Happy birthday JK Rowling

[Stormy]

The English author wrote the bestselling "Harry Potter" fantasy books, all of which were made into feature films. She went from depending on welfare programs to a millionaire within five years and was ranked the 12th richest woman in the UK in 2008. She began writing as a child, and in her early adulthood, she studied Classics and French at the University of Exeter. She's 53 years old.

 

I read all the Harry Potter books back to back and loved every minute of it!

[gallahadesquire]

In the books, I believe that Harry Potter’s birthday is July 31, 1980. He’s 38 today. The series is 21 years old.

Edited July 31, 2018 by gallahadesquire

[+ poolboy48220]

That's correct. There were hints about what actual years the books took place in, but the first conclusive indication of the timeline of the books and associated birth dates, as far as I saw it, was in Book 7 (Deathly Hallows) where they saw his parents' graves and headstones. They died when he was one (a bit over, 15 months) on Halloween 1981. They were only 21 when they died, so 20 when Harry was born; the movies made them look much older - but perhaps Harry was seeing them as he expected them, as their true ages; 31 when he saw them in the Mirror of Erised in Book 1, 38 when he saw them by using the Resurrection Stone. Now that I check - Geraldine Sommerville, who played Lily, is 22 years older than Daniel Radcliffe. Adrian Rawlins, who played James, is 30 years older. And I am officially now obsessing too much over this.

 

I was tickled to find out that both his parents were born very close to my birthdate; I'm about six weeks older than James and two weeks younger than Lily.

[+ Avalon]

Never read the books nor have seen the movies. I get my fantasy from Homer, Virgil, Ovid, Dante etc..

[+ poolboy48220]

Some more trivia - the first book came out in June 1997, which means the first book came out just as the events of book 6 were coming to an end.

 

Dumbledore was born in 1881, which would make him 116 years old when he died (sorry for the spoiler).

[Stormy]

Never read the books nor have seen the movies. I get my fantasy from Homer, Virgil, Ovid, Dante etc..

I'm not sure what you mean by this response. Are you saying that you have no interest in this author because you are too busy reading classics? Or you have no interest in this author because you suspect her work does not measure up to your standards? Do you forego reading 20th and 21st century authors altogether? Who are the other authors you referenced by etcetera? Do you really enjoy reading Ovid's poetry in your spare time?

[+ Avalon]

I'm not sure what you mean by this response. Are you saying that you have no interest in this author because you are too busy reading classics? Or you have no interest in this author because you suspect her work does not measure up to your standards? Do you forego reading 20th and 21st century authors altogether? Who are the other authors you referenced by etcetera? Do you really enjoy reading Ovid's poetry in your spare time?

 

I don't really care for the fantasy genre. I do enjoy Ovid's "Metamorphoses". It has given me hours of enjoyment. In fact I made special computer folders and surfed the 'net gathering sites about the stories and characters.

 

One tale I especially like is this one

 

http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.04.0104%3Aalphabetic+letter%3DC%3Aentry+group%3D40%3Aentry%3Dcycnus-bio-1

 

Theseus had Six Labors, Hercules Twelve, Phyllius Three.

[+ WilliamM]

I'm not sure what you mean by this response. Are you saying that you have no interest in this author because you are too busy reading classics? Or you have no interest in this author because you suspect her work does not measure up to your standards? Do you forego reading 20th and 21st century authors altogether? Who are the other authors you referenced by etcetera? Do you really enjoy reading Ovid's poetry in your spare time?

 

Tolstoy's War and Peace is not just the punchline of a joke. It is an interesting novel about Napoleon in Russia. The is taught in several Ivy League universities, so your snob rating is not in danger.