What is it about the Potter books that fascinate so many people - myself included? Now that the last (latest) book came out, I notice that most of my friends aren't interested. I didn't rush to buy the book either but I got around to reading it, I couldn't stop.
For one thing, I guess it's just simple nostalgy. I would've loved the books when I was 10 or so :) The magical world within the Muggle world, the school and all that.
But I don't think nostalgy is enough for taking me through 7 books, hundreds of pages each! It just suddenly came to me that Rowling has something special in the way she describes emotions, especially negative feelings. Usually emotions are portrayed as what is seen from the outside, as in "He seemed angry." But Rowling really manages to capture the essence of those moments when you just feel like you're going to explode and when you actually want to punch someone. (I do hope other people get that urge sometimes, too. I mean, seriously imagining hitting someone.)
Also, quite apart from most child-oriented literature, Rowling doesn't have that irritating habit of teaching lessons in the most straightforward way. Of course, the morale pops up here and there, even verbalized (especially by Dumbledore) but the messages are more complex than "Good shall conquer bad."
Ps. Was Snape really a good guy that did bad things for love or a bad guy who agreed to pose as good for the same reason?
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