Book: "The Ivory Tower and Harry Potter"

[Kelley]

The Ivory Tower and Harry Potter Offers the First Book-Length 
Analysis of the Harry Potter Series

Columbia, MO— In 2000, Forbes listed J. K. Rowling, author of the 
Harry Potter series, as nineteenth in celebrity earnings, only two 
places behind another phenomenon, Michael Jordan. Translated into 
nearly three dozen languages, Rowling's books have both elicited 
praise and provoked controversy. 

 In The Ivory Tower and Harry Potter, contributors from Great 
Britain, the United States, and Canada offer the first book-length 
analysis of 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. 
Rowling's use of folkloric devices is examined, particularly in terms 
of how these elements increase the books' appeal for children. 

The handling of British slang in U.S. editions and difficulties in 
translating Rowling's work for foreign-language editions are also 
addressed. The books' appeal for adolescent boys, not customarily a 
strong presence in the reading market, is explored within a cultural 
framework, and gender dynamics are discussed from the standpoint of 
contemporary feminist literary theory, focusing on the character of 
Hermione Granger.

 The concluding chapters survey the development of fan communities 
and the implications of the Harry Potter commercial empire—books, 
motion pictures, action-figure toys, and other consumer goods—for the 
series' literary standing. Written to ensure its accessibility to a 
broad audience, this volume will appeal to librarians, teachers, 
parents, and the general Potter reader, as well as to literature 
scholars.

 Lana A. Whited is Professor of English at Ferrum College in Virginia 
and a weekly columnist on media issues for roanoke.com.

 The Ivory Tower and Harry Potter (0-8262-1549-1, $24.95 paper) is 
available at local bookstores or directly from the University of 
Missouri Press by calling 1-800-828-1894. Individuals placing orders 
should include $4.00 shipping and handling for the first book and 
$1.00 for each additional book. For further publicity information, 
contact Beth Chandler, University of Missouri Press, 2910 LeMone 
Boulevard, Columbia, MO 65201.