One of the main reasons why such a strong connection has been made with fans is the fact that they literally got to grow up with Harry Potter. The books were released gradually, with some going as long as two years between releases, so readers grew a lot over the course of the book series; for this reason, the book must have maintained its appeal into adolescence. Rowling's writing style managed to achieve this by starting out simply enough for a child embarking on their first novels, and developing into something much more adult and complex, compelling enough for teenagers and adults alike. . Anthony Gierzynski says that "those 10-year-olds who went to see the first movie, holding their parents' hands, ended up driving to the later midnight shows." By growing the series with fans, both literally and metaphorically, this generation was able to make Harry Potter their own. Additionally, the values ​​and beliefs of this generation have been greatly influenced by the connection to the Harry Potter series. In his essay "How Harry Potter Shaped the Political Culture of a Generation," Gierzynski goes on to argue that "reading the books correlated with a greater level of acceptance of the political culture of a generation ».