The Books of Magic: Impressions
Just completed reading Neil Gaiman’s Books of Magic for the first time. I was always curious about the Tim Hunter character, and my curiosity has increased over the years with every new Harry Potter movie that hits the theaters. The two characters look so similar, and Harry’s adventures came out just a few years after Tim’s comic books were published.
Damian ran through some of the similarities between the two characters a couple of years ago. I, also, detest the fact that someone could get filthy rich borrowing heavily from copyrighted ideas and get away with it.
On the other hand, my whole family loves Harry Potter, and the movies have grown on me. With five movies out, I have started to see all the connections running through the movies, all the hints, subplots … Voldemort is a great villain whose presence builds as the movies progress … the relationships between the dynamic trio (Harry, Hermione, and Ron; Enneagram types 3, 5, and 7), as well as the interactions between all the students … watching how teachers handle things in front of students and behind the scenes … the mysteries … the frustrating authority figure issues (nobody ever believes Harry, or the authority figures can’t do anything about it, until the end of the movie) … anyway, I just had to know what are the similarities, besides the obvious rip-off of Tim’s appearance?
So, here are my impressions:
- Tim’s got those 1980’s plastic frames going for him — the kind I used to wear! Harry’s got round wire-frame glasses — I was wearing those by 1997 also. What a difference seven years can make on types of frames.
- Tim Hunter appears to have a different personality type than Harry Potter. He seems more willing to speak his mind … he seems more confident than Harry was in the first movie.
- Tim has a father who doesn’t give him much attention. Harry lives in a Cinderella-like scenario, with step-parents that despise him and treat him like an indentured servant.
- Tim is mentored by powerful mystical beings in the DC Universe. He’s given the grand tour of the past, present, future, and unseen worlds of magic. In the end, he chooses to go his own way while believing in magic. Harry — well, he goes to a school for magic. So, imagine school-age conflicts and issues, mixed with magical curriculum.
- Neil Gaiman does an incredible job tying all the mystical parts of the DC universe together, making it cohesive. It was interesting, for example, to read about Zatanna’s father, to watch John Constantine in action, to see Boston Brand inhabiting people near Tim to talk to him … fantastic stuff. J.K. Rowling — well, I’m certain she’s bringing all kinds of stuff into her story, borrowing from everywhere, tying it together however she sees fit.
- The Books of Magic is a GREAT introduction into all the mystical parts of the DC universe. Hard to believe Gaiman managed to sum it all up in four books. J.K. Rowling’s story is more involved and is not brief. I had to sit through two movies before I felt like I was getting somewhere. That’s ridiculous! It all makes sense now, but there’s definitely a time investment — kind of like watching season 1 of your favorite TV series in order to understand events in season 3.
- [SPOILER] Mister E wanting to kill Tim is reminiscent of Voldemort trying to kill Harry, albeit for completely different reasons … or are they different reasons?
Overall, I get the sense that J.K., in addition to being aware of Tim Hunter’s character, decided to elaborate on the whole story around the boy wizard and make it her own. In the process, I think she gave Harry a slightly different personality, and subconsciously splitting aspects of Tim’s personality between Hermione and Ron. It’s possible she already had a magic school story lolling about in her mind, and putting a Tim Hunter-like character in the middle of it became her plagiaristic desire.
***
[UPDATE] — I decided to search Wiki on the subject of Rowling … heh heh, I got the impression she’s a voracious reader.
I was particularly intrigued by the following quote from Jane Yolen, author of the novel Wizard’s Hall, which came out in 1991:
“I read the first three. The fourth one stopped me in my tracks, partially because even though the story moves along, I just don’t feel like they’re well written. Besides, I wrote a book called “Wizard’s Hall” [in 1991, eight years before the first "Harry Potter" book]. And there’s an awful lot of “Wizard’s Hall” in it [the Harry Potter books]. I always tell people that if Ms. Rowling would like to cut me a very large check, I would cash it. ["Wizard's Hall"] has got a boy named Henry [who] goes to wizard school, doesn’t think he has talent. He has a good friend with red hair. There’s a wicked wizard who’s trying to destroy the school, and the pictures on the wall move and speak and change. I have kids who write to me all the time and say, “I thought you had stolen Harry Potter, but my teacher pointed out that you published it eight years before Harry Potter.”
I also laughed when I was reminded of the Spellcasting series of text-based computer games, that also came out in the early 1990’s — years before the first Harry Potter book. The main character attends a Sorcerer’s University and … anyway. ‘Nuff said.
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Damian here. Totally missed this post.
Anyway, I’m glad you dug the Books of Magic limited series.
Ultimately, JK (and George Lucas)get “inspired” or “influenced” by previous works, but they made so much money at the beginning that they can’t admit it fully.
Jack Kirby had some some good beef with Star Wars, comparing it to his 70’s New Gods work, and Darth Vader being a glorified Dr. Doom rip (to Kirby, visuals were everything, and there is no denying that both Vader and Doom combine sorcery and science, and rely on machines/armor).
Lucas said he never read FF.