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83 of 91 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
More research needed, 17 Jul 2001
By A Customer
Although John Houghton says some sensible things in this book about the power of the imagination and fantasy writing in general, when he comes to comment on 'Harry Potter' his remarks are littered with inconsistencies, misinterpretations and wild leaps of logic. On p. 65, Mr Houghton claims that 'Harry Potter is often excused because he is a special child, a protege of the headmaster, Dumbledore.' And on p. 86, we hear that 'This combination of his alienation and gifting makes (Harry) superior'. Two problems here: In Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, ch. 17, Tom Riddle says to Harry, 'There is nothing special about you, after all.' And any special respect paid to Harry is not because he's a 'protege of the headmaster' but because he vanquished Voldemort. On p. 81, Mr Houghton says that the coined term 'Dementor' is not far removed from the word 'demon'. Yes it is: 'demon' is from the Greek for deity; 'dement' comes from Latin, meaning something like 'from the mind'. p. 66: Talking about Muggles, Houghton says that in Harry's world 'the rules of birth are everything'--a direct contradiction of Dumbledore's words in Goblet of Fire: 'It matters not what someone is born, but what they grow to be'. On p. 56 Houghton quotes (apparently with approval) another author who claims that the Harry Potter books have 'a serious tone of... hate'. On p. 82 he says that 'the love shown in Harry Potter is noble'. Which is it to be, Mr Houghton? These are a few examples of small errors, but to my mind they undermine John Houghton's credibility as a commentator on Harry Potter. I'd recommend that concerned Christians read the Harry Potter books themselves and make up their own minds, before venturing into the confused world of the critics.
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