Harry Potter, Buddhist

Well, my determination to read two books at once didn't really pan out. I'm up to page 10 of Cakes and Ale. I have finished all 7 harry Potter books. Again.

The main reason this hapened, of course, is that the Potter story is so interssting and easy to read. A subsidiary reaosn, perhaps, is that, as I started making my way through the first book, I wanted to keep everything -- everything -- fresh in my mind. I didn't want, for instance, a reference in The Order of the Phoenix to befuddle me, or make me scramble back in a blind search through the earlier books; I wanted to remember what the reference was about.

Weird thing. At times I really resented the hold the story had on me: I wished I could do something else. But that very resentment kept me reading, so that I'd get the project over with. And reading kept me hooked on the story, the same story I resented. Catch-22.  Viscious circle.  Whatever.

Buddhism  often refers to a double structure to insure the success of a project, of the fruition of a dream. There is a vertical connection between a dsiciple and the mentor, and a horizontal relation between various disciples. I didn't notice this in my first reading, but toward the end of The Half Blood Prince, and throughout The Deathly Hallows, it becomes obvious this double structure is what the Potter story is about. Harry would have nothing to do without the vision and instruction of Dumbledore, and he would be unable to do it without the support and encouragement of Ron and Hermoine. As a Buddhist, that just leapt out at me, the importsance of those two streams of relationships. Teacher, friends -- and Harry's own determination and loyalty ("I am Dumbledore's man through and through").

Another thing I picked up this time was the depth of the supporting characters, even the ones I didn't like. Snape is a great creation, but one of the 5 Stars, I would say (with Harry, Dumbledore, Ron and Hermoine). It's the peripherals: Luna Lovegood is a treasure, Lucius Malfoy lusciously oily, Dobby -- Dobby! Dobby changes over the course of the books, but stays so consistent in his personality (unlike, say, Neville) that one wonders how Rowling did it (and I admit to crying more at his fate than at any other occurrance, even the manipulative "hooks" at the end, when all heroes emerge simultaneously when [of course] least expected).. Some of them I got tired of, while still admitting their completeness. I mentioned Neville - not particularly fond of him, once his character is established, until the heroic end. Fred and George became too predictable. Other little things too.

Lost ends 4 days from now.  The Potter saga ends in a little over a year with the two Hallows flicks. Lost stands alone, but, frankly, the Harry books are superior to the movies, in every single way.

On to Cakes and Ale!