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?
In 3rd-ish grade one of my classmates said "My mom won't let me read Harry Potter because it's witchcraft!"
And my kid-self thought "...wait that's the point though? It's a story book. So the story is witchcraft. The book ITSSELF isn't witchcraft and it doesn't teach you witchcraft does it??"
So I checked it out from the library and wham-bam-thank-you-maam I loved the books.
The documentary Jesus Camp had an individual who implored her younger congregants to avoid the Harry Potter novels because of those claims of witchcraft.