Kisah Sukses J. K. Rowling: Di Balik Proses Penulisan Harry Potter - Indra Ismawan

Ismawan, Indra. 2003. Kisah Sukses J. K. Rowling: Di Balik Proses Penulisan Harry Potter. Jakarta: GagasMedia.

Rating 3 stars
(review in Indonesian, click here)

 

Errr, Ismawan should considered a less hassle title...

Why I read it in the first place?

This book’s title, if I free translate it into English will be ‘The Success Story of J. K. Rowling: Behind The Writing Process of Harry Potter’. I bought this book long long time ago when I was a maniac for Harry Potter (I’m still kind of are). The Harry Potter series are, undoubtedly undebatedly, THE best children book EVER, although its reader is so beyond that. J. K. Rowling also became one of my obsession at that time, when I had Harry Potter fever (again, I’m still kind of are), so I smartly bought many biographies of her. Yes, many biographies. This book by Indra Ismawan is one of them. I re-read it because I’ll say byebye to it pretty soon (insert sad backsong). If you notice, I joined a bookblogger community recently, Blogger Buku Indonesia (BBI). There, I got myself in a book-swap deal with other fellow member, Roro. This will be my second book-swap I have ever experienced. My first was when I was an elementary kid, I swapped my Sailor Venus comics for Sailor Moon comics (cute, I know). Roro seemed desperately wished to own this book and was in an intense hunting for it, so I just offered mine. I thought, this book is better be in hands of those who really appreciate it. Because of that, I just felt the need to re-read it, you know, as a farewell ritual, and decided to make a rambling too about it. I read it in a hurry, finished it in one day, because I'm actually currently reading another book, Stephen Hawking’s, I paused that for reading and reviewing this book. 

My Rambling.

Actually, I don’t have many things to comment about for this book because this is a biography book, which obviously puts the subject of its biography in easily lovable position. But I’ll admit this, from many biographies of J. K. Rowling I have, this probably is the most informative and the best choice if you want to explore J. K. Rowling’s life story. Rowling’s passion in writing is the focus in this book, and Ismawan writes it effortlessly well and contagious enough so reader probably will feel encourage to write also.

This book really gave me all I could asked about J. K. Rowling, even from when she was not born yet up to she's in 2003. Why is it just until 2003? Duh. Because this book is published in 2003, and the Harry Potter series were not even finished yet at that time. The fifth book (Order of Phoenix) was the latest Harry Potter book when this book is out. Automatically, Ismawan could only analyzed not further than that. We won’t find the behind of writing process of Harry Potter sixth and seventh.

For you readers who are so stalkerishly (kidding, okay) wanting to know almost everything about Harry Potter true Momma, this book offers you various sides of her. You’ll know many things like, Rowling already had the talent in story telling at a very young age, she grew up and faced the world where everybody doubting the welfare of becoming a writer, she had lived in poverty and depressing social condition, how she got the idea for Harry Potter series, and how she coped with shocking instant fame. Frankly, I felt satisfied after reading this book. It’s like I know J. K. Rowling personally since forever. That’s a nice feeling indeed. All in all, I like this book, but not liking it enough I guess. Apparently I’m okay enough in swapping this book for another book. 

Then again, I should mention my appreciation for Ismawan because, man, he really did his research for this book. I can’t imagine how much data he should read, sorted, analyzed, and compiled. He was able to deliver all those data into a long flowing story telling writing. I enjoyed this book well enough more than most biographies that intend to bore me out. Although, I did find some overlapping information and a bit confusing plot here and there, it’s not really bothering me. But, what can I say? Biography is not my favorite kind of book after all.

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When I knew I will experience a book-swap for the second time... (not for Sailor Moon this time)