Despite the world-wide acclaim and meteoric success of this amazing series, I think the critics have missed the most important point: these books should not be categorised as Children's Literature. They are based on all the constants of life, whether that of adult or child, such as old vs. young, evil vs. good, strong vs. weak, innocent vs. guilty, rich vs. poor, as well as on a strong bias as to people's reactions to differences in class and race - universal values, universal appeal, in fact. In my view, Harry Potter belongs with Milne, Peake, Carroll, White, Adams and Tolkien. Rowling's genius is that she takes the classic subject of an ordinary orphaned boy who goes to a school every English child (and adult) will recognise, and gives it a magic, and with every successive book, a more Gothic twist, which is utterly believable.
(Kathie Somerwil Ayrton - bwl 8 April 2001 ) |
