|
Rating:  -
Loved it! I am an old lady who got hooked on Harry Potter so I would have something to converse about with a new step-nephew, and I tell you this book sparked huge discussions amongst everyone I know who read it. Great variety of essays.
Rating:  -
I found the book to be fairly intersting. It is definitely intented for someone who has read most of the Harry Potter books and understands the plot and characters.
Rating: -
This is probably the most enjoyable of the several different books of essays on the Harry Potter books that I have read. Perhaps it's because the contributors are, themselves, fantasy and sci-fi authors, which may give them a unique insight. Another possibility is that this is also the first collection to cover all of the books through Half-Blood Prince.
As with any compilation of work by several different authors, the quality of the essays is uneven at best. The contributors stretch to come up with original ways to look at the series and, inevitably, they sometimes fail. The ones that fell the flattest, in my view, were "The Proper Wizard's Guide to Good Manners" (Roxanne Longstreet Conrad) and "Harry Potter and the Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Counselor" (Mercedes Lackey).
At least, however, those two essays were near the end of the book. Throughout my reading, I never changed my view that the first essay, "Harry Potter and the Young Man's Mistake" (Daniel P. Moloney), was the one with the profoundest insight and most thoughtful probing of the pitfalls that Harry faces in his final struggle against Voldemort. Honorable mention also goes to "Harry Potter and the End of Religion" (Marguerite Krause) and "It's All About God" (Elisabeth DeVos), which should be mutually exclusive but, surprisingly, don't seem to be; "Hermione Granger and the Charge of Sexism" (Sarah Zettel), which should (but won't) dispose of that one once and for all; and "Why Killing Harry is the Worst Outcome for Voldemort" (Richard Garfinkle). All in all, a very enjoyable and satisfying read.
Rating: -
"Mapping the World of Harry Potter" is a great addition to any Harry Potter collection. The essays are diverse and hit many subjects, some obvious, like the problems of religion (or lack of) in the series. For instance, "Harry Potter and the End of Religion" targets what the author sees as a complete lack or need for religion in the books, while "It's All About God" defends the religion within, saying that the series is, indeed, spiritual in a natural sense. Another essay, "Hermione Granger and the Charge of Sexism," addresses the charges of sexism that have been leveled at the book and responds with how many of the female characters are actually strong in their own right, not dependent on men to make their decisions or succeed at their goals. In addition, "From Azkaban to Abu Ghraib" looks at the increasing amount of politics in the books, drawing parallels within Hogwarts and the wizarding world to fascism, the Third Reich and other oppressive political movements.
Of course, not all the essays have such serious subject matter. The most enjoyable essay is one that is certainly not intended for children: Joyce Millman's "To Sir, With Love." It's a hilarious and slightly disturbing essay about the proliferation of Snape fan-fiction on the Internet, in which Snape gets up to various S&M activities with several other Harry Potter regulars. The other humorous essays are more innocent, including Mercedes Lackey's description of her own "Harry Potter" drinking game and why Harry is going to need some serious therapy if he survives.
There are fourteen essays in all, touching on many characters and aspects of the wizarding world, and an introduction by Mercedes Lackey. There's something for all kinds of Harry Potter fans in this diverse compilation, and it definitely gives you more to think about when re-reading the series.
Rating: -
I have to admit, I'm generally not one to read companion books to my favorite series, be they literary or televised.
Mapping the World of Harry Potter, however, is quickly becoming one of my favorite books. The essays are smart, funny, and well-written and have prompted me to look at my Harry Potter books in a new light. The essay on fanfiction Snape alone is worth the price of the book! (Though I wouldn't recommend reading it while drinking anything, particularly if you aren't familiar with fanfic!Snape. I may never recover from that.)
I highly encourage any "grown up" HP fans to read this book.
Television Show
Collectibles
Movie Searches
|
|
|
Search for posters,
art prints, photos, collectables, merchandise, toys, t-shirts
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Join the Nielsen//NetRatings Research Panel and you could win a new car, a dream vacation, a dream home makeover or $50,000 Cash!
TV Guide
Program listings, celebrity profiles, industry
gossip, movie reviews, puzzle.
More
Entertainment
& TV Magazines
This site is
Hosted
by Bluehost
Read
my Bluehost Review
Original Superhero & other designs for t-shirts, bumper
stickers, prints, mugs, and other cool merchandise. |
|
