Harry Potter

mp to: navigation, search

This article is about the fantasy book series. For the titular character, see Harry Potter (character). For the film series, see Harry Potter (film series). For related topics, see List of Harry Potter related topics. For other uses, see Harry Potter (disambiguation).

Page semi-protected

This is a good article. Click here for more information.

Harry Potter The Harry Potter logo, used first in American editions of the novel series and later in films.

The Harry Potter logo was first used for the American edition of the novel series (and some other editions worldwide), and then the film series.

1. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone

2. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

3. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

4. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

5. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

6. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

7. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Author J. K. Rowling

Country United Kingdom

Language English

Genre Fantasy, young-adult fiction, mystery, thriller, Bildungsroman, coming of age, magical realism

Publisher Bloomsbury Publishing (UK)

Arthur A. Levine Books (US)

Published 29 June 1997 – 21 July 2007 (initial publication)

Media type Print (hardback & paperback)

Audiobook

E-book

Harry Potter is a series of seven fantasy novels written by the British author J. K. Rowling. The books chronicle the adventures of a wizard, Harry Potter, and his friends Ronald Weasley and Hermione Granger, all of whom are students at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The main story arc concerns Harry's quest to overcome the Dark wizard Lord Voldemort, whose aims are to become immortal, conquer the wizarding world, subjugate non-magical people, and destroy all those who stand in his way, especially Harry Potter.

Since the release of the first novel Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone on 30 June 1997, the books have gained immense popularity, critical acclaim and commercial success worldwide.[1] The series has also had some share of criticism, including concern for the increasingly dark tone. As of June 2011, the book series has sold about 450 million copies, making it the best-selling book series in history, and has been translated into 67 languages.[2][3] The last four books consecutively set records as the fastest-selling books in history.

A series of many genres, including fantasy and coming of age (with elements of mystery, thriller, adventure, and romance), it has many cultural meanings and references.[4][5][6][7] According to Rowling, the main theme is death.[8] There are also many other themes in the series, such as prejudice and corruption.[9]

The initial major publishers of the books were Bloomsbury in the United Kingdom and Scholastic Press in the United States. The books have since been published by many publishers worldwide. The books, with the seventh book split into two parts, have been made into an eight-part film series by Warner Bros. Pictures, the highest-grossing film series of all time. The series also originated much tie-in merchandise, making the Harry Potter brand worth in excess of $15 billion.[10] Also due to the success of the books and films, Harry Potter has been used for a theme park, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Universal Parks & Resorts's Islands of Adventure.

Contents

1 Plot

1.1 Early years

1.2 Voldemort returns

1.3 Supplementary works

2 Structure and genre

3 Themes

4 Origins and publishing history

4.1 Translations

4.2 Completion of the series

5 Achievements

5.1 Cultural impact

5.2 Commercial success

5.3 Awards, honours, and recognition

6 Reception

6.1 Literary criticism

6.2 Social impacts

6.3 Controversies

7 Adaptations

7.1 Films

7.2 Games

7.3 Audiobooks

8 Attractions

8.1 United States

8.2 United Kingdom

9 References

10 Further reading

11 External links

This series's new book covers will be published in September to celebrate 15th anniversary.

Plot

Further information: Harry Potter universe

Complete set of the seven books of the Harry Potter series.

Complete set of the seven books of the Harry Potter series.

The novels revolve around Harry Potter, an orphan who discovers at the age of eleven that he is a wizard, living within the ordinary world of non-magical, or Muggle, people.[11] His ability is inborn and such children are invited to attend a school that teaches the necessary skills to succeed in the wizarding world.[12] Harry becomes a student at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and it is here where most of the novels' events take place. As Harry develops through his adolescence, he learns to overcome the problems that face him: magical, social