Product Description

This is part of a new series of guides to contemporary novels. The aim of the series is to give readers accessible and informative introductions to some of the most popular, most acclaimed and most influential novels of recent years – from ‘The Remains of the Day’ to ‘White Teeth’. A team of contemporary fiction scholars from both sides of the Atlantic has been assembled to provide a thorough and readable analysis of each of the novels in question.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1093997 in Books
• Published on: 2001-10
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 96 pages

Review
"By far and away the single best piece of literary criticism on the Potter series....insightful and helpful..." -- www.trelease-on-reading.com

"Nel gives the Harry Potter novels credibility as more than just a current fad...Timely and relevant." -- VOYA, February 2002

"certainly successful" -- Orana, November 2002

"…invaluable for gathering out-of-the-way or ephemeral comment from TV and radio interviews…the web…[and] literary reviews." -- The Times Higher Education Supplement, May 31, 2002

Philip Nel is the best thing to happen so far to Harry Potter in the American classroom. -- Jim Trelease, author of 'The Read-Aloud Handbook'

From the Publisher
This is an excellent (although unauthorised) guide to J.K. Rowling’s first four Harry Potter novels. It features a biography of the author, a full-length analysis of the novels, and a fascinating discussion of what has made them so phenomenally successful. If you’re studying these novels, reading them for your book club, or if you simply want to know more about them, you’ll find this guide informative and helpful.

About the Author
Philip Nel teaches English at Kansas State University. He has published articles on Don DeLillo, Dr Seuss and Crockett Johnson, and is currently writing a biography of Crockett Johnson.

Customer Reviews

Four and a half out of five!
I've read a lot of books about Harry Potter, and a lot of them are not very good. But my only complaint with this one is that it's not long enough! Mr Nel the author knows a lot about Harry Potter, but he doesn't show off or get too clever about it. All of his ideas are interesting, like the prime numbers, and even though I knew some of what he says about JK Rowling already, I found out a few things too. Plus, the book is small and cute!

I think this would be a good introduction if you want to know more about Harry Potter. I hope the author writes more when there are more Harry Potter books to write about!

Intelligent and thoughtful
A thoughtful and intelligent companion to the Rowling novels that helps to identify themes and place the stories in their literary context. A worthwhile purchase for teachers and interested teens and adults; children will likely not be overly interested in such analysis.

Interesting
This was a great little overview, covering the first four books. It was short and I read it quickly in one sitting. It does demonstrate that the author uses people and events from her own past. She weaves ideas for character and plot into something realistic seeming and not purely fantasy. There is no doubt that she likes to find and think up funny sounding names, as is mentioned too often in the book. Also, I do not believe that this book added a lot to my understanding of Harry Potter's story. (Why exactly did Voldemort want him dead in the first place? No suggestions were made.) There was a good section on her biography. By far my favorite part is toward the end where other books with similar themes are listed. (His Dark Materials, for example.) It's a good little book, but not much longer than a magazine in length. I enjoyed it. I may give it to a much younger pre-teen kid I know; he would like it too.