Book Praise

[Catlady (Rita Prince Winston)]

--- In HPFGU-OTChatter at yahoogroups.com, "Catlady (Rita Prince
Winston)" <catlady at w...> wrote:
> READING HARRY POTTER: Critical Essays
> edited by Giselle Liza Anatol

> My favorite essay therein is one by Susan Hall 

which also has a footnote about the Quidditch World Cup:

"The main action of Goblet of Fire probably commences in August 1994.
There is no particular reason the Quidditch World Cup should take
place in the same month and year as the soccer World Cup, but there
are very signification (and probably deliberate) parallels between the
soccer World Cup of 1994 and the Quidditch World Cup. First, and most
unusually, each of England, Wales, and Scotland failed to make it to
the finals in 1994, whereas both Ireland and Bulgaria, the Quidditch
finalists, did appear in the soccer tournament with Hristo Stoitchkov
of Bulgaria the joint highest goal scorer (Bulgaria was knocked out in
the semi-finals) and wild public enthusiasm and support within Ireland
for the unprecedented success of Charlton's team.(snip)"

My memory isn't what it used to be ... wasn't 1994 the year that the
World Cup matches were held in USA? USA was in it only because of
being the host country, and won one and lost two in the first round?
One of those matches must have been against Iran, because what I
remember is that the men at my work, besides clustering around small
televisions that a few men brought in from home, teased Cambyse
Mirabedy about having to cheer for both teams.