Harry, A History: The True Story of a Boy Wizard, His Fans, and Life Inside the Harry Potter Phenomenon

Harry, A History

The True Story of a Boy Wizard, His Fans, and Life Inside the Harry Potter Phenomenon

by Melissa Anelli
(based on 46 customer reviews)

Harry, A History: The True Story of a Boy Wizard, His Fans, and Life Inside the Harry Potter Phenomenon (Paperback)
Author: Melissa Anelli
Publisher: Pocket


List Price: $16.00
Amazon's Price: $10.88
You save: $5.12 (32%)

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Most useful review as voted by customers:
56 out of 66 people found the following review helpful.
Review Date: 10/23/08


Your ESSENTIAL ringside seat to the Harry Potter phenomenon written by an insider, Melissa Anelli.

Though there have been many dozens of books attempting to chronicle the particulars of Harry Potter fandom in all its dimensions -- the fan fiction, the Wizard Rock, the websites, the conventions, et al. -- all have fallen short because of the inherent difficulty in condensing its breadth and scope to manageable size; but this one admirably compacts ten, detailed years of Harry Potter history in its 356 pages, and covers the subject thoroughly.

It's a given that, if you know of Melissa's Leaky Cauldron website, you'll find this book to be an extension of the website, and delightfully so; but the real surprise for me was that it not only is for the die-hard fans but the rest of the world who are wondering, "What's all the excitement about?" This book answers that question.

In its pages, Melissa Anelli thoroughly covers Harry Potter fandom in a way that could only be done by an insider, by someone who has had access to virtually everyone of note in the Harry Potter community, fan and pro, and also what she calls "Team Potter" -- Rowling's publishers, agents, lawyers -- the professional team who rarely give access or interviews to their inner workings, and, most significantly, Rowling herself, a "first" for any book written about her. That "Team Potter" allowed Melissa access speaks volumes about their professional respect for her, which is why The Leaky Cauldron (a reference to a beloved inn and favorite watering hole in Rowling's wizarding world) is considered the best, most reliable source of news in Harry Potter fandom. (This year, especially, has been trying and divisive for fans, because of the trial between RDR Books and Rowling. During that sordid episode, it was The Leaky Cauldron that was the voice of reason.)

In reading Melissa's first-hand account of what's happened in Harry Potter fandom and the book/movie worlds drawn from the seven Harry Potter novels, it's as if you're right there with her, being caught up in all the excitement: from public events to behind-the-scenes closed-door sessions, Melissa shares it all; and with its sense of immediacy, I found reading this book to be an intimate reading experience. The writing tone is in keeping with the infectious enthusiasm that characterizes most of Harry Potter fandom, and why fans are still, more than ever, pumped up about a boy named Harry. (And Severus Snape. And Professor Dumbledore. And the rest of the colorful characters in the wizarding world.)

A journalist with real-world credentials (she was a reporter for a New York newspaper), Melissa properly starts, and ends, the book with a discussion about the last Harry Potter novel, HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS. In coming full circle, there's a sense of closure, of course, and rightly so; but as 2008 has shown, Rowling has not retired, so there's more, much more, that is grist for the mill for a future edition: the publication of BEEDLE THE BARD, for one, and it's eye-popping, record-setting price realized at auction for one of seven hand-written copies; and, of course, the Rowling/Warner Bros. vs. RDR Books trial, which was the subject of some of the looniest mainstream reportage I've ever read. (Like many others, I relied on The Leaky Cauldron for fair and balanced coverage.)

A bonus: There's also an eight-page photo insert (black-and-white photos), with some fascinating pictures: candid shots at Harry Potter fan events, photos of Rowling, and some photos of the author with some guy named Daniel Radcliffe, and Rowling herself + her PI (personal assistant), Fiddy Henderson.

At $16, the retail price, the book is a good buy, but at the discounted price on Amazon, it's a GREAT buy, and deserves a place in the library of anyone who has enjoyed the Harry Potter novels and wants a book that accurately puts the Harry Potter phenomenon in context. And if a hardback is subsequently published, so long as it has sewn signatures (i.e., a sturdy binding), I'll be happy to buy a second copy.

Bottom line: This book is WELL worth your time and money.

18 out of 24 people found the following review helpful.
Review Date: 10/28/08


More than a history of fandom

This is the perfect book for any Harry Potter fanatic; it provides a lovely stroll down memory lane. For the casual reader, it provides an insight into a world they may not have the patience or fanaticism to enter full time. As a Harry Potter fanatic, even I learned new things, especially about the fandom before I entered it.

Melissa also narrates her own personal story and how entwined it became with the world of Harry Potter. It's the perfect illustration about how a little imagination (and a lot of magic) can change your life.

12 out of 14 people found the following review helpful.
Review Date: 11/6/08


Thank You, Melissa

Everybody has a story about how they came to read the Harry Potter series. Everybody has a story about how they celebrated the series once they realized how powerful it was. And everybody has a story about how they felt about its eventual end. Each story is unique, in its way - but, they all share the same threads. The more we say them out loud, the more they sound the same...in a good way.

The fans that Harry gained before the release of "Deathly Hallows" knew that they were a part of something huge. And now, those fans who will never have to wait years between release dates - who will never know how much anticipation of a thing can influence the scope and greatness of the thing itself - can read all about it.

Melissa Anelli is the spokesperson for those of us who spent countless hours discussing, theorizing, converting...online, offline, in living rooms or at the bus stop. Even though she was "there" in contexts that many of us never got to be - she does a remarkable job at making the story she tells in "Harry: A History" OUR story: everyone's story all at once.

"Harry: A History" is the work of both an indispensable participant and an extremely talented narrator. I am impressed by Melissa's writing, and happy to add this book to its rightful place - on my 'Harry Potter' shelf at home.

5 out of 7 people found the following review helpful.
Review Date: 11/3/08


Definitely worth the wait

I am a listener of PotterCast, the podcast Melissa helps to host, and so I have heard teases of this book for months. But finally, after all that time, it's here. I pre-ordered it, and it came last Monday night, just in time for my birthday (yay), despite the fact that November 4th is the actual publication date, and finished it tonight after four days of reading.

This book was amazing. I actually put off starting a book for school today to finish reading it! I am a fairly new Harry Potter fan, having only gotten into it in January 2005, so reading this book, I got to learn all about the parts of the fandom I'd missed out on by my late arrival into it. I chuckled when I realized I was very much not alone as a Harry/Hermione shipper, among other things.

As a Harry Potter fan and a Christian, I was particularly moved by the chapter regarding the interview with Laura Mallory and the Christian censorship of the series, since such harsh views from Christians on the series are what kept me away from the books so long in the first place. I was particularly shocked that Mallory had made a statement linking books like Harry Potter to school shootings. While I did not know anyone personally who went to Columbine, that shooting affected my family because my dad grew up in that area. I have also read and seen accounts of the incident. It was horrible. I'm glad Harry Potter helped that one girl who survived Columbine begin a healing process.

All in all, I love this book and would definitely recommend it to anyone who is into Harry Potter or knows someone who is.


4 out of 5 people found the following review helpful.
Review Date: 10/29/08


Nice Job Melissa!

Finished last night, wish it were longer! I was very fortunate to have read HP from the very beginning and found your viewpoint a lot of fun. If you enjoy HP half as much as I do, you MUST read this book! P.S. Hardcover PLEASE!

4 out of 5 people found the following review helpful.
Review Date: 11/2/08


A Wonderful Journey

Thanks to Melissa, all of us who viewed the Harry Potter phenomenon enviously from our homes, all now get a front row seat on the action. Melissa shares her own journey with us with wit, wisdom and wonder! Anyone who loves Harry Potter will love this book. Each of us can find little bits of ourselves tucked within Melissa's own story. Harry, A History is a real treat. The foreward by JKR is so supportive of Melissa's efforts, it fills your heart with glee! The book is well-written and very insightful, and included both laughter and tears for this reader. A must-read!

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