I find that hype is usually in inverse proportion to quality – for example Big Brother, Britpop and “Nu” Labour. There was no shortage of hype surrounding JK Rowling’s books so I resisted them for a long time, until a friend lent me a Czech translation of Harry Potter and The Philosopher’s Stone (the first in the series). I was only ten pages in when I realised what I had been missing – the translation was a good one (the Czech versions of some of the names were very clever) and I couldn’t put it down. I rushed out to buy the other books – in English, so I could read them more quickly – and now am among Harry Potter’s many fans. Those who have already read the books need no encouragement for me, but if you have not yet investigated the wonderful world that JK Rowling creates, I strongly recommend you give them a try. They are not just children’s books that adults may enjoy – they work on all levels and are by turns exciting, moving and funny. The series becomes progressively darker, and Rowling explores both the good and bad side of the main characters as they grow up. No doubt there will always be snobs that sneer at this sort of gentle fantasy, preferring the impenetrable ramblings of James Joyce or gritty, “realistic” novels about drug addicts, but I am sure that the majority of people will find themselves drawn into this series even if, like me, they were put off by the marketing. A game of Quidditch, anyone?