Okay. I am completely disengaging from the still-raging debates going on in the bowels of this blog, so to speak, as it’s starting to make me dizzy (though that could also be due to the fact that I’m starving, as we approach the lunching hour).

I am a big fan of the Harry Potter books, and have just finished number 6 after pre-ordering from Amazon.uk. When they first came out, I didn’t understand what all the hype was about, and why adults were running around reading children’s books on their own. When an opportunity presented itself to read the first one, I figured I’d give it a go, as I wanted to see what everyone was talking about. Well, suffice it to say, I was hooked. And lucky. When I finally got around to reading that first book, four books had already been published, so I was able to read them one right after the other. Waiting for numbers 5 and 6, was a different story, and I suffered just like everybody else. Now that I’ve finished number 6, I find myself, along with everyone else, waiting for number 7 (anyone know when it’s coming out?).

I think the main reason why I like the Harry Potter books (aside from the wonderful writing itself), is that they allow me to escape deeply into another world – a world of wizardry and excitement where anything is possible and everything is magical, and all is seen through the eyes of a child. An appealing combination, given the state of the world these days. Not surprising that it is wildly popular, reaching even the most surprising corners of the earth. Like the prisoners at Guantanamo Bay.

Apparently, Harry Potter tops the reading list among these folks, with translations of the first four books being passed around in English, French, Farsi and Russian, with an Arabic version on order. There have also been requests for the movies. I guess if anyone feels the need to escape from the reality in which they live, it would certainly be these individuals. Who knows – perhaps they’re searching for ideas for escaping from their own little Azkaban…

Anybody got an invisibility cloak to spare?

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