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?
The reason it’s believable is because a lot of what Americans consider to be world building - houses, house captains, school sports, boarding schools - is just British culture stuff that you don’t recognise.
Are you seriously making the claim that adding details to your fantasy world is not world building because those details are part of IRL culture? And just to turn it into a “stupid Americans not realizing…” post?
Yes, for anyone who read all the Jennings/Chalet School/Mallory Towers books, Harry Potter was following in a very familiar tradition. Even the idea of a magical boarding school wasn’t new. Jill Murphy and Diana Wynne Jones both pre-date HP.