J.K. Rowling - A Biography

by Sean Smith

Recounts the life and career of the author of the "Harry Potter" books.

Genres: Biography, Nonfiction, Harry Potter, Biography Memoir, Literature, Memoir, British Literature

248 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1999

About the author

Sean Smith is the UK’s leading celebrity biographer and the author of the number one bestseller Cheryl, as well as bestselling books about Tom Jones, Robbie Williams and Kate Middleton.

His books about the most famous people of our times has been translated throughout the world. His subjects include Adele, Kim Kardashian, Gary Barlow, Kylie Minogue, Justin Timberlake, Britney Spears, Victoria Beckham, Jennifer Aniston and J.K. Rowling. The film Magic Beyond Words: The J.K. Rowling Story was based on his biography of the Harry Potter author.

Described by the Independent as a ‘fearless chronicler’, he specialises in meticulous research, going ‘on the road’ to find the real person behind the star image.

Reviews

[Joan Sebastián Araujo Arenas · Rating 2 out of 5]

No dejo de pensar en lo que dice Anton Ego en Ratatouille (2007): «no cualquiera puede ser un gran artista, pero un gran artista puede provenir de cualquier lado». Creo que esto se aplica a Rowling perfectamente. No cualquiera podría haber hecho lo que ella hizo, pero nadie se creería que alguien que fue pobre, que fue abandonada por su esposo y rechazada en un comienzo por varios editores, podría haber surgido como la escritora revelación del siglo. Y digo esto último en el sentido en el que, desde que el primer libro de la saga fue publicada, la sombra de Rowling se expandió, y ya no habrá nadie en el siglo XXI que no conozca al menos por qué es famosa.

Esta biografía, que llegó a publicarse cuando la saga aún no estaba terminada, ofrece...

El resto de la reseña se encuentra en mi blog: https://jsaaopinionpersonal.wordpress...

[chucklesthescot · Rating 1 out of 5]

'Exhaustive research'? I don't agree with that at all. This strikes me as the type of fluff that someone tries to rush out in order to be the first biography written about the celebrity. There was no meat on the subject and not much inspiration and I'd personally advise people not to expect great things from this book if you go to read it. I think I'd prefer an autobiography by JK herself!

[Sarah Somehagen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've always admired Rowling a great deal. Not only did she write my all time favorite book series, she also seems like a very brave and intelligent woman who goes her own way.

So therefor I was very eager to read this book. At first I was very disappointed. The beginning was slow, boring and didn't say anything at all about Joanne as a person. The author wrote about her parents, where they lived and how much they paid for their house and so on. He also made a lot of lame attempts to make connections between Joanne's life and the Harry Potter books, which felt very farfetched.

But it got more interesting when he wrote about Joanne's life in Portugal and her success with Harry Potter. So the second half of the book made the read worthwhile for me. I'd only recommend it to hardcore Potter and Rowling fans, though.

[Taher Bellah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Looks like trauma is the mother of all genius.

[Gabriel Woods · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the first contemporary biography I have ever read for the same reasons as I found this book was effected by. Paragraphs of facts with little use of the imagination and limited description of the people that are being discussed.
I am ghost writing my first biography currently about a local lady who most of her life experienced institutional abuse. I read this book to give me an idea of what a contemporary biography might look like. I have read books about Patrick Pearse and additional historical texts to research my books Easter Rising 1916 A Family Answers The Call For Ireland's Freedom 1st and 2nd Editions..To some the historical biographies were interesting and exciting, they were about principled people of action. I thought that if I read a contemporary biography I might be better informed than how historical biographies are written.
Even history books and biographies did not reveal the truth and personalities of the amazing people that took part in the Easter Rising as I believe them to have been .

I decided to introduce fictional characters and possibly fictional conversations among the leaders.This was not part of my original plan for how I wanted to write the book but I did not realise the lack of information these historical biographies contained. I decided to introduce to people interested in this horrifying event through these characters the brutality and the feelings of terror, other emotions and thoughts that many involved in the Easter Rising would naturally have felt as human beings during this rebellion in Ireland that I had not read in any history books.
Yet history teachers during my schooling did impart to their students the living nightmare for the people in Dublin that fateful week which was the Rising. They went to great lengths for their young students to express the amazing rebels involved and the horrifying events which captivated their students and especially me.
Given the violent situations these men, lovers of peace and equality, found themselves faced with the conversations I created may easily have occurred.

I introduced in my book Easter Rising 1916 A Family Answers The Call For Ireland's Freedom a myriad of feelings including terror and thoughts that are absent in any history book I ever read which would naturally have been what people experienced during Easter week. I wrote snippets of information about the leaders that many people would not be aware of.

Tourists including English people were caught up in the crossfire and destruction. Even a few of the most high class hotels in Dublin city centre were blown apart. English and Irish soldiers were involved and many were recorded as not desiring to destroy the city of Dublin and killing masses of people but were ordered to do so. If these soldiers did not do as commanded they too would have been shot.
Yet many history books do not discuss this vitally important information I have included in my books Easter Rising 1916 A Family Answers The Call For Ireland's Freedom, those involved and particularly the leaders of the Easter Rising 1916.

JK Rowling - A Biography just like many history books and some biographies of other famous people gave little facts about JK the actual person and instead I read pages and pages about her accolades and successes. But the actual lady that I wanted to learn about, how she thought, what her life experiences meant to her, how she was affected by her life past and present were mostly missing. For me there was a lack of detail when these were written by the biographer as if these aspects were not worth mentioning.

This was also a positive book because there were two chapters based on how serendipity played a huge part with the success of her books, how she was "lucky" and "fortunate". These events were useful to know. However being an author myself and having authors as friends I know that serendipity plays a part in the success of books but for a writer to write a book; even one book, there is a lot of action and determination needed as well as fun. Years may pass, if ever, before an author is given the recognition that JK worked hard to receive. I have no doubt she enjoyed writing the Harry Potter series.

Many authors write because they have an innate desire or need to do so. Writing is as necessary as breathing to many authors including me. Sucess and public recognition is the icing on the cake. I am sure JK Rowling worked very hard to achieve her goals as I believe at least some action is needed for people to partner with serendipity so that dreams can come true. For many authors myself included being a writer is our identity, writing is our way of life. That kind of information, what that felt like to JK Rowling, I would have been happy to read in this book. JK has written at least nine books but strangely not a word was written about these important aspects of her as an author.

I would be disappointed if I was written about as almost a shadow in my own life. The biographer did make an honest effort to describe JK and her life but I feel he did not write about the actual person. Jk must have an amazing mind, be an absolute genious and have a wonderful view of people, life and the world to write as she does. This information would have been wonderful for me to have read about in this biography.
It is possible JK did not want too much detail about her to be released as she is said to be a very private person. If that is so I write with sincerity that the author did well in giving just enough information to offer a hint of JK Rowling.the person.

I think it would be fair to say that given the focus of the biographer earlier in the book on JK's achievements and at the end of the book on her wealth and how spin offs from her books such as companies being for example given the rights to sell duvets with Harry Potter images printed on them shows the importance the biographer places on prestige and money not JK.

JK was a lone parent when she became successful. She later donated large sums of money to a lone parents charity organisation when she was becoming wealthy. She also took part in Comic Relief to name but a few charities she became involved in. Rowling wrote speeches that spoke volumes to the prestigious attendees of high profile events asking the attendees to consider the importance of equality. Yet the charitable aspect of her and her desire for a fair society were only mentioned in a few sentences .

Even the characters in JK Rowling's books proove her desire for equality and a dislike for people who are abusive. Not an obsession with money and status.

I think the biographer should have realised that JK Rowling is an author, not a banker. Books written to the best of the author's ability is what is very dear to them. JK's obvious deep love for her daughter clearly surpassed in importance any other desire but the writing of her books was next in importance. In my experience as an author, having friends as authors and assisting other authors writing the perfect book or writing as close to the perfect book as we can get is our aim. Any success is a bonus.
It is a pity the biographer did not include that which at least is an aspect of JK Rowling and JK the author as well as millionaire. It was her skill as an author and brilliantly written books that generated her success which should have been discussed more by the biographer

[Natalia Hałapacz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nie wiem, czy jestem odpowiednią osobą do recenzowania czegokolwiek związanego z Harrym Potterem. To seria, która była moją pierwszą lekturą i towarzyszy mi od lat dzieciństwa aż do dziś. Wszystko, co z nią związane, budzi we mnie ogromny sentyment, a ponieważ jestem osobą sentymentalną, uwielbiam wracać do tego magicznego świata w nostalgiczne zimowe wieczory. Tym razem sięgnęłam jednak nie po samą powieść, lecz po biografię jej autorki – J.K. Rowling. Biografia autorstwa Seana Smitha. Książka ta opowiada o życiu Rowling od jej młodości aż do momentu wydania czwartej części Harry’ego Pottera (ponieważ to właśnie wtedy biografia została opublikowana). To historia kobiety, która – mimo skrajnej biedy, licznych traum, śmierci matki, nieudanego małżeństwa i wielu porażek – nigdy się nie poddała i osiągnęła niepowtarzalny sukces pisarski.
Największą wartością tej biografii jest ukazanie, jak wielki wpływ na Harry’ego Pottera miało życie jego autorki. Niektóre wydarzenia, postacie i emocje odzwierciedlają osobiste doświadczenia Rowling, co czyni całą serię jeszcze bardziej autentyczną. Liczby podane w tej książce – dotyczące sprzedaży, popularności czy wpływu Harry’ego Pottera na świat – robią ogromne wrażenie i pokazują skalę fenomenu, który wykroczył daleko poza literaturę. Polecam tę biografię wszystkim fanom Harry’ego Pottera i osobom, które interesuje historia niezwykle inspirującej kobiety. To opowieść o determinacji, pasji i sile wyobraźni – cechach, które sprawiły, że J.K. Rowling stała się jedną z najważniejszych pisarek naszych czasów.

[Barack Liu · Rating 5 out of 5]

563- The Genius Behind Harry Potter -Sean Smith-Biography-1999

Barack
May 28th 2025

The Genius Behind Harry Potter, first published in 1999. It details her life from childhood to school in the West Country; the impact of her mother's wasting disease on her; her time at Exeter University; her long-term relationship, career and marriage, which broke down after thirteen months and she returned to England with her young daughter. The Harry Potter novels are more than just a work of art, with a gritty writing style, realism and a probing morality that goes beyond mere adventure, magic and the battle between good and evil. How the books were written and the factors that influenced them and their author form the core of this inspiring biography.

JKRowling was born in Yate, Gloucestershire, England in 1965. Her original name was Joanne Rowling. She studied at the University of Exeter (BA). She married in 1992 and divorced in 1995. In 1990, she worked as a researcher and bilingual secretary for Amnesty International when she came up with the idea of writing the Harry Potter series of novels. In the following seven years, she experienced the death of her mother, the birth of her first child, divorce from her first husband, and a relatively poor life until she published the first novel of the series (seven books), Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, in 1997.

Rowling's parents met on a train at King's Cross; her entrance into the wizarding world was "Platform 9 3/4 at King's Cross". Rowling always wanted to be a writer, but was influenced by her parents to study French and Classics at Exeter University for practical reasons, as her parents believed that being able to speak two languages would improve her job prospects.

In mid-1990, she was on a four-hour delayed train from Manchester to London when the characters of Harry Potter, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger came to her mind. Without paper or pen, she could fully explore the characters and their stories in her imagination before returning to her apartment to start writing.

Her mother died of multiple sclerosis on December 30, 1990. At the time, she was writing Harry Potter, but never told her mother. Her mother's death had a significant impact on Rowling's writing. She later said that her novel The Mirror of Erised was about her mother's death, noting the "obvious similarities" between Harry dealing with his own mortality and his mother's life.

The Mirror of Erised is a mysterious mirror that Harry finds in an abandoned classroom in The Philosopher's Stone. It has the inscription "erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi". If it is mirrored and aligned correctly, it reads "I show you not your face, but the desire of your heart". Since "erised" is "desire" backwards, it is the "Mirror of Desire". Harry sees his parents, as well as a group of relatives in front of the mirror. The last thing Harry sees in the mirror is Voldemort being defeated.

Dumbledore warned Harry that the mirror gave neither knowledge nor truth, it only revealed the deepest desires of the viewer. People wasted their lives in front of the mirror, obsessed with what they saw.

The Mirror of Erised is the final protection for the Philosopher's Stone in the first novel. Dumbledore hid the mirror and the Philosopher's Stone inside because he knew that only someone who wanted to find the Philosopher's Stone but didn't want to use it could get it. Anyone else who saw themselves making the Elixir of Life or turning things into gold, without actually finding the Philosopher's Stone, couldn't get it either. What happens to the mirror after that is unknown.

The pain of losing her mother was further exacerbated when some of her personal belongings were stolen. After breaking up with her boyfriend and being "sacked from her office job in Manchester", Rowling described herself as being in a state of "fight or flight". In November 1991, an ad in The Guardian led her to move to Porto, Portugal, to teach English as a foreign language at night and write during the day.

Five months after arriving in Porto, Rowling met Portuguese TV journalist Jorge Arantes in a bar and discovered that they shared an interest in Jane Austen. In mid-1992, they were planning a trip to London to introduce Arantes to Rowling's family, but Rowling suffered a miscarriage. Despite their relationship problems, the two married on October 16, 1992. By this time, Rowling had completed the first three chapters of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone - almost exactly as they would eventually be published - and finished drafts of the rest of the novel.

Rowling separated from Arantes after he kicked her out on 17 November 1993; she returned with the police to retrieve Jessica and her belongings, and went into hiding for two weeks before leaving Portugal. In late 1993, Rowling moved to Edinburgh, Scotland with the Harry Potter manuscripts, planning to live with her sister (Dianne Rowling) until Christmas.

Rowling sought government assistance, receiving £69 ($103) a week from the Social Security Board; in order not to burden her newly married sister, she moved to a flat she believed was infested with rats. She later described her financial situation as "as poor as it could be in modern Britain, if not homeless". Seven years after graduating from university, she considered herself a failure. Tyson Pugh writes: "The scourge of poverty, combined with the anxiety of being a single mother to support her daughter, led to great difficulties". Her marriage had failed, she was out of work and had a child to raise, but she later described this as "liberating" her to focus on writing. She said "it was Jessica who kept me going". Her old schoolmate Sean Harris lent her £600 ($900) to move to a flat in Leith, where she completed The Philosopher's Stone.

In early 1994, Rowling began to suffer from severe depression, and when she contemplated suicide, she sought medical help. After nine months of treatment, her mental health gradually improved. She filed for divorce on August 10, 1994; the divorce was finalized on June 26, 1995.

After completing her first novel, Rowling began a teacher training course at Morehouse College of Education in August 1995. In July 1996, she received her teaching certificate and began teaching at Leith College. Rowling later said that writing the first Harry Potter book saved her life, and her concerns about "love, loss, separation, death... were all reflected in the first book".

Rowling completed Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone in June 1995. The first draft included an illustration of Harry sitting by a fireplace, showing him with a lightning-shaped scar on his forehead. After an enthusiastic report from an early reader, Christopher Little Literary Agency agreed to represent Rowling. Her manuscript was submitted to 12 publishers, but all rejected. Barry Cunningham, head of children's literature at Bloomsbury Publishing, bought it after Nigel Newton, who was in charge of Bloomsbury at the time, saw his eight-year-old daughter want to read more after finishing a chapter. Rowling recalled Cunningham telling her, "Jo, you'll never make money with children's books." The Arts Council of Scotland awarded Rowling a writer's grant to cover childcare and financial expenses before the publication of Sorcerer's Stone, as well as to assist with the writing of the sequel, Chamber of Secrets. On 26 June 1997, Bloomsbury published Sorcerer's Stone in an initial print run of 5,650 copies.

The Sorcerer's Stone was published in the United States in September 1998. Although the book was not widely reviewed, the overall reviews were positive. By December, The Sorcerer's Stone had become a New York Times bestseller. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, based on the first Harry Potter novel, was released in November 2001.

Rowling has cited Jessica Mitford as her greatest influence. She has said that "Mitford has been my hero since I was 14, when I overheard my formidable great-aunt talking about how Mitford ran away from home at 19 to join the Red Army in the Spanish Civil War". Mitford inspired her because she was "hopelessly, instinctively rebellious, brave, adventurous, funny and irreverent, and she loved nothing more than a good fight, preferably against a megalomaniacal and hypocritical cause". As a child, Rowling read The Chronicles of Narnia by CS Lewis, The Little White Pony by Elizabeth Gooch, The Isle of Mouse by Paul Gallico, and books by E. Nesbitt and Noel Streatfield. Rowling has described Jane Austen as her "favorite author of all time".

Death is a theme that Rowling uses throughout the Harry Potter books. In the first book, when Harry looks into the Mirror of Erised, he sees his longed-for parents, alive and with him, and feels both joy and "a terrible sadness". Facing the loss of his parents is central to Harry's character arc, and manifests in different ways throughout the novels, such as his battle with the Dementors. Other characters in Harry's life also die; in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, he even faces his own mortality. Rowling has spoken about her treatment of themes of death and loss in the series. Her mother died shortly after she began writing The Philosopher's Stone, and she has said, "I really think that from that moment on, death became a central theme, if not the central theme, of these seven books." Rowling has described Harry as "the prism through which I view death", and further stated that "all my characters are defined by their attitudes toward death and the possibility of death".

Forbes estimates that Rowling's charitable contributions through 2012 totaled $160 million. She was the second-largest donor in the U.K. in 2015 (after singer Elton John), with donations totaling about $14 million.

Sean Smith is a famous British celebrity biographer and the author of the bestselling book Cheryl. His books have also made the Sunday Times bestseller list, all about Tom Jones, Robbie Williams and Kate Middleton. His books about the most famous people of our time have been translated into many languages and widely circulated around the world. His characters include Adele, George Michael, Ed Sheeran, Kim Kardashian, the Spice Girls, Gary Barlow, Kylie Minogue, Justin Timberlake, Britney Spears and Jennifer Aniston. The movie "Silent Magic: The JK Rowling Story" is adapted from his biography of the author of "Harry Potter".

Table of Contents
One: Opening the Chamber
Two: A bookish Child
Three: A Rebel in Hiding
Fifteen: And the Winner is...
Sixteen: Fort Knox
Seventeen: A New Chapter

My motivation to read this book actually stems from a sudden emotional shock. On March 21, I received a piece of news that brought me a great psychological shock. Unfortunately, this shock was negative, and it was difficult for me to calm down for a while. So I thought that maybe I could find some inner support again through reading, even if it was just a little comfort. This book depicts the image of JK Rowling from a more media-oriented perspective. It should be said that her "personality" is quite successful in public communication. Even before reading this book, I did not systematically understand her life, but I still had a labeled impression of her experience-a divorced single mother, struggling to complete the first part of "Harry Potter" with her children in a difficult life. This image is deeply rooted in my heart, and it also reminds me of another writer who impressed me-Stephenie Meyer, the author of "Twilight". She once said that the inspiration for "Twilight" came from a dream, and she followed this dream to write the whole story. In contrast, Stephenie Meyer's life trajectory is obviously much smoother, at least from the perspective of an observer, it is smooth and stable. Rowling's experience can be said to be a rebirth after a deep struggle. How do people find an emotional outlet when they encounter major setbacks or difficulties? Not everyone has a talent for music or literary writing. Ordinary people may just talk to friends or remain silent when faced with pressure . But those who are lucky enough to have the ability to express themselves in art can solidify their intense emotions in some form, turn them into works, pass them on to the world, and comfort themselves. When reading this book, I didn't just want to understand Rowling as a person, but was trying to find an explanation - how to keep moving forward in the worst times? How can we not be completely swallowed up by negative emotions? Rowling's experience itself is an answer. Her creation is not only a response to her own situation, but also a way to break free from the shackles of fate. In her own way, she wrote a story about hope, courage and growth for the world, and inadvertently comforted people like me who longed for a little light in the emotional trough.

JK Rowling's parents, who were two 18-year-old young people at the time, boarded a train to Scotland at Platform 10 of King's Cross Station and happened to sit next to each other. This 9-hour journey became the starting point of their fate. It is precisely because of this family memory that Rowling later set King's Cross Station as an important scene in "Harry Potter": Harry set off from Platform 9 ¾ to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The real King's Cross Station has gradually become closely connected with this novel. In 1999, the station erected an iconic "Platform 9 ¾" iron plate on the wall of the annex between Platforms 9 and 10, and embedded a trolley that seemed to be half-penetrated into the wall to commemorate the scene in the novel. In 2012, the installation was rebuilt again, and the platform sign and trolley were moved to the wall between Platforms 8 and 9, and an owl cage and luggage props were added to create a stronger "sense of being in the play". Next to the trolley, there is also a special store selling Harry Potter peripherals, the "Platform 9 ¾ Memorial Store", which has become a pilgrimage site for fans to check in. Seeing this reminds me of my own personal experience: During my undergraduate graduation trip, I went to Japan with my classmates. At that time, some classmates were anime fans and took us to the real locations where some anime works were filmed. I later learned that there is a special word for this kind of fan pilgrimage called "holy land tour". In fact, it is not only anime or novels that have "holy places". In a sense, each of us has a similar "Platform 9 ¾ " in our hearts. Art comes from life, and memories in life will also become meaningful because of people. Many times, what is really important is not the place itself, but the special time you and a special person experienced together in that place. It's like you once did a seemingly simple thing with someone on an ordinary street corner, but because the other person means a lot to you, that moment and that place are permanently sealed in your memory and become your own "secret passage". JK Rowling turned the memories of her parents into a portal to the magical world. We may not have magic, but our memories can transform the most ordinary moments in life into the most shining memories because of a special person.

On December 30, 1990, Anna Rowling, the mother of JK Rowling, died of illness at the age of 45. Joanna (Rowling's real name) was not at home at that time. She remembered that she said goodbye to her mother before leaving home, but she didn't realize that it was the last time they would see each other in this life. That night, she spent Christmas with her boyfriend and his family. Many years later, Rowling still wrote: "I still can't write about her without crying." Reading this, I can't help but think of the words we have heard since childhood-some people you don't see today, you may never see them again in this life. Sometimes it is separation in life, sometimes it is separation in death. Is separation in death more painful than separation in life? I think, if a person is still alive, but can't meet you again in the rest of his life, is there really such a big difference between "separation in life" and "separation in death"? Maybe we have seen many similar stories and heard countless joys and sorrows of others, but in the final analysis, no matter how much "empathy" we have, it is just imagination. After all, we can't really understand the pain of others. Because of this, when someone you love is going through the darkest moment of their life, what we can do is not to try to "understand" but to "accompany". Even if you cannot empathize with them, you should be willing to accompany them patiently through this difficult journey. I am gradually understanding that death is just an extreme form of "separation". If we can truly understand the meaning of "separation", perhaps we can learn what love is.

On a Saturday night in March 1992, Joanna Rowling met her first husband in a pub. It was an ordinary yet special night - two people who had never met before started a conversation because of their common love for Jane Austen's "Sense and Sensibility", and started a fateful entanglement. Rowling herself didn't talk much about this relationship. She rarely mentioned her ex-husband in public. However, after she became famous, her ex-husband took the initiative to tell the media in detail about their past. I always feel that if a relationship is sincere, then it should be respected even after it ends. Especially when the other party chooses to remain silent, it is even more wrong to make public those details that should only belong to two people for money or attention. It is a betrayal of each other's feelings and a harm to the person you once loved. If you really miss that time and really regret what you did, you can actually choose a more gentle and secretive way to commemorate it - write a novel, make a game, or just a short sentence that you know the meaning of, instead of selling your "memories" to the public after the other person becomes famous by taking advantage of her halo. That is not nostalgia, that is consumption; that is not regret, that is blasphemy. It is said that they kissed that night and spent the night together a few days later. Rowling also experienced a miscarriage. It was not until August 28, 1992 that the man proposed to her. She wrote down that moment in a letter to the man: "On August 28, 1992, Jock Marion proposed to Joanna Rowling, which surprised him almost more than she did." When I read this sentence, I seemed to imagine the expression on her face when she wrote this line. At that moment, she should be happy, with a smile that came from the sudden promise. Sometimes fate is so wonderful. It never tells you when Cupid's arrow will shoot at you, nor does it predict where a r

[Sandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a nice introduction to JK's life, but in fact.. if I'm really honest.. I would advice everyone to watch the documentary on the bonus disc of the 6th movie instead. It's much more gripping that way and that was my biggest problem with this book. The things that happened were horrible at times but I just wasn't feeling it. Despite being a biography, I think that definitely should have been in there. But the general feeling about Jo's past and childhood was overall just.. wrong I think. It was all rather positive and somehow that's not the idea that I got from Jo herself in the beforementioned documentary.

Another complaint is with the translation. I read this in Dutch and the Dutch translation wasn't too splendid.

Also I didn't get the feeling that Sean Smith checked a lot of the facts with Jo herself. Many others, yes, but Joanne was only quoted from interviews and that actually frustrated me. Not to say this was badly researched, but it just irks me when it was concluded that this or that in the Harry Potter books was based on this or that event from Jo's life without getting the feeling that this was actually the case.. It just felt like something Smith concluded..

That said, the book definitely picked up in the second half and did make an enjoyable read. It just wasn't as good as it could have been.

[Betül · Rating 4 out of 5]

I recommend this book to all Potterheads.

Although the first pages (till around page 76), it is a bit boring and is more like scattered information about the early years of J.K. Rowling rather than a meaningful biography with every chapter leading to a conclusion.

Be patient, after that first part, the book gets very interesting and turns into a well-narrated biography with reasonable information rather than just random facts scattered around.

The book ends before Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, but it is a good biography narrating both the good and the bad turning points in Joanne's life that led to Harry Potter books in the end.

It clearly shows Harry Potter is not just success-overnight. It was hard-work, intelligence and good-timing all combined nicely in one young woman's life with many ups and downs.

[Maria · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I read it I was curious to know what gave a human this kind of inspiration to write a story such as Harry Potter.
My curiosity was satisfied because in the end I realized, one only needs to be a human with heart and to allow themselves to create as many stories as they need in order to survive.

[Michelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

I still don’t feel like I know the woman, but it served as a small dose of inspiration.

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

And now I get to learn all about my all time favorite author!

[Carla Parreira]

Sempre amei livros com histórias de magias, encantos e ficções como os de Harry Potter. Os livros dela têm a saga de explorar o conflito entre o bem e o mal. O herói é alguém simples e ingênuo que possui um mentor amigável que o ajuda a crescer. O inimigo é voltado para o mal sendo o vilão da história. Ele começa enfraquecido tentando recuperar o poder e é derrotado porque o herói se torna forte e é bom de coração. Existe muito de J. K. Rowling nos personagens de seus livros, principalmente em Harry e Hermione, dois dos personagens principais.
Todo o resto de certa forma também tem bastante a ver com suas vivências. Nas histórias de Harry Potter os animais são muito importantes principalmente no modo como são usados para discutir a moralidade e a fragilidade das emoções humanas. Eles assumem papéis importantes e nem sempre são aquilo que parecem ser. Acho legal ter isso anotado caso, algum dia, resolva transformar minhas escritas em algum conto mais fantasioso.
Outro ponto legal diz respeito ao marketing: o nome da autora foi adaptado estrategicamente já que, baseado em pesquisas de seu editor Christopher Little, as meninas liam livros infantis escritos por homens e, os meninos, não leriam um livro escrito por uma mulher. Assim ela acrescentou o K. do nome de sua avó Kathleen. O livro relata que os três importantes ingredientes de formação do sucesso de Joanne foram: primeiro seu talento natural e a obsessão por exercê-lo. Segundo foram os tempos difíceis que fortificaram seu caráter e, em terceiro, o trabalho árduo com uma concentração autodisciplinada e dedicada a atingir o objetivo de qualquer maneira. Por fim uma dica: apenas talento não basta para fazer um escritor. É preciso haver um ser humano por trás do livro.

[Charlie Petters · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sean Smith writes a wonderful biography about JK Rowling. No hype, no exaggerations, and no gossip. He writes about someone that wanted to be a writer, all her life. She never gave up on that dream, no matter what hardships she faced. It has been said that people don’t fail, they quit too soon. JK Rowling, thankfully, didn’t quit too soon. Her story about how she came from where she was and got to where she did is a story about believing in yourself and following your dream. It doesn’t matter what the dream is; whether is competing in the Olympics, becoming a professional athlete or musician, or anything else; don’t give up on the dream. I highly recommend reading this book for those that have a dream and need a little inspiration to keep on dreaming and don’t accept defeat. I give this one 6-stars out of five!

[PleaseJustLetMeRead · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is decent, at most. Sean Smith tries to give the full picture of Joanne Rowling, but makes a lot of mistakes along the road, which could easily have been avoided with a tiny bit of extra research. I know, I know, it's an older book by now, and we know a lot more about the Harry Potter universe and Joanne Rowling now than we did back when this book was published, but how hard can it be, when you're allready in the process of researching for the book? It just seems a bit unprofessional, and takes a lot of the seriousness from the book. I LOVE learning more about the Harry Potter universe and Joanne Rowling, as she is my all-time favourite author (no offense to anyone else meant, but she's almost a goddess), but this book is missing out on a lot of possibilities.

[Claireybow · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really love JKRowling. I love her life story & although, this book was repetative, I enjoyed it. Not for the writing, but the information given. I enjoyed reading snippets from previous interviews with Joanne Rowling that I haven't read or seen. There were plenty of quotes from sources too, which I enjoyed.
I found it amusing too, but that's from the view of someone in 2019, long after all the books & films have been produced. It was cool to see the expectations of people and relive it myself. Finding myself saying "Oh, I thought that" or "I remember wondering if this was going to happen".

[Marry Hasipi Hasipi Murínová · Rating 2 out of 5]

Očakávala som od knihy oveľa viac. Z toho, čo som prečítala autor knihy sa nikdy nestretol osobne s J.Rowlingovou ani sa s ňou nerozprával. Preto je kniha len plná výpovedí ľudí, ktorí ju "poznali" a historických faktov, kde sa kedy nachádzala a aký rozhovor dala. Suchá biografia nezainteresovaného človeka s chuťou zarobiť na boome Harry Potter.

[Upen · Rating 2 out of 5]

First half of this book is so boring and so badly written. I was looking for a insightful book about this amazing women who has achieved so much and her story is so inspiring but this book sheds not much on her life in the first half. 2nd half gets better as we start to learn how it all began and a little of her thought process.

[Jonas Lykke Martinet · Rating 2 out of 5]

The subject of this biography interested me a lot, but the authors Way of writing it was a bit boring and superficial. Though it was exciting to see what was written about Rowling as far back as 2001 and to see some guesses on the rest of the Potter story, it felt like a summary of interviews from talkshows and such combined with gossip from Old teachers.

[Nina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Es bonito darte cuenta que la saga de libros más famosa, vendida e icónica del mundo inició como cualquier creación literaria: Una idea. Y de parte de una escritora principiante y pobre, que se convertiría en la aclamada autora que es ahora. Es inspirador leer la historia real atrás del fantástico mundo de Harry Potter.

[Farah Mehar · Rating 5 out of 5]

This journey began with a girl then became a lady who lived with her own imagination and a mother created magic. Finally she is a millionaire woman. Those who are Potter books love that they are connected only.I was enjoying it.Potter 🤓lovers @ must read it📖💖

[Caroline · Rating 3 out of 5]

Because I am a big HP fan I enjoyed this, but parts of it are padded out with excessive detail about things only tangentially related to JK Rowling. I wouldn’t recommend it to someone with only a passing interest in HP.

[Jacqueline Hjorth · Rating 4 out of 5]

slightly dull in the beginning but got more and more exciting as I read on! good read about an interesting woman.

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought this book was very interesting. It was amazing to see how J.K. Rowling came through the hardships she faced and gave us the masterpiece we know to be Harry Potter.

[Lois]

Another book that slipped under the radar, which I read when I was 14-15. I enjoyed it!

[Merel Maas · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ik kwam niet door dit boek heen tot ik op een bladzijde of 100 was. Daarna was haar leven zeker interessant beschreven, maar ik vind Sean Smith teveel informeel schrijven... niet fijn om te lezen

[Dixie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A little dated

Overall this biography about J.K. Rowling is an informative and interesting read. Unfortunately, it doesn't include anything past 2003 leaving it a bit dated.

[Gerri · Rating 3 out of 5]

Left me wanting to know a lot more about Joanne Rowling.

[Fiona Skywalker]

Read this circa 20y ago when I was at school and she was the most famous author on the planet. Her books meant so much to me growing up.

[Sensi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Brakuje mi tu polskiego wydania.