London Times columnist Mary Ann

London Times columnist Mary Ann Sieghart discusses Harry Potter in audio vs. graphical media.

“I was relieved to hear, on Radio 4’s Feedback programme this week, more praise than criticism for the decision to run Harry Potter uncut on Boxing Day. My children, who normally have the attention span of a puppy, listened rapt to the entire eight hours. They took a small portable radio on their walk in the country, propped it up on the lunch and supper table, and missed not a word. It was the most peaceful Boxing Day ever.

But it also tells us something about the difference between aural and visual media. I bought them a Harry Potter calendar at Christmas, and it has been a disaster. They go through the illustrations shouting “That can’t be Hagrid” or “Hermione doesn’t look like that!” None of the books is illustrated and, having read all four several times, they have built in their imaginations clear ideas of how the characters look. I dread the arrival of the film, which will swamp their creations altogether.”