I was a huge Potterhead back in the day (well…I still am, just not as obsessed). I know the books are great and all, I know how addictive her writing style is, that she can create such vivid and engaging characters and places, and the stories keep you hungry for more…but IMO that still does not completely explain the insane hype that generated. I don’t think there has ever been this level of mania and craze for a book – a children’s/YA book for that matter. So I am wondering, what are some of the factor that led to the hype? I’ve heard things like the rise in Internet (and internet fandom), JKR’s rags-to-riches story, etc all contributed. So for those who have been there, what was the mania like at that point, and what factors (aside from the quality of the books themselves) that lead to it?
I think your comment best describes what happened. My son was 7 when the first book came out. My husband bought it to read to him but quickly read it himself first ( basically devoured it). I remember being thrilled that we had a book that especially got both boys and girls reading it. It was truly a phenomenon. Early internet for the first books. Now there is so much noise over everything that it’s hard to tell what is being pushed versus what is being driven by word of mouth.