A CHARMED LIFE - THE SPIRITUALITY OF POTTERWORLD
By Francis Bridger
Darton, Longman and Todd. 150 pages. £8.95
ISBN 0 232 52433 5
These pages have already featured a discussion of the Harry Potter books, so why take another look? Unlike the items reviewed last December, which were largely hostile to Potter-world, this thought-provoking book is more positive.
Francis Bridger, Principal of Trinity College, Bristol, has enjoyed J.K. Rowling's books since he encountered them when helping children read in a junior school. Their primary appeal, he believes, lies in good story-telling, the intricately created boarding-school setting, the humour and above all the three main characters and their friendships. So what about the magic? This, he suggests, is 'a literary device to thrill the reader and to allow the author to create an alternative world unbound by the laws of physics'. He draws parallels from Superman, to the Narnia books and The Lord of the Rings, where special powers can be used for good or for evil. Indeed he suggests that Rowling uses the term 'wizard', rather than the wiccan term 'warlock', partly to underline the fictional, fantasy setting.
