The book that changed it all
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban is the most significant novel in the seven-book series and almost, almost the best of the books. This is where everything starts to change…
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
10 July 2011 by 1 Comment
The scene is set for a stunning finale
Dark clouds are forming over Britain – muggles in their offices know something is amiss, but not what. Infrastructure is collapsing and killings are rife…
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
9 July 2011 by Leave a Comment
A great film – but missing a little magic
If you’ve already read my review of the novel Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets then you’ll know that it’s my least favourite book of the series. And so it is with the film….
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
9 July 2011 by Leave a Comment
The difficult second novel – not quite up to par but still a great read
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets is the second book of JK Rowling’s massively successful Harry Potter series. Second books are notoriously tricky and many authors just can’t seem to make it work. If JK Rowling did feel that pressure it certainly didn’t show …
End of one era… beginning of another
8 July 2011 by Leave a Comment
A very rainy Trafalgar Square last night hosted the world premiere of the last ever Harry Potter film, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part Two. Fans were in tears, newspapers covered the event with minute by minute updates and fashion bloggers quickly passed judgement on the frills and frocks on show on the red carpet. Without a doubt last night marked the end of an era.
The Harry Potter franchise has dominated the world of entertainment for a decade and a half and it’s unlikely that anything will have quite the same impact on popular culture for a years to come.
For as long as I can remember I’ve been a big fan of both books and movies. I can’t recall a time in my life when I didn’t have a shelf full of books waiting to be read, and I still feel a little tingle of excitement watching The Wizard of Oz – the first VHS we ever owned as a family. The transition from the black and white dreariness of Kansas to the Technicolor brilliance of Oz was a moment of real magic to me. Ever since then I’ve loved being swept away to new worlds courtesy of the movies….
Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone
8 July 2011 by 1 Comment
A great adaptation which brings the magic to life
After the astonishing success of the first couple of Harry Potter books it was inevitable that the big Hollywood studios would be knocking on JK Rowling’s door begging for the rights to make the films …
Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone
8 July 2011 by Leave a Comment
A magical new world – and the beginning of a legend
To begin with – a confession. For the first two or three years the Harry Potter craze totally passed me by. I had – of course – heard of the books and the backstory of Joanne Rowling, the single mum who created a phenomenon …