Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
by J.K. Rowlings
Arthur A. Levine Books
2007, 759 pp. hb
When this seventh installment of the Harry Potter series came out, tens of millions in 65 languages had already sold.(1) Rowling became a billionaire by writing.
As such a large-scale phenomenon, it is sad to see any religious meaning attached to the series. Anything with enough publicity will attract some naysayers. If the book is inappropriate it would be for cultural reasons in some countries, not because there is hidden religious meaning.
When publicity came out for this last book of the series finished in January 2007, reports spoke of the deaths of main characters.(2) There was discussion whether parents could allow their children to read such "dark" books.
Indeed, with the series started in 1990, Harry Potter had become 17 as a character, not just in real life. So it is that we see much serious ideological material, as if fitting for 17-year-olds and also anyone able to get through 759 pages.
Harry Potter we think of as comparable to the "Lord of the Rings" in the story's fantastic qualities, except that Harry Potter tends to be lighter. The female character Hermione Jean Granger carries around a pocketbook with a library inside it, a tent and changes of clothing for herself and two of her male friends. Such is what is possible in the wizarding world.
It would be correct to suspect Rowling and other fantasy writers of bourgeois escapism, but in this case this suspicion turns out incorrect. We do not want to spoil the plot or anything else about this book, but the magic in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is clearly subordinate to a serious and meaningful message the opposite of escaping serious problems. We recommend it for high school age people and adults, with something of a PG-13 rating.
Notes:
1. http://www.time.com/time/specials/2007/personoftheyear/article/1,28804,1690753_1695388_1695436,00.html
2. "Does Harry Potter die in last book? Radcliffe suspects young wizard
falls to Voldemort in finale," http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5085039/