The Midnight Reader is the story of me undertaking a nightlong journey to complete
my ten year long obsession with the literary works of J.K. Rowling. As a whole, the Harry Potter series played an integral role in how I perceived “good” literature while growing up. This narrative is not just about who I am as a reader, but also who I am as a writer. This story was important to me because it marked the end of a long‐standing relationship with reading. My love of reading has never been as great as when the next Harry Potter novel would come out. The night that Deathly Hallows debuted, I was determined to find out why everything was happening the way it was. There were many confusing secrets I had not yet discovered and I also did not wish for anyone to spoil the end to me. As a result, my obsessive love for Harry Potter books led to me isolating myself in my room and staying up all night to read. After reading through the entire series, my hunger for more books like the ones I had finally put aside was ravenous. However, skepticism at finding something as great as Harry Potter soon squashed all hunger for more literature. It wasn’t until my senior year of high school that my love for books would return. While still rereading the Harry Potter books on the side, my 12AP English class began studying classics and how their themes are universal even in today’s modern times. Scouring the bookshelves at the library, I began my new journey into the world of classics. I began with Fahrenheit 451, then progressing to Brave New World, Anthem, and many others. One classical series I have had my eye on for some time now is The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. I had seen the movie and loved it, and my friend who read the series recommended that I try reading it. Although I have not yet read a single word of Douglas Adams’s series, I anticipate that this could very well be the next great obsession to parallel my previous one with Harry Potter.
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First-Year Writing 2010