Harry, a History

The True Story of a Boy Wizard, His Fans, and Life Inside the Harry Potter Phenomenon

By: Melissa Anelli

Narrated by: Renée Raudman

Length: 10 hrs and 58 mins

Publisher's summary

During the brief span of just one decade, hundreds of millions of perfectly ordinary people made history: they became the only ones who would remember what it was like when the Harry Potter saga was still unfinished. What it was like to seek out friends, families, online forums, fan fiction, and podcasts to get a fix between novels. When the death of a character was a hotter bet than the World Series. When the unfolding story of a boy wizard changed the way books are read for all time. And as webmistress of the Leaky Cauldron, one of the most popular Harry Potter sites on the Internet, Melissa Anelli had a front row seat to it all. Whether it was helping Scholastic stop leaks and track down counterfeiters, hosting live PotterCasts at bookstores across the country, touring with the wizard rock band Harry and the Potters, or traveling to Edinburgh to interview J. K. Rowling personally, Melissa was at the center of the Harry Potter tornado, and nothing about her life would ever be the same.The Harry Potter books are a triumph of the imagination that did far more than break sales records for all time. They restored the world's sense of wonder and took on a magical life of their own. Now the series has ended, but the story is not over.

With remembrances from J. K. Rowling's editors, agents, publicists, fans, and Rowling herself, Melissa Anelli takes us on a personal journey through every aspect of the Harry Potter phenomenon - from his very first spell to his lasting impact on the way we live and dream.

©2008 Melissa Anelli (P)2009 Tantor

Critic reviews

"Chronicling 10 years of Pottermania, Anelli dishes up a revealing, delicious insider's view." ( Kirkus Starred Review)
"Infectious, at times frenetic, excitement." ( Publishers Weekly)

A wonderful book that brought back so many memories.

Regardless if you are a Harry Potter fan or not this book offers all an opportunity to remember our past and how Harry influenced us all.

Interesting story; disorganized telling

The subject matter is interesting, but the author jumps around between different years, book releases, and events so much that I often lost track of what was supposed to have happened and when. For a “history” that’s a pretty big flaw. Most of the content is interesting but I think it could stand to be updated with a chronological (or otherwise better organized) structure and more scholarly approach to the material (and less about the authors’ friends who aren’t central to the story). Second edition please!

Relive the magic!

Wow, this is an amazing book. I love Harry Potter and the fandom. Melissa Anelli takes us on a nostalgic journey to those moments most important to Harry Potter fans. We go back to that happy and sad day when we learn the release date of the last Harry Potter book. We find out what it's like to tour with the Wizard Rock band, Harry and the Potters. We get reminded of the shipping wars and the Half Blood Prince interview with J K Rowling. But the book is so much more than that. When being taken back in time, Melissa doesn't just give us the fun stuff. We remember September 11, 2001 and our brave author comes face to face with someone trying so desperately hard to take away our books. You will cry and you will laugh. If you experienced any of this, then this is the book for you. And for the many us who've met her, whether online or in person, we know, she is awesome.

For true Harry Potter fans

I really liked this book for the story it told, it was heartfelt and touching and made my love for Harry Potter grow.

The only thing I disliked was the narration- narrator hardly tried to do different voices for the many characters so it made listening to this book confusing a lot of the time. I would recommend actually reading it.

If you love HP you'll like this book

interesting stuff especially for someone who was way out of the loop at the time the HP phenomenon was at its height. where was I? I don't know but I wasn't paying attention at the time. If you love Harry Potter I think you will find this book worth it.

Exactly right

Reading this brought me back to reading the Harry Potter books. The magic is still alive.

An entertaining walk down memory lane

Normally I'm rather nerdy in the audiobooks I read with most being science or non-fiction history books so this was a different kind of book for me. I really enjoyed the growth of the author and how "she found her people" in the online Harry Potter universe. While the book was fun, and easy, to read what I came away with is what happens when you follow your passion. Most of us become unstoppable which is why I will listen again with my kids so they can see someone who did just that.

Wonderful Memories

I consider myself a huge Potterhead but there were still a few things that I never took part in during this time such as conventions, wizard rock. It was neat being brought back to the time when we were all waiting for the next books and trying to figure out what might happen. I loved finding out about other aspects I had missed. I downloaded my first Harry and the Potters album from iTunes a few days ago and can't wait to check out more bands! It still amazes me what kind of a fandom we built for Harry Potter during this time and it is still growing almost 9 years after Deathly Hallows was published. I can't wait to see what happens with Newt Scamander and Albus Severus in the Fantastic Beasts movie and the Cursed Child play. Listening to this book reminded me of all of my Harry Potter memories - midnight releases of books and movies, rereading the books when the next book or movie was released, hours and hours spent reading fanfiction of all kinds and all ships, etc. I have truly enjoyed my time as fan of Harry Potter and I can't wait to make more memories and learn more about the characters!

Emotional, relatable, & positive

I wasn't sure I would like this story, because while I love Harry Potter, I have never been a "hardcore fan". I've never joined a fan site, wore a costume, heard the bands, or listen to the podcasts (sorry Melissa!). Melissa has convinced me I missed out on the camaraderie of all that activity. I do, however, know the stories (from the 90's) and relate to the emotional cycle of looking forward to the next book, dreading the end of the series, and coming to peace when the final outcome played out. Melissa's personal experience with this rollercoaster is relayed clearly, thoughtfully, & with such positive messaging in this book, and I enjoyed joining in the re-living of her journey. Great read by Renee, making it seem like we were there as it all happened.
Now I have to go read...

An Amazing Trip Back!

If you could sum up Harry, a History in three words, what would they be?

So very emotional.

What was the most compelling aspect of this narrative?

Reliving the experiences of the HP Phenomenon and learning stuff I did not know to complete the journey.

Which scene was your favorite?

The experience of preparing for the last book and an end of an era.

Any additional comments?

This book is great for those of us whom love HP and are geeks about it.