One Fine Potion: The Literary Magic of Harry Potter

by Greg Garrett

Overview

One of the most beloved stories in history, J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter series topped the best-seller charts, inspired the highest-grossing film series of all time, and has now become a $250 million Universal Studio theme park. What is it about this story that has ignited such fandom and struck such a chord with people around the world? As English professor, culture critic, and Potter devotee Greg Garrett explains, these novels not only entertain but teach deeply held truths about ourselves, others, and the world around us. Unlocking the textual intricacies behind the Harry Potter narrative, Garrett reveals Rowling's magical formula—one that, he contends, earns her a place right next to the literary giants of old.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781602581982
Publisher:	Baylor University Press
Publication date:	10/15/2010
Pages:	160
Sales rank:	615,648
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.50(h) x 0.60(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Greg Garrett is Professor of English at Baylor University. He is author of the critically acclaimed novel Free Bird, selected as one of the best first novels in 2002 by Publisher's Weekly and the Denver Rocky Mountain News, as well as The Gospel According to Hollywood and Holy Superheroes. He lives in Austin, Texas.

Read an Excerpt

It was Friday night, July 21, 2007, a hot summer night in Austin, Texas. I realized, as I wiped sweat from my forehead for the fiftieth time, my discomfort couldn't have been much compared to that of my nine-year-old son, Chandler, or, for that matter, to that of any of the others around us wearing robes, cloaks, tall wizard's hats, wigs and false facial hair, and other unseasonal—and unusual—garb. All five thousand of us overheated human beings were milling about in the parking lot of Book People, waiting for midnight, when 1,500 lucky people with book vouchers were going to take home Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows....

From a literary standpoint, we might explain that Rowling creates compelling characters and a world where magic is possible, dragons breathe flame, and giants stomp, but she is hardly the first to do this, or even to do it well; she does, however, join the elite club of writers of powerful fantasy or 'children's' tales, such as C. S. Lewis and J. R. R. Tolkien, whose works are read by children and teens, and then reread by them, often throughout their lives. As Lewis noted in his role as literary critic, when a book is powerful enough to not only be read but reread, then those who return to it must be gaining something more than mere excitement....
—adapted from the Introduction

Table of Contents

Introduction: The Harry Potter Phenomenon

1 Platform 9¾: Magic, Power, and the Fantastic

2 The Order of the Phoenix: Community, Diversity, and Formation

3 Doing What Is Right: Heroism, Good, and Evil

4 All Was Well: Faith, Hope, and the World to Come

Notes

What People are Saying About This

Pushing past the early naysayers who failed to see the deep, abiding Christian faith animating the epic Harry Potter series, Garrett connects the dots between J. R. R. Tolkien, C. S. Lewis, and the heir to their mythic power, J. K. Rowling. Prepare to be spellbound!

Craig Detwiler

Pushing past the early naysayers who failed to see the deep, abiding Christian faith animating the epic Harry Potter series, Garrett connects the dots between J. R. R. Tolkien, C. S. Lewis, and the heir to their mythic power, J. K. Rowling. Prepare to be spellbound!

Editorial Reviews

Should evangelical Christians be alarmed by boy wizard Harry Potter? For Greg Garrett, novelist (Free Bird) and Baylor University professor of English , the answer is a resounding no. Rather, they should embrace the stories as affirming the central messages of Christianity. To show this, Garrett presents four readings of the Potter cosmos: a compelling argument about the role of magic, an explanation of the need for community, a discussion of true heroism, and an explicitly Christian exploration of Harry as savior and Dumbledore as Holy Spirit. Quotes from both the Potter novels and the Bible pepper the work, without proving intrusive. Christian elements are limited until the last section and their generic treatment will avoid alienating most readers. A few discussions (such as using the Potter novels to critique the Bush administration's position on torture) might be off-putting to those who disagree. The connection between Harry and Jesus is also introduced a bit glibly. Still, Garrett treats both the Christian and the Potter worlds with affection and passionate reverence. His work may not convert naysayers to Potter, but it will provide fans much to consider about the novels and their message of hope, joy, and love. (Oct.)

Publishers Weekly

The mark of a great book discussing the Harry Potter books, especially if, like me, you have kept abreast of the current Potter scholarship, is that you learn something knew or see the Potter books in a new light. Greg Garrett's book is exactly this sort of book, and I might even say it is [the] best introduction for the reader new to the theology of Harry Potter yet written. Garrett gave me new eyes to see in many places, or approached the books from a fresh angle.

atrossbooks.com - A. T. Ross