I've been reading Harry Potter. And I am gratified to report that I just hit the 70% mark on the 5th book: Harry Potter y la Orden del Fenix. No bad for an autodidact, I'm thinking. Although my speaking and, especially, my writing still sucks, my listening is really getting okay, also. I probably miss 15% of the words, I can still generally follow the plot when I listen to my audio at 80% full speed.
But that isn't why I'm making this post. (Well, okay, just a little brag...I deserve something to lift my spirits).
I never read HP before, and I didn't see most of the movies. And I don't think the moview really do even a half adequate job of conveying the nuances of the books.
The Harry Potter plot, slowly developing over the series, is like a replay of the most horrifying and hard to believe aspects of Nazi Germany developing from its early roots to its final crescendo: its attempted genocide of the Jews and the near complete subversion of German Society to gas the jews and burn their own country, and especially their own morality, to the ground. The "othering" in the books, as the story proceeds. The endlessly ratcheting up of propaganda and news suppression as the story proceeds. The careful, methodical construction of the totalitarian state...mostly via enemies domestic who willfully, or grudgingly, do what Lord Voldemort "nudges". And then can't regain their moral compass enough to object.
I never used to give Harry Potter that much credit. And now I don't think it was not given near credit enough. Yes, it was given credit for motivating kids to read and for making billions for investors at the box office.
But it deserves a LOT more credit for the authenticity and clarity of its warning against "Wokism", media twisting, totalitarianism, the Jab, and OFFICIALS dictating what will and won't be allowed to be discussed on Social Media. In that regard it goes beyond its other amazing achievements.
Too bad people don't read any more; they only watch the movies—which really miss the point of the warning built into the books. Even in Spanish. Maybe especially in Spanish, in my case.
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