The Ivory Tower and Harry Potter: Perspectives on a Literary Phenomenon / Edition 1

by Lana A. Whited

Overview

Now available in paper, The Ivory Tower and Harry Potter is the first book-length analysis of J. K. Rowling's work from a broad range of perspectives within literature, folklore, psychology, sociology, and popular culture. A significant portion of the book explores the Harry Potter series' literary ancestors, including magic and fantasy works by Ursula K. LeGuin, Monica Furlong, Jill Murphy, and others, as well as previous works about the British boarding school experience. Other chapters explore the moral and ethical dimensions of Harry's world, including objections to the series raised within some religious circles. In her new epilogue, Lana A. Whited brings this volume up to date by covering Rowling's latest book, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780826215499
Publisher:	University of Missouri Press
Publication date:	08/02/2004
Edition description:	First Edition
Pages:	424
Product dimensions:	6.13(w) x 9.25(h) x 1.10(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Lana A. Whited is Professor of English at Ferrum College in Virginia and a DuPont Instructional Technology Center Fellow.

Editorial Reviews

"[Whited] has brought together an impressive array of scholarship to address the phenomenon that is Harry Potter. . . . From historical literary cousins to socio-political interpretations of the series' setting, from textual comparisons to fan club communities, the essays span a wide range of scholarly perspectives. . . . This is an exciting and substantial contribution to early scholarship about an important body of literary work."—Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

"The Ivory Tower and Harry Potter will be indispensable to those interested in the larger literary and sociological issues raised in and around these books."—Mythprint

"The Ivory Tower and Harry Potter will be indispensable to those interested in the larger literary and sociological issues raised in and around these books."—Mythprint

"A highly scholarly and insightful text, offering new perceptions on beloved favorites, The Ivory Tower and Harry Potter is a welcome addition to Literary Criticism reference collections and highly recommended for scholars and non-specialist general readers who enjoy J. K. Rowling's . . . canon of deftly written and increasingly influential fantasy."—Midwest Book Review

From the Publisher

Whited's collection of lively, well-written essays heightens appreciation of a classic in the making, addressing the international phenomenon of J. K. Rowling's books.

Choice