J. K. Rowling's popular series of books about the boy wizard Harry Potter has captivated readers of all ages around the world. Selling more than 400 million copies, and adapted into highly successful feature films, the stories have attracted both critical acclaim and controversy.
In this collection of brand new essays, an international team of contributors examines the complete Harry Potter series from a variety of critical angles and approaches. There are discussions on topics ranging from fairytale, race and gender, through to food, medicine, queer theory and the occult. The volume also includes coverage of the films and the afterlife of the series with the opening of Rowling's 'Pottermore' website.
Essential reading for anyone with an interest in the Harry Potter phenomenon, this exciting resource provides thoughtful new ways of exploring the issues and concepts found within Rowling's world.
List of Abbreviations
Series Editor's Preface
Notes on Contributors
Introduction; C.Hallett
Glorious Food? The Literary and Culinary Heritage of the Harry Potter Series; S.Harris
A Fairy Tale Crew? J.K. Rowling's Characters Under Scrutiny; A.Klaus
The Way of the Wizarding World: Harry Potter and the Magical Bildungsroman; R.T.Tally, Jr.
Bewitching, Abject, Uncanny: Other Spaces in the Harry Potter Films; F.Pheasant-Kelly
Free Will and Determinism: A 'Compatibilist' Reading of J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter Series; C.M.Fouque
Dumbledore's Ethos of Love in Harry Potter; L.Guanio-Uluru
Harry Potter and the Origins of the Occult; E.McAvan
Wizard's Justice and Elf Liberation: Politics and Political Activism in Harry Potter; M.Schulzke
What It Means To Be A Half-Blood: Integrity Versus Fragmentation in Biracial Identity; T.Stockslager
Magic, Medicine and Harry Potter; C.Partin
Harry Potter and the Myriad Mothers: The Maternal Figure as Lioness, Witch and Wardrobe; R.Weaver & K.McMahon-Coleman
'I knew a girl once, whose hair...': Dumbledore and the Closet; J.Daems
'Neither can live while the other survives': Harry Potter and the Extratextual (After)life of J.K. Rowling; P.Ingleton
Further Reading
Index.
