Customer Reviews

Fantasy and Your Family: Exploring the Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, and Modern Magick

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Richard Abanes wasted his time writting this book. Why do I say this? Because he wrote the same book a year before this one came out. The only difference it that he renamed it from "Harry Potter and the Bible" to "Fantasy and your Family." In both books Abanes gives an unfair and biassed crtiticism of Harry Potter. He frequently tells one side of the story and leaves the other half out conviniently.
Also he advances the theory that the books contain sexism and at least two anti-Christian remarks which is not true.
He also uses scare tactics to frighten already concearned Christian parents by saying that kids are saying they want to be involved in the Occult because of Harry Potter. One quote he uses on page 160 by a 13 year old girl who said she wants to do magick, like being a parseltongue or a necromancer. The second thing is not even in the books. This gives me the idea that these kids had an influence other than Harry Potter.
Also he fails to point out that though the occult has had a growth, that a Zenit news article points out that the occult populations in Europe and the U.S. are both under 0.1% of there general populations. The same article also points out that though Potter and Buffy have a large following in Europe that there the occult movements are in decline.
Do I even need to say I cannot recommend this book?

This book is interesting but takes the alleged occultism in Harry Potter far too seriously. There are far greater instances of superstitious ignorance to worry about. I recommed for a balanced and informative examination of the whole Harry Potter phenonemon, Return of the Heroes: The Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, Harry Potter and social Conflict, but Hal GP Colebatch

These are the same arguments that have been around to demonize anything from the Wizard of Oz to Superman cartoon. As the argument goes, the kids can't tell the difference between kids who drive and crash flying cars and reality. So, you have to protect them from anything with that wicked imagination in it.

Given that the classical stories of Ali Baba and the Seven Thieves, Wizard of Oz, or Sinbad, or Cinderella have the exact same wonderful "what if" imaginative world of make believe principles; why not ban all children's books except those that are bible stories? Would such a sterile harsh world be happy?

This book was very insightful and helpful in clearing up any doubts about whether or not children should be reading or watching Harry Potter. The author had lots of works cited referenced and really showed he had done his homework on what he was talking about. It's rare now-a-days to find a book that takes a factual look at such impassioned topics.

As a Christian artist who enjoys reading fantasy literature, I was a bit skeptical of FANTASY AND YOUR FAMILY before I read it. I had listened to arguments against the THE LORD OF THE RINGS and HARRY POTTER and quite frankly, none of them impressed me or caused me to think. However, I was rather surprised with Richard Abanes book. The book is well researched, documented, and supported.

The book is divided into four parts. The first section examines fantasy literature in general. The second section discusses J.R.R. Tolkien and THE LORD OF THE RINGS. The third part deals with Harry Potter and the fourth section deconstructs the arguments both for and against Harry Potter.

As mentioned earlier, I was surprised at how well documented and supported this book is. Even though I have enjoyed reading the Harry Potter novels and will probably continue to do so, FANTASY AND YOUR FAMILY helped make me aware of just how large the occult has influenced the writings of J.K. Rowling. For example, I had no idea that many of the characters refered to in the Harry Potter books (not main characters, but people mentioned in history, etc.) were actual occult leaders.

This is a great book for any thinking Christian or any parent to read.

This is another useless and misleading book that is trying to get your money from Harry Potter fever. It tries to convince parents that they need to read this book FIRST to decide whether they should allow their children to read Harry Potter or Load of the Rings. As if none of parents is qualified to teach their kids. I am very sure this book will be forgotten before Harry Potter books. I give one star because I can't give zero or negative 5 stars in the list of "rate this item". But I did waste my time to "read" this book and I suggest you don't read it.

This book is a well-written and well-reasoned one that does not conveniently overlook opposing arguements, but fearlessly accepts their challenge and incorporates them into the discussion. Even if you disagree with Mr. Abanes' conclusions, any thoughtful and well-informed reader can appreciate the arguments he uses to reach them. I would recommend this book to anyone who is uncertain about the fantasy question, as well as anyone who has already made up their mind one way or the other.

Look at all the harm Harry Potter books have done vs. all the wars and killing based on religion, and you tell me what is more dangerous for our children to get into.

This book is an essential tool for parents and teachers who would like a better understanding of children's fantasy and see comparisons between various popular books labeled as fantasy. Despite the fact that Tolkien did not write for children and the Harry Potter books are marketed to ages 9-12, comparisons between the Harry Potter books and Tolkien's books inevitably come up. This book thoroughly reviews Harry Potter and Tolkien and shows the vast differences between them. The book also delineates the parallels between some of the occult practices Harry learns and real occultism, such as astrology, divination, numerology, and others. As a former professional astrologer and teacher of astrology who also practiced other forms of divination as well as spirit contact, I certainly have recognized in Harry Potter an endorsement of the practice of the occult and magick, even if it is presented in a make-believe context. In the back of the book, Abanes answers every objection made to the valid criticisms of the Harry Potter books and shows the flaws of the most popular defenses of the Harry Potter series, as well as responding to statements made by people such as author Connie Neal. This section reveals that arguments made against the critics of Harry Potter are usually sraw men arguments or are based on faulty reasoning and assumptions, not on the facts. This book is a great handbook for responding to the Harry Potter propaganda machine which has ignored scholarly and knowledgeable criticism of the Harry Potter books.

Well turns out that this books is more ENTERTAINMENT, then a study! First off, Harry Potter is not truly up to par with most Magick beliefs. It is utter non-sense first off, for the use of the Besom of a MALE Magician... Note MALE MAGICIAN! The magician does not use a Besom! The wand is usually crafted by the Magician, not chosen the wand chosing the Magus! PARSELTONGUE is a made up word! Someone who is into Animal Magick could use similar powers to talk to ANY animal, not just SNAKES! These people are usually called Animal-Whisperers! Now, trust me, this is a quack of a book, and dissing Tolkien and Magick doesn't get Christianity anywhere. Making Enemies should not be a Christian priority, making friends should...

Hail Satan - Shemhamforash