Books or Movies: Harry Potter

Harry Potter has been a large part of my life since childhood. I used to read the books all the time, and some of my fondest memories are going to the midnight releases for the movies with my mom (and with my friends for the last movies). As I’ve gotten older, Harry Potter is still a part of my life, albeit not nearly as much as it was when I was a child.

But the age old question remains: which is better? The books or the movies?

For me, I think it can go either way. Both are wonderful in their own rights. I think it ultimately boils down to which book and which movie specifically we’re referring to. Some books were better than the movies and vice versa.

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban is one of my favorite books and movies from the series. It features one of my favorite characters, Remus Lupin, who takes the role of Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher for Harry’s third year. But while it’s my favorite of the series, the book and the movie both have their pros and cons. The book, for example, goes more into the story of the Marauders and their history. The movie, on the other hand, while it doesn’t go into as much depth about the Marauders, does bring it all to life and brings a lightheartedness to the start of the dark times that are coming later in the series.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince has a far more enjoyable book than the movie though. I remember when I first saw the movie at a midnight release when it came out. I’d already read the book, so of course, I already knew the story and understood things if parts of the story were omitted for the movie. In the book, Remus and Tonks’ relationship was an underlying part to the story. Reading the book for the first time, you’d never expect the two of them to get together since they’re two minor characters whose stories aren’t really told much (at least not past the third book, in Remus’ case). But at the end of the book, we get the big reveal and learn the reason that Tonks has been so upset is because Remus keeps rejecting her even though she loves him, and everyone tells him he’s being ridiculous for his reasoning. In the movies, it’s just thrown out there at the Burrow right before they’re about to duel some Death Eaters that crash Christmas. I remember being incredibly frustrated by it, especially knowing the story as it was written. I’m not nearly as upset now, but it’s still one of my least favorite book to movie changes.

There are plenty of other examples throughout the series, from the little ones like in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban to the bigger ones like in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. But regardless of the differences between the books and the movies, both still tell the story, even if it is in slightly different ways.

While the books tell the whole story as the author intended for it to be told, I think the movies not only bring that story to life but add a little extra flair to it too. There are some scenes in the films that just aren’t there in the books, but they still bring something to the story. They don’t hinder it in most cases, but they add to it. They give a little extra depth to the characters we’ve come to know and love. There are some scenes in the books that I would’ve loved to see brought to life in the films, like when McGonagall tells Harry to have a biscuit or even several of the McGonagall and Umbridge scenes, including Harry’s career counselling session, both from Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, because I know they would’ve been brilliant scenes had Maggie Smith (who played McGonagall in the films) and Imelda Staunton (who played Umbridge in the films) been able to play them out.

Are the books or the movies better for the Harry Potter series? Honestly, for me, I think it’s hard to say. I’ve reread the books countless times, but I’ve also watched the movies countless times. I’ve reread some books more than others and rewatched some movies more than others. I think at the end of the day, it just boils down to which movie or which book specifically. In some cases, I like the book more than the movie. In other cases, I like the movie more than the book. And there’s even times where I like both equally. The upcoming Harry Potter TV show is slated to release next year, and that’ll bring new life to the series. And who knows, maybe I’ll like the TV show more than the books and the movies combined! (And maybe it’ll bring some of the scenes the movies didn’t bring to life from the books to life, like the ones I mentioned earlier in this post!)