pottymania

Now that I've reviewed the latest installment of Harry Potter series, I have to admit I've been quite curious as to the differences between the US and UK editions. See, if you look at the American copies closely you will see things that tell you that we don't get to read the exact same book they get on the other side of the pond. Well thanks to The Harry Potter Lexicon, I was actually able to find out more.

My favourite is that in England kids read about "many flourishing pot plants in brass containers" while the rest of us see that the plants are potted. Oh, then there are the Weasley boys and their "hooter-type objects." (UK) No, breasts they are not, but exactly what kind of horn is referred to in "horn-type objects." (US) All the differences are listed here.

Then check out these four different cover images posted on The Hogwarts Galleries:

US Cover	UK Child Cover
UK Adult Cover	"hbp schol deluxe" (whatever that means)

See the rest of the artwork in Year 6 Cover Art gallery.

And if you are looking for interesting Potter links, here are some more:

• The Leaky Cauldron


• The Floo Network


• A Wizard's Atlas


• JK Rowling Official Site
  

So what is it exactly that interests or maybe even fascinates me about Harry Potter? That's hard to say. I'm partially interested in it simply as a creative enterprise and especially how the work of one individual so captures the attention of millions worldwide. The mixture of her usage of mythic creatures like elves, wizards, dragons, and gnomes with the many that she invents (which I won't detail for fear of giving improper credit).

Then there simply is the humour in the books. I find myself smiling and laughing during the story. This lightness adds a certain something to the mix which obviously increases the level of enjoyment for the reader.

I also find myself thinking about the story logically. While I know that will sound crazy to some, let me give you an example. In the current installment, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Rowling spends more time discussing how the characters celebrate Christmas. Since there is absolutely no overt reference to the Christian traditions commonly associated with the holiday, it almost seems strange to me that these "ancient" people who have many of their own hallowed traditions would follow the rest of society. While I don't expect them to NOT celebrate at this time of year, I guess I would have expected them to have a different holiday be it Winter Solstice or whatever.

I don't think this qualifies as a condemnation of the author's work but it's just something that interested me and then move these thoughts to the world inside my own imagination (and yes, there actually is one though until this post, few knew of it). I'm especially keen to accept inspiration but the desire for originality is strong with me so I'm always worried about the derivative nature of my own creations. (To only be able to have that purely original thought.)

So, am I a pottymaniac and exactly what does that word mean?To be honest, no, I'm not a Pottymaniac. I don't live, eat, sleep, breath, think, read, do all things Harry Potter. It is a creative endeavor I enjoy much like The Lord of the Rings, Aubrey-Maturin Series, or Star Wars. [BTW, Revenge of the Sith would be an excellent choice for a birthday present.] It's been clear for much of my adult life that I have a certain penchant for the epic story and each of these could probably be considered epic in nature.

Well alas, Googling "pottymania" reveals two other hits so I can't completely claim to have invented the word. I define pottymania as: Noun, a persistent neurotic impulse to follow Harry Potter, slightly derogatory [from potty, a derogatory nickname for Harry Potter used throughout the novels + -MANIA] Now in the other two uses found in Google it is used as a pseudonym, so while not completely original, maybe this usage might be. Of course the more obvious, and I insist much less connotative "pottermania" generates over 100,000 hits.