The Dad Who Read
Last night, on the very evening of my oldest daughter’s 12 birthday, I finished reading the last book in the Harry Potter series out loud to her and her younger sister, aged 9. This is not an uncommon feat — as Nick Kristof once said, “Look, the chance to read these books aloud is by itself a great reason to have kids.” But other than the radio show, reading every word of those seven books aloud — in kid’s bedrooms and hotel rooms and airports and airplanes and inside a tent in the Colorado Rockies one summer — was the single most sustained creative effort I’ve put in over the last few years, so maybe it’s worth some reflection, which begins after the jump.
I read the first two books myself soon after they came out, and as a fantasy fiction snob, was unimpressed. “Derivative! Unchallenging! And Harry’s a boring cipher.” Then I started read them out loud to Rosie, then 9, and her sister Grace, 6, and I realized how wrong I was. Each character has not just dialogue but a voice, distinctive and recognizable (and great fun to perform, of course, as a result). In fact, one thing I noted is how audible the text is, as written… JK Rowling is always telling us how the characters sound: Draco Malfoy “drawls,” Lupin speaks “in a rasp”, Fenrir Grayback “growls” — naturally — and Voldemort speaks in a “high, clear, cold voice.” With Hagrid and Fleur, among others, Rowling transliterates their accents… it’s as if she, quite literally, heard the books in her own head.
As for Harry… he’s the perfect kid’s protagonist, the ideal avatar, if you’ll excuse me, for the audience of the book to enter the story and live through it. Not too smart, not too knowledgeable — in fact, for the first couple of books, Harry has no idea what’s going on, just like the reader — but curious, and brave, and open to adventure, just like the reader imagines herself to be. In later books, he’s confused, and angry, and sad, and sometimes very wrong in his choices — again, just like the reader herself as she grows into adolescence along with the character. Perhaps my favorite thing about Harry is that despite being “The Chosen One,” a trope often used by less gifted authors as itself a solution to the problems faced by the character, he still has to respond to his challenges with normal, human bravery. It’s cheap to tell a kid that she’ll win things because she’s Special. It’s harder, and better, to show a kid that being Special just means that your tasks will be more difficult, and the price you pay steeper. I’m a sucker for sacrifice in stories… for characters actually being brave, which means to give something up in return for a larger goal… and Harry’s walk into the forest in Book 7, with his departed loved ones with him, was as moving and satisfying an act of selflessness as Frodo’s descent into Mordor — and from this aging dork, that’s high praise indeed.
Because the action of the books always came down to Harry’s bravery, his choice to fight or investigate or help, as the case may be, the girls and I ended up talking as about his choices, how tough they were, how scared we would be in his shoes, as much as we talked about the details of the Wizarding World: what would we see in the Mirror of Erised? What House would we be in? (Rosie: Gryffindor, Gracie: Hufflepuff) The best question came from Gracie: “If the thing you’re scared of most in the world is a Boggart, what would the Boggart look like?” Which might mean she’d be a better fit in Ravenclaw.
The books aren’t perfect, of course: as many others have noted, Books 4 and 5 are each about twice as long as they need to be; the plots are too often kept going by coincidence or necessary elisions of good sense (why does Harry never tell Dumbledore what they’re up to?); and Ron, after he fulfills his role in the first few books of being the guy who introduces Harry to the Wizarding World, loses shape and purpose as a character. (Hermione, of course, plays the role of Superego to Harry’s Id… the smarter, wiser voice who is often, but not always, right.) And Rowling has a bad habit of being a completist when it comes to exposition and explanation… we don’t need to know, honestly, exactly how a given character got a certain object, or what Dumbledore saw in his vision in the cave by the sea. The only times I got bored reading aloud was those long swaths of dialogue that began, “You see, Harry, what happened was…”
But: as far as I’m concerned, JK Rowling has earned her billion dollars. The fictional childhood she created has now been absorbed into the real childhood of my two eldest daughters — it’s my hope that years from now, when they see the books on the library shelf, they’ll think of Harry on his broom playing quidditch, but also of sitting in their bedrooms with me, listening to me doing my best, gruff bad fake Cockney as Hagrid.
Tonight: I start reading Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone to my youngest, Willa. She’s six. I’m more excited than she is.
January 13th, 2010 at 10:20 am
I don’t have kids, but I remember several points during my journey through the series where I thought how awesome it’ll be one day for me to be able to share these books with my kids. They really are wonderful kids’ literature– not perfect, as you say, and certainly there were times I questioned Rowling’s motivation behind certain choices– but overall they’re so accessible, despite being about a completely fictional world, that it’s impossible (for me, at least, and I hope in the future for my children) not to get drawn in.
January 13th, 2010 at 10:21 am
Reading to kids is the only reason I can think of having one right now. Doing voices, teaching how to analyze written works and all that. It’s a good thing I work with high schoolers for fun or I’d probably be a baby making machine
-Sarah
January 13th, 2010 at 10:23 am
I’m certainly looking forward to reading these books with my children (and then, hopefully, they’ll let me transition into Tolkien… I read the Lay of Leithian (epic poem about Beren and Luthien) to my wife years ago). Maybe after I read the books they’ll know why daddy has a “Neville would have done it in four books” t-shirt.
Currently, though, I’m having a great time working through the Little House on the Prairie series with my 5 year old daughter…
Always a fan of your show, thanks for sharing this blog with us.
January 13th, 2010 at 10:26 am
Here here! Thank you Peter for the reminder that the joy isn’t always in the words we read, but the memories we make reading them. My boys asked me last night what books I read growing up. We read out loud on occasion, but I can tell they love that time sitting on the bed listening and hearing the story come alive in their imaginations. I love it too!
January 13th, 2010 at 10:28 am
Very nice!
With my boys, it’s been necessary to take a more hands-off approach to getting them into the classics. But it seems to be paying off. Older boy choose and just finished The Hobbit for a book report/project (he’s going to build Bag End out of cake), and upon finding my copy of the Player’s Handbook, has asked me to teach him Dungeons & Dragons. I call that a huge win!
January 13th, 2010 at 10:41 am
I love, love, love these books. I was a freshman in high school when the first book came out and read them in order as they were released. Now I teach middle school English and I love being able to use allusions to the series to connect with my students (ex: illustrating the definition of “crony” by referencing Crabbe & Goyle). So inspired by this post and the prospect of revisiting the series, in order, aloud, with my own kids someday.
January 13th, 2010 at 10:44 am
I loved the books just for the world that Rowling creates. Sure, there are discrepancies and things that don’t add up, but they’re enjoyable books. I’ve read and reread them several times. And now that I have a daughter (only 6 months old), I can’t wait for the day that I get to read these books to her.
Kudos to you for reading all of those books with your girls. That’s just awesome.
January 13th, 2010 at 11:08 am
I’m dragging the process out a bit more with my kids. Since Rowling has often said that she wrote the book initially for the 11-year-old age, I’m going slowly. I’ve read book 1 to my son (who’s 9), and now he’s reading book 1 to me. In the meantime, I’m reading the Chronicles of Narnia to him, and then we’ll do the Little House books. We’re also reading the Star Wars books (junior novelizations, since the original is not written for that age), since we’re not doing videos with our kids until they’re a bit older, at least he won’t feel left out of knowing the story. (Incidentally, “The King of Ireland’s Son” is another great one for this age.)
Aside from my fun of reading to him, the best part is that we do it when his younger sister (almost 6) is either asleep or doing something else, so I’ll get to do it all over again with her in a few years!
January 13th, 2010 at 11:10 am
Reading to my children is by far one of the greatest joys in my life. My very active boys will sit quietly and hang onto every word. When I finish a chapter, they always ask for more. I like to think we’re creating golden moments… something they can look back on fondly and perhaps continue with their own children some day.
January 13th, 2010 at 11:11 am
I was in college when these books came out and I first started reading them. I was living at home at the time and my Mom and I would fight over who got to read the book first so we started reading them together. Even as an adult I have wonderful memories of reading Harry Potter out loud with my Mother. And I think sharing them with her made them that much more wonderful, magical, and real in my mind. When I moved out of the house and read the last few books on my own I missed sharing them with her.
January 13th, 2010 at 11:14 am
Seriously - what’s better than snuggling with your kids and reading a good story? We love the Potter series, but one of the best parts with both sons (now 13 and 9) was starting out reading the first book to them (individually/at different ages) and then seeing them rush to pick up the second book and reading the rest of the series on their own. We still read other books out loud together, of course, and it’s always great to be excited about reading the next chapter, discussing the story, trading theories of what happens next, etc.
January 13th, 2010 at 11:19 am
Amen to each of your gripes on this series. Of course HP is fun to read aloud, so is Dickens, who Rowling owes a lot too. I did not fall in love with the series. Still, courtesy my girlfriend at the time, I went to the midnight release of Deathly Hallows. And despite the suffocating climate of the bookstore by 1:30 am, there was something genuinely cool about watching fan after fan pick up their books and dash home to begin reading. For one night, millions were all up late reading the same new book. A magical moment of achieving a common culture. Love ‘em or not, these books are worth celebrating. Thanks for this nice blog entry.
January 13th, 2010 at 11:20 am
Thank you so much for sharing this. The doctors tell me I’ll become a father this May, and one of the things I’m very much looking forward to is reading my favorite books to my child. I’ve been intentionally putting off reading further into the Harry Potter books (I’ve only read the first two) so that, when my son or daughter is old enough to enjoy them, I can do just what you’ve done and discover the story myself as I read it aloud.
January 13th, 2010 at 12:15 pm
This post made me smile and brought back lots of memories.
I remember when I was in middle school, my dad read The Hobbit aloud to my brother and me. And then we went straight into the Lord of the Rings trilogy. I think Gollum/Smeagol was the only character he actually did a a voice for; though maybe he also did for Treebeard and Gimli. Regardless, I loved listening to him read, and I think he’s half the reason I love those books so much and have re-read them so many times.
I loved the Harry Potter books and found them immensely entertaining, even though I was in high school when they first came out. I would love to read them to my kids (once I have some).
January 13th, 2010 at 12:46 pm
I remember starting to read the first book to my young cousin at the beginning of the HP hype & ended up putting it down because his eyes were rolling around in the back of his head with fear and I couldn’t get into a kids book where every adult was out to get him. Thought it discouraged a kid from getting help. This impression from 2 chapters. Haven’t picked it up since, but clearly there’s some massive appeal that I managed to overlook…
January 13th, 2010 at 1:02 pm
I am currently enjoying reading the series with my nephew (him reading for the first time, me re-reading), book group style. He is just turning 12 and it is opening up a more ‘adult’ relationship with him that I am truly enjoying. I’m getting to know him as he is getting to know Harry.
I am compelled to add, as a near JKR apologist, I always saw Harry as the Ego, to which Ron plays the Id, described through his appetites and girls and being the stalwart friend there to give support or throw a punch. I do share your view of Hermione as the Superego (but she makes it look approachable).
January 13th, 2010 at 1:14 pm
Peter,
that’s a lovely story, and if you want to continue reading to your older daughters (for as long as they will tolerate it) with some more sophiticated thrills, try Jeffrey Fforde’s Thursday Next adventures in the book world (Eyre Affair, etc.) or any of Terry Pratchett’s books, which are not only funny but have very solid philosophical points to make. his children’s books (Wee Free Men, etc.) don’t speak down to children and the characters are hilarious.
January 13th, 2010 at 1:14 pm
I love the HP books and have enjoyed reading them to my oldest. We are on book 4 now, and my middle child is starting the first book with his dad. Last year my three kids (then 7, 5 and 3) went as the trio for Halloween. The books aren’t flawless but they are magic.
January 13th, 2010 at 1:22 pm
I’m 35, and I read the first book about a year before the first movie came out, caught up, and have been reading them as they have been printed. Last year, I read 1-3 to my 5 year old son at bedtime, at his request. We had to take breaks from time to time, but I could not believe how fully the series has captured his imagination, at his age. He asks questions, pretends, we have a blast. No other series we’ve tried has caught him in this way, except, of course, for Thomas the Tank Engine.
Oh, and I’m a Hufflepuff.
January 13th, 2010 at 3:06 pm
I don’t have children, but when I was a young teen, I babysat a neighbor girl who was 9 and loved books as much as I did. Watership Down by Richard Adams had just come out, and she asked me to read it to her. Reading books for oneself is satisfying, but reading to another, especially to a child who is totally rapt, is an elevating experience. Watership Down remains one of my favorite books both for itself and for the good memories. It’s a wonderful book to read aloud.
January 13th, 2010 at 4:01 pm
Our family loves these books (and the movies) and I think all four of us have read them several times. As each new one came out, I found I wanted to re-read the previous novels so the storyline remained fresh and then, when the last one came out, I re-read them in reverse order. There were many little details in the earlier novels that turned out to be important in the last couple of books - Rowling obviously had a plan! I enjoyed watching my kids - my son particularly, as he was the same age as Harry in book 1 when he read it the first time - grow up with this series and I also enjoyed Rowling’s improvement as a writer as the series progressed.
I believe that reading aloud to your children is integral to creating reading adults…and my kids are proof of this - your girls will be, too!
“Richer than I you will never be, for I had a mother who read to me!” - a poster that hung on our wall for the longest time!
January 14th, 2010 at 9:12 am
Thank you for bringing back memories of my mom reading the OZ books to me every night in bed. Last year I re-read most of the Oz books again, and just finished reading the Marvel Comic’s version of The Wonderful Wizard of OZ, wishing I had kids to read it to right now. I’ve been keeping all of my Harry Potter books, in hardcover, to pass on to the children I’ll have someday.
January 14th, 2010 at 9:59 am
Super blog entry - it made my scar burn with pleasure. I, too, am a dad who loves to read the Potter books to my children. My son Finian is almost nine, and we’re in the middle of the interminable Book 5 (Order of the Phoenix). Reading the stories to him in the early morning and at bedtime is one of the highlights of my day. We have a strict rule that we can’t see the movie of a particular story until we’ve finished the book. It motivates us - and it avoids spoiling any of the surprises. One thing no one has mentioned so far is that the audiobook versions of the Potter series read by actor Jim Dale are friggin’ AMAZING. This is actually the way I experienced the first few books many years ago -before I had kids. Whenever I try to invent voices for the various characters, I am more often channeling my inner Jim Dale rather than lifting vocal quirks from the movie versions. And I totally agree — trying to do Hagrid’s voice is a blast. I’ll leave you with this amusing tidbit — my daughter Olivia (age 5) sometimes joins us when I read the Potter books to her brother. Hilarious the bits she picks up. We were listening to the HAIRSPRAY sound track in the car, and she thought the opening number was “Good Morning, Voldemort” (vs. the actual “Good Morning, Baltimore”).
January 16th, 2010 at 4:41 am
[…] why am I summarizing Peter’s wonderful words?; you should read them yourself: THE DAD WHO READ. Anyway, I found his comments so moving that I was inspired to respond, and share my own […]
January 18th, 2010 at 2:46 pm
JK Rolwing has a particular gift for writing stories that sound great read aloud. Madeleine L’Egle’s A Wrinkle In Time is one of my favorite books, but just didn’t cut it as a read-aloud.
I will throw out there that, while I mostly love Jim Dale’s reading, I intensely dislike the voice he gave Hermione- he makes her sound so whiny.
January 22nd, 2010 at 8:05 am
Harry Potter was our first shared “big book” reading experience. The boy was 6 for book one and we read it aloud. As we moved through the series, it shifted to alternating pages to alternating chapters. By the fifth book, he would sneak the book to his room and read ahead between the “aloud together” sessions. Book six never made it to the spoken word, because it was in his room until bedtime and in my hands into the wee hours. That may have been the only one I finished first. For the final book, we got 2 copies and read side by side on the couch until the sun came up and the last page was turned. Then we read our favorite bits aloud to each other. In a house full of books own by a house full of bibliophiles, Ms Rowling stands alongside Roald Dahl, JRR Tolkien and Neil Gaiman in the pantheon of writers that draw us together. Long live Harry!
January 24th, 2010 at 9:18 am
What a great dad you are!
January 24th, 2010 at 5:29 pm
Thank you Peter. I love not only that you read them all aloud, but that you discussed them, lived them, and are treating the wee one to the world of Harry and reading with Dad. I suspect that the older girls may be joining you as well…