5 Reasons You Should Read Harry Potter as an Adult
Photo by Sadiq Nafee on Unsplash
Harry Potter is for kids! No, it’s actually not. Harry Potter may be marketed toward children, but they are not the only audience for this series. When you look at the Harry Potter fanbase today, the majority of us are adults – children who grew up reading the books, but now have to do adulty-stuff like work (you know, so we can pay for our flights to Harry Potter World and Leaky Con – a 3 day HP convention that is the BOMB, but more on that later).
If you’re an adult right now and missed the Potter boat when you were younger, it isn’t too late to hop on. And before you worry about being judged or start thinking that it’s going to be “too young” for you, let me lay down five reasons why you should absolutely read Harry Potter as an adult.
It’s Relevant
It may shock you, but the themes in Harry Potter are incredibly relevant to today’s world. And something tells me they’re going to remain relevant for a long time. JK Rowling tells an incredible story about an orphan wizard who has to learn magic while also dealing with a villain who wants to kill him.
But between the arcs of the main plotline, we see sub plots that deal with:
Injustice
Racism
Bias
Government incompetence / self interest
Love and friendship
Harry Potter isn’t “too magical” or “too far out there” for you to relate to. These topics are important for everyone to read and learn about. I guarantee there will be something in each book that you can relate to, either personally or generally within the world around you.
You’ll Make Awesome Friends
My best friends are Harry Potter fans. No joke. When I look at the people I’m closest to, one thing they all have in common is a deep love for Harry Potter.
Harry Potter connects us in a very special way. When I walked into Leaky Con for the first time in October 2019, there were thousands of people there. I only knew a handful of people, the friends I came with, but I felt a connection with everyone there.
Because I knew these were my people.
It didn’t matter if we didn’t even know each other’s names. I knew each of these people could be one of my best friends.
Not only that, but stepping into a convention center full of people who were just as passionate about a subject as I was made me feel more confident. There was a magical transformation that happened over that weekend. The energy of being around people who understood me on a level I never realized I needed to experience, changed my life.
I left the Con feeling on top of the world. I also left with the beginnings of some amazing friendships.
You Can Have Deep Conversations
Even though the series ended years ago, it is still possible to have deep conversations about it. Not just because of how relevant it continues to be, but because there’s a wonderfully detailed wizarding world within it.
There’s nothing better than getting together with a group of friends over drinks and debating the economic structure (or lack thereof) of the wizarding world. Or watching people debate the set up of laws behind the Unforgiveable Curses.
When Harry Potter ended, Rowling gave us many answers, but also left certain things open-ended enough for us to continue to discuss and debate fourteen years later. Everyone can find something in Harry Potter to have a conversation about – just make sure you set aside enough time. Potterheads tend to get off on tangents!
Harry Potter is an incredible journey, and even though I’ve been a fan since I was 7, I still find things to talk about, debate, and explore.
You Get to Go to Fun Events
The Potter community is very special in that we have many specialized events and places that we can go to every year.
We have Leaky Con, Universal’s Wizarding World, and the Harry Potter Studio Tour.
Leaky Con is a three day convention that is solely about Harry. It’s run by Mischief Management, founded by Melissa Anelli, who has been a huge part of the community for years. She also co-hosts Pottercast, one of the first Harry Potter podcasts.
This was like going to college, but if you majored in Harry Potter. There are panels, live podcasts, cast member interviews, a Potter-inspired concert (aka Wizard Rock), and a ball. It’s three days of pure Harry Potter love and it’s incredible. It also celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2019.
Universal’s Wizarding World of Harry Potter is an entire theme park that recreates the locations within Harry Potter for us to enjoy in person.
You can explore the various shops and restaurants within Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley. The music plays throughout the park, you can ride the Hogwarts Express, and even walk within the castle itself while you’re waiting in line for the Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey ride.
The Studio Tour is a can’t-miss if you find yourself in London. It’s just outside the city and is a magical few hours where you get to explore Warner Bros. Studios J and K and see all of the props and sets they used during filming.
I am serious when I tell you I cried the entire four hours I was there. And no, I’m not sorry about it.
It Will Enrich Your Child’s Experience
If you have a kid at home who is reading Harry Potter, I urge you to read it along with them. But I also encourage you to take time to explore Harry Potter yourself.
Your child might just be reading it for the magic and adventure, but you’re going to pick up on the little details and commentary that Rowling strategically places within the pages.
This is a wonderful opportunity to make this reading journey with your child very special. Understanding it from an adult’s point of view will give you a chance to ask your child questions and lead them into important discussions. You can help them learn and talk about the takeaways you’d like them to have with this series.
Your HP Future Awaits...
These are my five reasons why you should read Harry Potter as an adult. I hope it intrigues you to pick it up and read it solo or dive deeper into the journey of reading it with your child.
When you do, take a moment to look up my podcast, First Years.
I set it up specifically with people like you in mind – adults reading Harry Potter for the first time. It’s spoiler free, and I dive into the symbolism of Harry Potter to provoke deeper understanding and discussion about the series.
You can find it here or at any preferred platform for podcasts. And you can buy Harry Potter here or from your local bookstore.
I can’t wait to see you over there!