A Bit Pottier

I’m now well into my late fifties, so I must have decided that this month would be a good time to do something unexpected of one so old, wise, stubborn and fragile. You’d probably never guess, so I’ll keep you in suspense for another moment or two, assuming you’ve not glanced at the tags, and the photographs.

Oh, never mind. Yes. I have just finished the first two Harry Potter books. Still five to go, I believe. The thing is, my son has had the whole set for a couple of years, just sitting there, unnoticed, unwanted, gathering dust, turning a bit brown on the edges like wot books do, but he has recently decided to dive right in and he’s already on the fourth. He’s always been an avid reader – always has his nose in a book, not unlike his gran – but for reasons unknown to me, he’s steadfastly avoided Ms Rowling’s tomes. Until now. I suppose he was just a little too young? He’s been engrossed with collections by Dahl, Blyton and Walliams, among others, all of which he’s read at least twice by my reckoning. Now, me being me, I was firmly of the opinion that the whole H Potter phenomenon was a load of old marketing bolleaux, so I had never considered even picking up a copy, let alone opening the first volume, intent on finding out for myself. I had no issue with the lad owning and reading the series, on the grounds that pretty much any reading is a good thing, isn’t it? If Ms E Blyton is/was acceptable – slightly dubious views on race, Nazis and whatnot, I seem to recall – then why not Rowling? In fact, I think this is where I was ultimately persuaded to change my opinion and challenge my assumptions. Namely, it was the fact that a certain JKR kept appearing in my Twitter feed, because she was commenting on things about which other people decided she wasn’t entitled to comment. I figured she must be some kind of demon in disguise, bent on corrupting our children, and if this were the case, I’d surely find evidence swathed in Potterishness.

None of it. It never happened. At least, two volumes in and it hasn’t yet happened. I’m not too proud to admit that I find the books rather engaging, imaginative and compelling. I can see what all the fuss was about. In fact, finding Rowling/Potter has made a pleasant alternative to my usual reading material. If not working, I tend to favour cycling stuff; the history of cycling fascinates me – biographies, auto-biographies, exposees, drugs (obvs), mechanicals, etc. – and there are a few very entertaining cycling-related reads in my ever-expanding library. I particularly recommend Tim Moore’s Gironimo. Otherwise, I tend to be reading and correcting essays and papers, the latest of which is reporting on a study of (would you believe?) the differences in the driving cultures in the UK and China, and how these have an impact on the level of collisions on the roads. The data is to be used to help those interested in designing systems for automated vehicles, and how they may be personalised to suit the preferences of the (essentially nominal) driver of the future. I shudder to think what it would be like in a self-driving car, hurtling around in the style of your average Taiwanese driver, but that’s something I shall be the first to avoid. I don’t just write this stuff, you know? It happens and I report it for your collective edification.

Getting lost for another year at Hogwarts is becoming ever more appealing as I today begin volume three. You may well smile to see father and son, side by side on the sofa, volumes three and four in hand, resepctively. Secretly, I’m hoping I can catch up and get ahead while he’s asleep, but for now I have to keep reminding someone about the concept of the ‘spoiler’.

So far so unspoilt.