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tuckerm's review against another edition
5.0
Harry Potter’s Bookshelf was really fun to read immediately following the series. John Granger brings a lot of interesting points to the table with regard to deeper meanings and the layers of these books.
nina_rod's review against another edition
3.0
I heard about John Granger from various podcasts about Harry Potter. I was delighted to know that there was so much more to the Harry Potter story than I originally thought. I was not a fan of mythology or philosophy so was thrilled Granger introduced me to the deeper meanings of Harry Potter. I figured his books would be good.
However, Harry Potter's bookshelves did not give me the thrill I got from listening to John Granger in podcasts. The bookshelves did introduce me to a world of what British people read in their youth. Obviously, those books were not part of an American youth's bookshelf. Americans did not read fictions about rich kids going to British boarding schools or books by E. Nesbit or delved into alchemy. This made me glad I wasn't British.
Then his books, of course, rambled on to parallels between Harry Potter and the Good Book... with Harry Potter being a Christ-like figure.
Although I wasn't a fan of this book, I may try others or listen to his old podcasts.
However, Harry Potter's bookshelves did not give me the thrill I got from listening to John Granger in podcasts. The bookshelves did introduce me to a world of what British people read in their youth. Obviously, those books were not part of an American youth's bookshelf. Americans did not read fictions about rich kids going to British boarding schools or books by E. Nesbit or delved into alchemy. This made me glad I wasn't British.
Then his books, of course, rambled on to parallels between Harry Potter and the Good Book... with Harry Potter being a Christ-like figure.
Although I wasn't a fan of this book, I may try others or listen to his old podcasts.
balletbookworm's review against another edition
3.0
A bit vague in places - any book of lit crit that says "too many to name here" when listing evidentiary points for a theory is a little thin. An interesting set of ideas but I would have liked a little more meat on the bone.
beary_bookwormish's review
5.0
loved this book, different and informative with an in insight into HP that I was intrigued by.
ejbkimbler's review against another edition
3.0
The Harry-Potter-obsessed-English-major in me really loved this book. It reads like a set of literary analysis papers combined and tied together. I had read most of the books that were used as comparisons to Harry Potter- I don't think I would have enjoyed it If I hadn't.
This book went into some things that I hadn't considered when reading Harry Potter but they totally make sense and I'll be thinking about them next time I read the series.
I'm giving this only 3 stars because it isn't fun to read in the same way a novel is fun to read. But anyone interested in the literary aspects of Harry Potter will enjoy this book.
This book went into some things that I hadn't considered when reading Harry Potter but they totally make sense and I'll be thinking about them next time I read the series.
I'm giving this only 3 stars because it isn't fun to read in the same way a novel is fun to read. But anyone interested in the literary aspects of Harry Potter will enjoy this book.
allmadhere106's review against another edition
4.0
Granger explores the various genres and specific texts within the genres that have helped inspire the _Harry Potter_ books. I had been hesitant to read this book because I took a class along the same lines and I didn't know how much different this would actually be from what we discussed. While there were definitely some similarities, Granger went into several subjects, such as alchemy, that I had not covered before. The book was very easy to read as it was definitely written for the public but I found it slightly repetitive between chapters. I recommend it for anyone interested in the topic and in the conversation.
margeryb's review against another edition
4.0
This book definitely digs into material that I hadn't thought of before. If you think Harry Potter is only a surface level story, I would suggest this, because they levels of interpretation and symbolism that it discusses is pretty interesting. My only complaint has to do with the pacing.
impreader's review against another edition
3.0
If a bit heavy-handed in its reading-in, so to speak, it makes up for it in knowledge and detail concerning the "great books" it discusses. There always seems to me to be a bit of grasping-at-straws attitude when it comes to books about books about the books that built the books. Studies have sprung up in wake of The Lord of the Rings' commercial success, as well as Narnia and various others (Percy Jackson comes to mind, with Riordan's playful pop-cultural update of Greek Myth)--and they invariably feel tacked on.
Tacked-on or otherwise, however, this is an informative read, and fun for any book-lover. As long as one doesn't take as gospel Granger's range of stories claiming to form the world of Harry Potter.
Tacked-on or otherwise, however, this is an informative read, and fun for any book-lover. As long as one doesn't take as gospel Granger's range of stories claiming to form the world of Harry Potter.
abstract_amber77's review against another edition
3.0
This is definitely an interesting book. John Granger researches the potential sources of fiction from which Rowling got her inspiration for the Harry Potter series.