GETTING PEOPLE TO READ HARRY POTTER
by Meredith Railton
We’ve all done it: desperately begging that one (or more) reluctant friend to read our favorite book series. Sometimes it’s not all that hard, but sometimes that friend just won’t budge. Having been involved in this fandom for over seven years, I feel like I have enough experience in these matters to compose the following breakdown of types of non-fans you generally deal with and the best ways to persuade them.
THE FRIEND WHO JUST HASN’T READ THEM YET: These are the kids who never intentionally avoided Harry Potter but just weren’t interested for reasons unknown. They probably noticed the hype (unless they lived in Antarctica for the past ten years) but just never got around to joining in. Best way to deal with these kids is to be casual about it. Suggest they give the first book a try, and remember to mention that the books only get better as the characters grow up. Avoid fan frenzies while doing so, as they’ll just think the books are as stupid as you look (in their opinion).
THE NON-READER: Toughies. They probably think reading is super boring so they never bothered with Harry Potter, just like they never bothered with class reading assignments. I’ve personally dealt with one of these wackos, and I used the classic technique of crossing my fingers behind my back and saying “Oh, I hated reading too until I read Harry Potter!” Now for some fans that’s true, but for those of us that have always been bookworms it’s just the matter of keeping a straight face. If they know you’ve always been a huge reader then it’s probably a hopeless case (at least for me) using that technique. Enthusiasm could work, but like my non-reading friends they’ll probably just roll their eyes at you.
THE “HARRY POTTER GLORIFIES THE OCCULT” PSYCHOS: In other words, the Laura Mallorys of the world. These freaks are not even worth it. Like some certain relatives of mine, they’re extremely religious and refuse to believe that a form of entertainment is just that – entertainment. They think simply because it has magic in it and said magic isn’t used in a way to make an allegory to the Bible that it’s sinful. Don’t waste your time, because they’re not open-minded enough to listen. But they are fun to make fun of.
THE FRIEND WHO LIKES THE MOVIES: Generally the easiest kind to convert to a fan. All that needs to be done is the simple “Like the movies? The books are a whole lot better.” Usually works, but not in the case of…
THE FRIEND WHO REFUSES TO READ THEM JUST TO SPITE YOU: The worst kind of non-fan. They’re more than likely an ex-girlfriend/boyfriend of yours who knows you’re a huge fan and considered reading them when you were together but now that you’re not together anymore they won’t read them just to get you in a huff (I’m looking at you, Drew!). They could even be a current significant other than won’t read them because they think it’s cute to resist, even though it’s not. For a current significant other the best way to get them to read Harry Potter is to use the puppy-eyes and other cute techniques until they cave. Personally I have yet to be successful with this kind of non-fan, though I made headway by offering to pay for a certain spiteful jerk’s ticket for Half-Blood Prince this summer in addition to a large popcorn and large soda, which will hopefully lead to book reading. This type of deal-making probably isn’t the best way to go with these kids, and if someone’s been successful with one of these using a different strategy…please email me so I can use it.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
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