No, this isn't really how the seventh book ends. (Just in case you're not finished yet....)
But there really is a Harry Potter. The real Harry Potter is a 78-year old retiree living in Florida and fielding crank calls from kids in the wee small hours of the morning.
Still, he appears to be bearing up well, if the linked AP story posted today on Yahoo! News is accurate.
With each new book or movie, it seems, Florida's own Harry Potter "starts getting phone calls from children, interview requests from the TV networks and autograph requests."
One strange aspect of the phone calls? Moms are helping their kids dial or, at least, standing by idly while their kids make the calls. Potter's wife, Jan, said that, when the kids are done asking their questions, "the mothers come on and say thank you for talking to the kids." Mrs. Potter said her husband "gets a big kick out of it."
The real Harry Potter hasn't seen one movie about his young namesake or read one of Ms. Rowling's books.
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But I have -- I've read all the books and seen all the movies -- and it occurs to me: Is there one mention of America or an American in any of them? I can't think of one. Ms. Rowling mentions Albania, Bulgaria, France, Ireland... there are characters with Chinese names and Indian names... but is there a single American reference anywhere in the Potter heptalogy?
Does anybody know of one? Did Ms. Rowling do this on purpose?
8 comments:
harry potter = sports curmie.
smiles, bee
This is the exact subject my three have been talking about. They are 25, 19, 17 and have been fans for years. Just this week they were going on and on. No mention of the USA makes it unreal for them (as if the rest is totally believable) and they can’t understand why the wizards in England, France and Albania don’t call upon the wizards in the United States…as Little Missy said…if they wanted to be sure they would defeat Voldemort. Laughing. Patriots all.
I am sure Rowling has specific reasons….similar to those which compelled her to insist on British actors only for the movie starring roles. I admire her talent. Its her story. She gets to make the rules.
Americans are Magical at all...we're a country full of Muggles.
I haven't read any of them or seen the movies.. interesting post tho.
take care.
Interesting ponderance (ooh, I love that multi-syllabic word! -- does it make me sound extry smart?)
Maybe Harry does retire to florida and it really is about the American guy in Florida.
Can you tell I haven't read the books? I guess that just nixed the extry smart deal, huh?
well, this maybe a litle bit off the issue, but i will ask away anyway...personally, did it sort of offend you, that america is never mentioned? if yes, why? is it because americans are probably the bigggest followers of the series, or you just think america, deserves to be mentioned? just curious:)
Hmm, I haven't read them yet. Plan on it though.
I have a good friend who is the know all and be all of Harry Potter. I am going to share your post with her. Maybe she can shed some light.
Katherine -- I agree. It's Ms. Rowling's story and she gets to make the rules. I just wonder if, in her universe, America was never discovered? Or maybe silverneurotic is right: We're just a country full of muggles.
May -- No, I'm not offended that Ms. Rowling didn't mention the United States anywhere in her books. (Maybe that's part of the popularity of the series in the U.K. though, eh?) I just noticed, that's all, and I'm curious as to why she did it that way. I might have thought there was a school of magic in Salem, Massachusetts or somewhere....
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