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Saturday, January 9, 2010

Thoughts on the Conventional Harry Potter

Some comments by Glenden Brown at OneUtah on the Harry Potter series:

"If the setting of Harry Potter is essentially and uniquely English, the themes are nevertheless present in almost all children’s literature. It seems strange to say, but Rowling’s novels are almost stultifying conventional – Harry is instantly lovable, as are Ron and Hermione, and Malfoy and his gang are instantly dislikable. Dumbledore may be slightly eccentric but he safely so. With few exceptions, Rowling’s world is unambiguous. Good guys are good, bad guys are bad. Madeleine L’Engle’s A Wrinkle in Time is far less conventional, as is The Mixed up Files of Basil E Frankweiler or almost any Judy Bloom novel; The Egypt Game is another children’s book that is notable for its unconventional approach; even John Bellairs, a relatively safe writer, creates more eccentric and unusual characters than Rowling. For all their merits – and easy readability – the first three Harry Potter novels do not push any boundaries or break new ground. Rowling’s gift is for repackaging the familiar in such a way that readers accept it and enjoy it. Within the limitations of their genre, the Harry Potter novels standout; they are successful for a reason, primarily that they do not attempt to recreate or even re-imagine the genre within which they exist."

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