Introduction: Harry Potter. From Craze to Classic?” in: Whited, ''The Ivory Tower'', p. 11.</ref> [[John Granger]], a conservative [[Orthodox Christianity|Orthodox Christian]] and English Literature professor at Peninsula College, writes that the "Harry Potter books are classics — and not just 'kid-lit' but as classics of world literature," and believes the books carry a "mother-lode" of deeper literary and symbolic meaning than meets the eye.<ref>[[John Granger]], ''Looking for God in Harry Potter'' (Carol Stream, IL: SaltRiver, 2004), p. 50. Granger also states (page 53) that he is writing ''The English Major's Guide to Harry Potter''.</ref>
===Cultural criticism===
Although [[Time (magazine)|''Time'' magazine]] named Rowling as a runner-up for its 2007 [[Time Person of the Year|Person of the Year]] award, noting the social, moral, and [[Politics of Harry Potter|political inspiration]] she has given [[Harry Potter fandom|her fandom]],<ref>[http://www.time.com/time/specials/2007/personoftheyear/article/0,28804,1690753_1695388_1695436,00.html Person of the Year 2007 Runners-Up: J.K. Rowling]. ''[[Time Magazine]]''. [[23 December]],[[2007]]. Accessed [[23 December]],[[2007]].</ref> cultural criticisms of the series have been mixed.
''[[Washington Post]]'' book critic Ron Charles opined in July 2007 that the large numbers of adults reading the ''Potter'' series but few other books may represent a "bad case of cultural infantilism", and that the straightforward "good vs. evil" theme of the series is "childish." He also argued "through no fault of Rowling's," the cultural and marketing "hysteria" marked by the publication of the later books "trains children and adults to expect the roar of the coliseum, a mass-media experience that no other novel can possibly provide."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/07/13/AR2007071301730_pf.html| title=Harry Potter and the Death of Reading | author= Charles, Ron | accessdate= 2008-04-16 | publisher= [[The Washington Post]]}}</ref>
Jenny Sawyer wrote in the [[July 25]], [[2007]] ''[[Christian Science Monitor]]'' that the books represent a "disturbing trend in commercial storytelling and Western society" in that stories "moral center have all but vanished from much of today's pop culture.... after 10 years, 4,195 pages, and over 375 million copies, J.K. Rowling's towering achievement lacks the cornerstone of almost all great children's literature: the hero's moral journey." Harry Potter, Sawyer argues, neither faces a "moral struggle" nor undergoes any ethical growth, and is thus "no guide in circumstances in which right and wrong are anything less than black and white."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.csmonitor.com/2007/0725/p09s02-coop.html| title=Missing from 'Harry Potter" – a real moral struggle | author= Sawyer, Jenny | accessdate= 2008-04-16 | publisher= [[The Christian Science Monitor]]}}</ref>
Chris Suellentrop made a similar argument in a [[November 8]], [[2002]] ''[[Slate Magazine]]'' article, likening Potter to a "a trust-fund kid whose success at [[school]] is largely attributable to the gifts his friends and relatives lavish upon him." Noting that in Rowling's fiction, magical ability potential is "something you are born to, not something you can achieve", Suellentrop wrote that Dumbledore's maxim that "It is our choices that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities" is hypocritical, as "the school that Dumbledore runs values native gifts above all else."<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.slate.com/?id=2073627| title=Harry Potter: Fraud | author= Suellentrop, Chris
| accessdate= 2008-04-16 | publisher= [[Slate Magazine]]}}</ref> In an [[August 12]], [[2007]] ''[[New York Times]]'' review of ''The Deathly Hallows'', however, [[Christopher Hitchens]] praised Rowling for "unmooring" her "English school story" from literary precedents "bound up with dreams of wealth and class and snobbery", arguing that she had instead created "a world of youthful democracy and diversity".<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/12/books/review/Hitchens-t.html?_r=1&pagewanted=2&oref=slogin| title=The Boy Who Lived | author= Hitchens, Christopher| accessdate= 2008-04-01 | publisher= The New York Times}}</ref>
===Controversies===
{{main|Legal disputes over Harry Potter|Religious debates over Harry Potter|Politics of Harry Potter}}
The books have been the subject of a number of legal proceedings, largely stemming either from claims by American Christian groups that the magic in the books promotes witchcraft among children, or from various conflicts over copyright and trademark infringements.
The series' immense popularity and high market value has led Rowling, her publishers, and film distributor [[Warner Bros.]] to take legal measures to protect their copyright, which have included banning the sale of ''Harry Potter'' imitations, targeting the owners of websites over the "Harry Potter" domain name, and suing author [[Nancy Stouffer]] to counter her accusations that Rowling had plagiarised her work.<ref>{{cite web|title=SCHOLASTIC, INC., J.K. ROWLING, and TIME WARNER ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY, L.P., Plaintiffs/Counterclaim Defendants, -against- NANCY STOUFFER: UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK|url=http://www.eyrie.org/~robotech/stouffer.htm|year=2002|accessdate=2007-06-12}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Warner Brothers bullying ruins Field family Xmas|author=Kieren McCarthy|work=The Register|url=http://www.theregister.co.uk/2000/12/21/warner_brothers_bullying_ruins_field/ |year=2000|accessdate=2007-05-03}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/film/2092661.stm|publisher=[[BBC]]|title=Fake Harry Potter novel hits China|date=2002-07-04|accessdate=2007-03-11}}</ref>
Various religious conservatives have claimed that the books promote witchcraft and are therefore unsuitable for children,<ref>{{cite web|title=Opinion Roundup: Positive About Potter|author=Ted Olsen|url=http://www.cesnur.org/recens/potter_010.htm|accessdate=2007-07-06}}</ref> while a number of critics have criticised the books for promoting various political agendas.<ref>{{cite web|title=Tolkien's Timeless Tale|url=http://www.thenewamerican.com/node/1149|author= Steve Bonta|work=The New American|year=2002|accessdate=2007-05-03}}</ref><ref>Liddle,Rod[http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/rod_liddle/article2116237.ece Hogwarts is a winner because boys will be sexist neocon boys] The Times, [[July 21]], [[2007]]
</ref> Her revelation that the character [[Albus Dumbledore|Dumbledore]] was homosexual has increased the political controversies surrounding the series.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://popwatch.ew.com/popwatch/2007/10/rowling-outs-du.html |title=J.K. Rowling outs Dumbledore! |accessdate=2007-12-18 |format=HTML |work=Entertainment Weekly, October 2007 }}</ref>
==Other media==
===Films===
{{main|Harry Potter film series}}
In 1999, Rowling sold the film rights to the first four ''Harry Potter'' books to [[Warner Bros.]] for a reported [[British pound|£]]1 million (US$1,982,900).<ref name="WiGBPd About Harry">{{cite news |url=http://www.quick-quote-quill.org/articles/2000/0700-austfinrev-bagwell.html|publisher=Australian Financial Review|title=WiGBPd About Harry|date=2000-07-19|accessdate=2007-05-26}}</ref> A demand Rowling made was that the principal cast be kept strictly British, nonetheless allowing for the inclusion of many Irish actors such as the late [[Richard Harris (actor)|Richard Harris]] as Dumbledore, and for casting of French and Eastern European actors in ''[[Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire]]'' where characters from the book are specified as such.<ref name="Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone">{{cite news|url=http://film.guardian.co.uk/News_Story/Critic_Review/Guardian_Film_of_the_week/0,,595317,00.html|publisher=Guardian Unlimited|title=Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone|date=2001-11-16|accessdate=2007-05-26}}</ref> After considering many directors such as [[Steven Spielberg]], [[Terry Gilliam#Gilliam and Harry Potter|Terry Gilliam]], [[Jonathan Demme]], and [[Alan Parker]], on [[March 28]], [[2000]], [[Chris Columbus (filmmaker)|Chris Columbus]] was appointed as director for ''[[Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (film)|Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone]]'' (titled "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" in the United States), with Warner Bros. citing his work on other family films such as ''[[Home Alone]]'' and ''[[Mrs. Doubtfire]]'' as influences for their decision.<ref name=columbus>{{cite news|url=http://uk.movies.ign.com/articles/034/034098p1.html|title=Chris Columbus to Direct Harry Potter|accessdate=2007-07-08|date=[[2000-03-28]]|publisher=IGN|author=Bran Linder}}</ref> After [[List of Harry Potter films cast members|extensive casting]],<ref>{{cite news|url=http://movies.warnerbros.com/pub/movie/releases/harrycast.html|publisher=Warner Brothers|title=DANIEL RADCLIFFE, RUPERT GRINT AND EMMA WATSON BRING HARRY, RON AND HERMIONE TO LIFE FOR WARNER BROS. PICTURES'"HARRY POTTER AND THE SORCERER'S STONE"|date=[[2000-08-21]]|accessdate=2007-05-26}}</ref> filming began in October 2000 at [[Leavesden Film Studios]] and in [[London]] itself, with production ending in July 2001.<ref name=greg>{{cite web|url=http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/preview/1808404331|title=Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (2001)|accessdate=2007-05-30|author=Greg Dean Schmitz|publisher=[[Yahoo!]]}}</ref> ''Philosopher's Stone'' was released on [[November 16]], [[2001]].
Just three days after ''Philosopher's Stone's'' release, production for ''[[Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (film)|Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets]]'', also directed by Columbus, began, finishing in Summer 2002.<ref name="yahoo">{{cite web|url=http://movies.yahoo.com/shop?d=hp&cf=prev&id=1808404332|title="''Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets'' -- Greg's Preview. Yahoo! Movies.}}</ref> The film was released on [[November 15]], [[2002]].
Chris Columbus declined to direct ''[[Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (film)|Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban]]'', only acting as [[film producer|producer]]. [[Mexican]] director [[Alfonso Cuarón]] took over the job, and after shooting in 2003, the film was released on [[June 4]], [[2004]]. Due to the fourth film beginning its production before the third's release, [[Mike Newell (director)|Mike Newell]] was chosen as the director for ''[[Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (film)|Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire]]'',<ref>{{cite web|url=http://movies.ign.com/articles/433/433108p1.html|title=Goblet Helmer Confirmed|publisher=[[IGN]]|date=2003-08-11|accessdate=2007-07-29}}</ref> released on [[November 18]], [[2005]]. Newell declined to direct the next movie, and British TV director [[David Yates]] was chosen for ''[[Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (film)|Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix]]'', which began production on January 2006,<ref>{{cite news|title='Phoenix' Rising|date=[[2007-04-06]]|work=[[Entertainment Weekly]]|page=28|url=http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20016352,00.html|last=Daly|first=Steve|accessdate=2007-04-01}}</ref> and was released on [[July 11]], [[2007]]. Yates is in the middle of directing ''[[Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (film)|Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince]]'',<ref name=yates-director-scifi>{{cite news|url=http://www.scifi.com/scifiwire/index.php?category=0&id=41338|title=Yates Confirmed For Potter VI|date=[[2007-05-03]]|work=Sci Fi Wire|accessdate=2007-05-03|last=Spelling|first=Ian}}</ref> for release on [[November 21]], [[2008]].<ref name="release-date-hbp-film">{{cite web|url=http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0417741/|title=Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (IMdB)}}</ref> In March 2008, Warner Bros. announced that the final instalment of the series, ''[[Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (film)]]'', would be filmed in two segments, with part one released in November 2010 and part two released in May 2011. Yates is expected again return to direct both films.<ref>{{cite web|title=Final 'Harry Potter' book will be split into two movies|work=Los Angeles Times|Jeff Boucher|date=[[March 13]], [[2008]]|url=http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-et-potter13mar13,1,5626063.story|accessdate=2008-03-13}}</ref>
The ''Harry Potter'' films were huge [[box office]] hits, with all five on the [[List of highest-grossing films|20 highest-grossing films worldwide]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.boxofficemojo.com/alltime/world/|title=All Time Worldwide Box Office Grosses|publisher=[[Box Office Mojo]]|accessdate=2007-07-29}}</ref>
===Games===
[[Electronic Arts]] has so far released eight [[video game]]s based on the books and movies storylines. In addition to the five based directly on the stories (''[[Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (video game)|Philosopher's Stone]]'',<ref> Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone on EA Games - http://www.electronicarts.co.uk/games/451,gen/ -</ref> ''[[Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (video game)|Chamber of Secrets]]'',<ref> Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets on EA Games - http://www.electronicarts.co.uk/games/449,gen/ </ref> ''[[Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (video game)|Prisoner of Azkaban]]'',<ref> Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban on EA Games - http://www.electronicarts.co.uk/games/453,gen/ </ref> ''[[Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (video game)|Goblet of Fire]]'',<ref> Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire on EA Games - http://www.electronicarts.co.uk/games/6686,gen/ </ref> and ''[[Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (video game)|Order of the Phoenix]]''<ref>"The Apple Store (U.S.) - [http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APPLE/WebObjects/AppleStore.woa/wa/RSLID?mco=6C04E099&nplm=TN641LL/A Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by Electronic Arts]" - Retrieved on 8/25/2007</ref><ref>"EA : [http://www.ea.com/harrypotterandtheorderofthephoenix/features.jsp?platform=ps2 Harry Potter : Order of the Phoenix]" - Retrieved on 7/4/2007</ref>), EA also produced a [[Quidditch]] simulation game, ''[[Harry Potter: Quidditch World Cup]]'', released in 2003, and two games in the [[Lego Creator: Harry Potter]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mobygames.com/game/windows/lego-creator-harry-potter-and-the-chamber-of-secrets|title= Harry Potter: Chambers of Secrets Lego Creator - MobyGames<!--INSERT TITLE-->}}</ref> franchise, based on the first two books and released to coincide with the release of the movies.
===Theme park===
On [[31 May]],[[2007]] [[Warner Bros.]], [[Universal Studios]] and [[Leavesden Film Studios]] announced that a ''Harry Potter'' area will be built in [[Orlando, Florida]] at [[Islands of Adventure|Universal Orlando's Islands of Adventure]].<ref name="wizardingworld">{{cite web|url=http://www.universalorlando.com/harrypotter/|title=The Wizarding World of Harry Potter — Universal Orlando Resort}}</ref> The announcement described "[[The Wizarding World of Harry Potter]]" as "the world's first immersive Harry Potter themed environment." According to the Warner Bros. press release, the section is "Expected to open in late 2009. The new environment will feature immersive rides and interactive attractions, as well as experimental shops and restaurants;."<ref name="WB-Universal">{{cite web |url=http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070531/ts_nm/arts_potter_dc_2 |title=All aboard for the Harry Potter rollercoaster |publisher=Reuters |author=Majendie, Paul |date=2007-05-31 |accessdate = 2007-05-31}}</ref> In an online announcement it was revealed that plans have been in place for over a year and a half; with contributions from [[J.K. Rowling]] and [[Stuart Craig]].<ref name="wizardingworld"/>
===Theatre===
A musical based on the series is currently being planned, tentatively scheduled for a 2008 run in [[West End theatre|London's West End]]. The [[Sunday Mirror]] reports that producers are hoping to have a "big-name composer" write the music. It has not yet been decided whether the production will tell the entire story, or focus on one particular subplot, though they do hope to include "spectacular flying scenes, live Quidditch and big showdowns with Voldemort".<ref>{{Citation |last=Hamilton |first=Sean |title=Harry Potter... The Musical |url=http://www.sundaymirror.co.uk/news/sunday/2007/08/26/harry-potter-the-musical-98487-19689251/ |accessdate=2007-08-27}}</ref>
==See also==
* [[Islands_of_Adventure#The_Wizarding_World_of_Harry_Potter|Wizarding World of Harry Potter]] ~ A Theme park
* [[List of Harry Potter parodies]]
==References==
{{reflist|3}}
==Harry Potter books==
{{HPref|book = 1}}
{{HPref|book = 2}}
{{HPref|book = 3}}
{{HPref|book = 4}}
{{HPref|book = 5}}
{{HPref|book = 6}}
{{HPref|book = 7}}
==External links==
{{portal}}
{{wikiquote}}
{{commons|Category:Harry Potter|Harry Potter}}
<!-- Fan sites are covered within [[Harry Potter fandom]]. No need to include them again here. -->
* [http://www.jkrowling.com J.K. Rowling's personal website]
* [http://harrypotter.warnerbros.com/ Official Harry Potter movies website (Warner Bros.)]
* [http://www.bloomsbury.com/harrypotter/ Harry Potter on Bloomsbury.com (International publisher)]
* [http://www.scholastic.com/harrypotter/ Harry Potter on Scholastic.com (US publisher)]
* [http://www.raincoast.com/harrypotter/ Harry Potter on Raincoast.com (Canadian publisher)]
* [http://harrypotter.wikia.com Harry Potter Wiki]
{{Harrypotter}}
[[Category:Harry Potter]]
[[Category:Fantasy books by series]]
{{Link FA|hr}}
{{Link FA|ms}}
{{Link FA|es}}
[[af:Harry Potter]]
[[als:Harry Potter]]
[[ar:هاري بوتر (سلسلة)]]
[[ast:Harry Potter]]
[[bn:হ্যারি পটার]]
[[zh-min-nan:Há-lih Phá-thò]]
[[bs:Harry Potter]]
[[br:Harry Potter]]
[[bg:Хари Потър]]
[[ca:Harry Potter]]
[[cs:Harry Potter]]
[[cy:Harri Potter]]
[[da:Harry Potter]]
[[de:Harry Potter]]
[[et:Harry Potter (romaanisari)]]
[[el:Χάρι Πότερ]]
[[es:Harry Potter]]
[[eo:Harry Potter]]
[[eu:Harry Potter]]
[[fa:هری پاتر]]
[[fo:Harry Potter]]
[[fr:Harry Potter]]
[[fy:Harry Potter]]
[[ga:Harry Potter]]
[[gl:Harry Potter]]
[[ko:해리 포터]]
[[hi:हैरी पॉटर]]
[[hr:Harry Potter]]
[[io:Harry Potter]]
[[id:Harry Potter]]
[[ia:Harry Potter]]
[[is:Harry Potter]]
[[it:Harry Potter]]
[[he:הארי פוטר]]
[[la:Harrius Potter]]
[[lv:Harijs Poters]]
[[lb:Harry Potter]]
[[lt:Haris Poteris]]
[[li:Harry Potter]]
[[hu:Harry Potter]]
[[ml:ഹാരി പോട്ടര്]]
[[ms:Harry Potter]]
[[cdo:Hă-lī Pŏ̤-táik]]
[[mn:Харри Поттэр]]
[[nl:Harry Potter]]
[[ja:ハリー・ポッターシリーズ]]
[[no:Harry Potter]]
[[nn:Harry Potter]]
[[oc:Harry Potter]]
[[nds:Harry Potter]]
[[pl:Harry Potter]]
[[pt:Harry Potter (série)]]
[[ro:Harry Potter]]
[[qu:Harry Potter]]
[[ru:Гарри Поттер (серия романов)]]
[[se:Harry Potter]]
[[sco:Harry Potter]]
[[sq:Harry Potter]]
[[scn:Harry Potter]]
[[simple:Harry Potter]]
[[sk:Harry Potter (knihy)]]
[[sl:Harry Potter]]
[[sr:Хари Потер]]
[[sh:Harry Potter]]
[[fi:Harry Potter]]
[[sv:Harry Potter]]
[[tl:Harry Potter]]
[[ta:ஹாரி பாட்டர்]]
[[th:แฮร์รี่ พอตเตอร์]]
[[vi:Harry Potter]]
[[tr:Harry Potter (kitap serisi)]]
[[uk:Гаррі Поттер (серія романів)]]
[[vec:Harry Potter]]
[[wuu:哈利波特]]
[[yi:הארי פאטער]]
[[bat-smg:Haris Puoteris]]
[[zh:哈利·波特]]