If you’ve been reading my blog, you know I’m listening to the Harry Potter audiobooks right now.  I finished listening to Goblet of Fire on Saturday and I just started listening to Order of the Phoenix.

I’m not sure if you remember my review of the movie for Order of the Phoenix when it came out a couple of years ago, but I posted a couple of complaints I had about the movie.  My main complaint was about the dementors.  I said:

First, the dementors in the movie grabbed and choked Harry as they tried to “kiss” him. In the books, dementors don’t grab people. (The only time they actually touch someone is when they’re “carrying” you to prison as a policeman would an assailant.) Once the dementors come close enough to you, you feel “as though all happiness [has] gone from the world … and [you remember] … dreadful things” as stated by Arabella Figg in the book. The dementors don’t need to grab or choke you before they “kiss” you.

I just finished listening to the first chapter.  And, to my surprise, I heard:

But there was no happiness in him….  The dementor’s icy fingers were closing on his throat….

:oops: I’ve read Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix three times now and I never realized they actually grabbed Harry until now.  I feel really sheepish for making such a big deal about it when the movie came out.  I guess I have one less complaint about the movie now. :roll:

I need to be more forgiving when I watch movies made from books.  This realization will be very helpful this year with the upcoming releases of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince and New Moon.  I need to remember even though the movies may not follow the books exactly or they may not portray exactly what I have pictured in my mind, they’re still bringing my favorite stories to life, making them seem more real.  And, that makes the movies worth watching (unless, of course, they’re blatantly wrong in every aspect like the first Dune movie ;) ).