of Harry Potter, that is.
Today I received Nancy Brown's new book The Mystery of Harry Potter: A Catholic Family Guide, and I have to tell you, I could not put it down. In fact, I finished it....cover to cover in about 6 hours (minus a few breaks for the boys' karate class, dinner and bedtime routines). Fantastic. Really, really fantastic. I'm so glad I pre-ordered it!!
A bit of background on my part. I already love Harry. I didn't think I needed a guide for my family, but I have many friends who are convinced the stories are a slippery slope to evil. I was hoping Nancy's book would give me some helpful hints to discussing Potter with folks like this.
I began reading Harry Potter long before I realized there was any controversy about the books and their subject matter. I picked up my first copy because I had heard that boys who normally didn't like to read, were really enjoying Rowling's series. I am an avid reader and I've always hoped my children would inherit my love of books as well. I bought the first two HP books shortly after the birth of my son, hoping to start a collection he and I could read together someday.
After reading the first book, I was hooked. Rowling's themes of good versus evil and the overarching theme of sacrificial love had me convinced the books were a good thing. Not to mention they were fun and entertaining stories. I couldn't fathom why some people had issues with the books' use of magic. The magic was a part of the story, a prop in an elaborate fairy tale and I didn't understand why people couldn't see that. Yes there is "magic" in the books, but more importantly, there are great examples of true friendship, respect, trying to figure out one's place in the world, and so many other incredible themes.
I gave up trying to convince or persuade people who didn't like Harry and his friends, and I just decided I would continue to read the books knowing how wonderful they are. A few years later, however, I went to a book signing where John Granger was discussing his book, The Hidden Key to Harry Potter. That night, I got a taste of just how much Christian symbolism and literary meaning is in Rowling's works. Needless to say, I was hooked all over again. I knew she had written a great story. I knew it had all the right elements of good fiction and that it resonated with me, but after hearing Mr. Granger, I had so much more respect for the background and back story I believe the Harry Potter series has within it.
Which brings me to Nancy Brown's book. I began reading Nancy's blog about a year ago and I remember when she first began mulling over the Harry Potter books. It was as if they had caught fire with her. She openly admits to switching from being Anti-Potter, to someone who read the books with interest and intrigue, to going through a "Harry phase." Since I was already enamored with the series, I really enjoyed her thoughts and views about the books. I was also happy to know that there was another adult out there (besides myself and Mr. Granger) that found the books worth reading :-)
When Nancy finally confirmed on her blog that she was writing a book about Harry Potter for Catholic families, I was thrilled. I knew from reading her blog that she would combine valid research, a true Catholic perspective and her own clear insights into the work. She did not disappoint. Her book is a wonderful resource. It is easy to read and addresses many concerns I have heard parents express when wondering if HP is acceptable for their families.
She does not say she is "Pro-Potter", in fact on page 28 she says, "I'm for parents deciding for themselves what's right for their own family." So much of her book is a common sense approach, not only to HP, but to family-life in general. She encourages reading together as a family, and discussing themes and whether or not they are appropriate for your family. She reminds us, it is our job as parents to set rules and guidelines for our children in what they watch and what they read. Certainly, as she walks you through her own path to discovering HP, you come to understand why Potter is a worthy work for families to read together. Her book offers discussion questions, connections to literary history and real, honest-to-goodness thoughts about why Harry is an important phenomenon. Her guide cuts through the rhetoric and hyperbole associated with those who have frequently dismissed the books. It is a clear, concise, non-confrontational book about what I knew to be true when I began reading HP.
Harry Potter is a morality tale. It is about how love triumphs over everything in the end. Nancy takes everything and makes you see how it works together. She hits all right points, offers great questions to think about and makes me want to go back and re-read books 1 through 6 before #7 comes out next month (and maybe even some Chesterton too). Even if you've never questioned whether Harry Potter is appropriate for your family, if you don't feel the need for a "guide", Nancy's book is worth reading. She provides a reminder and an analysis of all that is good and true in the Potter series.
2 comments:
Thanks for the review on the book. I will be looking for a copy myself. I just read the first six HP books last month. I had long resisted reading them, but my curiousity got the best of me. I loved them! I, too, have encountered faithful friends who will not read them or let their children read them. I'm glad there is something out there like this book. Of course, there are conflicting views out there. Thankfully, this is not a matter of salvation and the Church in her wisdom trusts us to make a reasoned decision. I have decided I won't let my children read them until they are quite a bit older (like maybe around age 12 or so), but forbidding them to read them at all seems disastrous. I would much rather know they are reading them and then talk about them together.
Sorry for rambling. Thanks again for the review.
You're welcome :-) I agree with you, that they are definitely for our kids when they're older, hopefully by then the controversy will have died down a bit.
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