Is
the Harry Potter series literary fiction? Critics and readers have
lined up on both sides of that question. Do the seven novels appeal to
grown-ups? That is indisputable, as legions of adults were as eager to
read each newly published book as were preteens who are the supposed
audience.
The youngsters attending Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
confront the adult reality of good and evil in struggles where their
lives are at risk. The first book, Harry
Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone,
sets up the central conflict of the whole series. The evil wizard Lord
Voldemort, killer of James and Lily Potter, wants to regain the power
he lost when he couldn't also murder their 1-year-old son, Harry.
Living with his mean "Muggle" (nonwizard) relatives for the next
decade, Harry finds out at age 11 that he is a wizard and will attend
Hogwarts. There he meets the characters who will figure prominently
throughout the series, including his best friends Ron and Hermione and
the wise old headmaster, Albus Dumbledore. In Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's
Stone, as
in the books that follow, danger builds as the school year progresses,
and finally Harry meets the enemy. Good triumphs, but evil isn't
totally defeated.
Readers old enough to have studied history draw parallels between
author J. K. Rowling's creations and historical events such as slavery
and historical people such as Hitler. The ugly consequences of
prejudice — against wizards who aren't pureblood, against
creatures who aren't fully human — are looked at straight on.
The
Harry Potter books aren't happily-ever-after fairy tales. The reality
of evil, refusing to give up when the fight is worth winning, facing
down foes and surviving (or maybe not): the implications of these
themes may be grasped more readily by adult readers than by children.
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