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Unlocking Harry Potter: Five Keys for the Serious Reader [Paperback]

John Granger
4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (24 customer reviews)

Price: $14.99 & FREE Shipping on orders over $25. Details
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Book Description

March 1, 2007 0972322124 978-0972322126
UNLOCKING HARRY POTTER gives you five essential keys for understanding the HARRY POTTER series. Not just who will live or die in DEATHLY HOLLOWS, but how J.K. Rowling created the most successful books of our times. To understand the story behind the stories, John Granger, author of THE HIDDEN KEY TO HARRY POTTER and editor of WHO KILLED ALBUS DUMBLEDORE?, introduces the themes and patterns Rowling uses to write books that resonate with readers of all ages. This book is for "serious readers" but Granger writes in a very entertaining style. If you never understood the term "postmodernism" or how "literary alchemy" is used by great authors from Shakespeare to J.K. Rowling, then this is a fun way to learn. UNLOCKING HARRY POTTER is the only book to examine in depth the importance of what Rowling said in an interview from 1998, that "to invent this wizard world" she had to learn about alchemy "in order to set the parameters and establish the stories' internal logic." - . - . - . - . - Here's what other HARRY POTTER authors and experts have to say about UNLOCKING HARRY POTTER: - . - . - . - . - "I got so hooked I had to stop everything else and just read, read, read. I carried it around the house, read it while using the excercycle, I hid in rooms away from the action of daily life so I could take it all in. I haven't had that reaction to a book since, well, THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE. A spectacular read for all serious fans of Rowling's works. Compelling, well-argued, fun and funny. Engaging. Thought provoking. Erudite." - Tom Morris, author of IF HARRY POTTER RAN GENERAL ELECTRIC and PHILOSOPHY FOR DUMMIES. - . - . - . - . - "John Granger peels back the layers of Rowling's stories and sees patterns the rest of us miss - and he never forgets to be a fan, engaging in fun speculation about what will come in the finale. Once more Granger has shown himself to be second to none among Potter commentators and literary sleuths. Some books are meant to be ingested quickly. Not this one. Serious fans of HARRY POTTER will relish it." - David Baggett, editor of HARRY POTTER AND PHILOSOPHY.

Frequently Bought Together

Unlocking Harry Potter: Five Keys for the Serious Reader + The Deathly Hallows Lectures: The Hogwarts Professor Explains the Final Harry Potter Adventure + Harry Potter's Bookshelf: The Great Books behind the Hogwarts Adventures
Price for all three: $44.50

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Product Details

  • Paperback: 312 pages
  • Publisher: Zossima Press (March 1, 2007)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0972322124
  • ISBN-13: 978-0972322126
  • Product Dimensions: 6 x 0.7 x 9 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #592,638 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

John Granger is an author, speaker, and professor. A graduate of the University of Chicago, where he studied classical languages and literature, he uses Harry Potter to teach English literature online at HogwartsProfessor.com. He is a frequent speaker at academic and fan conferences and has been interviewed as a "Harry Potter expert" in the "Wall Street Journal," the "New York Times," CNN, and the DVD of "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix." He and his wife, Mary, have seven children.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews
93 of 96 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Thorough, Intelligent, and Accessible Unlocking March 17, 2007
By Clio
Format:Paperback
Maybe you are a life-long learner sort, or a college professor interested in acquiring an insightful, but thoroughly accessible book about Rowling's series. Maybe you're a thoughtful Christian, who suspects the anti-Potter denunciations are not quite on the mark, but you can't quite articulate why. Maybe you just have a deep affection for the Harry Potter series and would like to discover more about the key techniques and overarching concerns embedded in these brilliant stories. Whatever the case, as long as you've actually read the Harry Potter books, and as long as you have the sort of mind that likes to go beneath and beyond the surface, I believe that you will appreciate Granger's Unlocking Harry Potter. Thoroughly accessible and intelligent, Granger uses a writing style that is a mix of the professor who knows how to communicate credible arguments, and the fan who loves to talk to other fans about Harry, Hagrid, and house-elves (the high destiny of house-elves in number seven? Hmm...).

Because there are a number of books about Harry Potter on the market, let me give you a brief explanation of Granger's goals, and a brief introduction to the chapters. His first and foremost goal is to argue that Rowling's Harry Potter series makes for serious, reflective reading, despite its obvious popular appeal. This he does most compellingly, by demonstrating Rowling's depth of intellect, literacy, and organizational powers. Granger also analyzes several fundamental aspects of both Rowling's storytelling formula and her underlying worldview (he calls them "keys"). Because of Rowling's fidelity to her formula and her worldview, predictions can be made about the upcoming Deathly Hallows, which, of course, Granger goes ahead and makes.
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46 of 48 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic, Engaging Work on the Meaning of Potter April 11, 2007
By Johnny
Format:Paperback
John Granger is not known to provide superficial readings of J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series à la Harold Bloom or A.S. Byatt. Instead he gazes deeper into the rich tapestry of JKR's creation, seeing what most Harry Potter readers (or even non readers) miss, namely the spiritual overtones of the series. His previous works, The Hidden Key to Harry Potter and Looking for God in Harry Potter, explores why JKR's work resonates with so many of her readers, namely because they hearken to that Great Story. Granger takes this a step further in Unlocking Harry Potter: Five Keys for the Serious Reader.

Granger's task in Unlocking Harry Potter is to show how JKR uses patterns in every novel and by recognizing these patterns or "keys", the reader will have a greater appreciation for the series in general. These five keys are Narrative Misdirection, Literary Alchemy, The Hero's Journey, Postmodern Themes, and Traditional Symbolism. Each key unlocks a part of the Harry Potter series until the whole trunk is opened and the reader sees JKR's meticulously planned work for what they really are, multi layered, complex works of literature (not 'literary slop' as Bloom posits) that is edifying and satisfying. Finally Granger believes that these keys can even "unlock" or give us clues as to the structure of the final Harry Potter novel.

Granger first discusses Narrative Misdirection by pointing out that JKR uses a "third person, limited omniscient" narratological view when writing her storyline much like Jane Austen, JKR's favorite writer. We only know what Harry knows while other major characters sit in the background. For instance we never know where Albus Dumbledore or Severus Snape are doing when Harry does not encounter them.
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34 of 36 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars Oh, For Better Copy-Editing! May 7, 2007
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
I agree with the other reviews that this book has some very interesting ideas and forehead-slapping moments ("how did I miss that?"). So I won't add to the existing long comments. But I have to say that the copy-editing is sloppy to the point of being distracting. Lucious Malfoy? Delores Umbridge? Pronouns gone missing, half sentences.... C'mon Zossima Press, invest a little in getting the text right.
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24 of 25 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars good read even AFTER finishing the HP series July 28, 2007
By SMC
Format:Paperback
If you've already finished "Deathly Hallows," and you think this book is now obsolete, think again! This author's take on how Rowling thought while writing the HP series is fascinating and highly educational. Granger could teach a college course on the post-modern literary aspects of Harry Potter, and students would have to go on a wait list just to sign up for the course. Though Granger, I think, would be an annoying prof. His narrative voice has an edge of sarcasm and snobbery - which is hilarious and incredibly irritating at the same time.

Throughout reading this book, I was also fascinated with how on-target were many of his predictions for the "Deathly Hallows" book. At times he is way off-base, and other times you think he must have had an advance copy because he is so precise in his insights about how Rowling will think in crafting the 7th book. I learned a lot about this fascinating series - why I was duped by Rowling in almost every single book, why the themes are so compelling across 3 generations of readers ... and I was left wondering if we will ever again see a book or series like Harry Potter in our lifetime.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
2.0 out of 5 stars Too much superfluous filler
This is not a scholarly work and not very engaging. There is alot of superfluous filler material that adds no meaningful content to the discussion. Read more
Published 14 months ago by Artist and Writer
4.0 out of 5 stars More Lead than Gold on Literary Alchemy
Like all of John Granger's books on Harry Potter, this is a mixed bag. The stuff on narrative misdirection, Rowling's successful fusion of a variety of genres (fantasy, mystery,... Read more
Published 20 months ago by Greg Bassham
2.0 out of 5 stars fundamentally flawed and deeply irritating
I found Unlocking Harry Potter interesting, even useful, but fundamentally flawed and deeply irritating. Read more
Published on December 18, 2009 by Ava Torre-Bueno
5.0 out of 5 stars Intelligent and unbiast
This is intelligently put together and user friendly too. Thought provoking and with humor as well. It is best to read first before it's companion: The Deathly Hallows lectures,... Read more
Published on September 3, 2009 by Kim Casper
5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant......thoroughly equips you to become a serious reader!
There is not much more I can say about this book that hasn't already been said. This book is definitely in my top ten books to recommend to anyone who wants to read and understand... Read more
Published on December 11, 2008 by Nicole H. Simpson
5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing Erudite Work
This is not always an easy read and there's some hard thinking required to keep up with John Granger's fascinating views. Read more
Published on May 13, 2008 by Craig H. Foster
1.0 out of 5 stars Unsat
I purchased this for my grandson, who at 91/2 is an exceptionally bright boy.
Neither he nor his father were able to make heads or tails out of this purchase.
Published on September 8, 2007 by Marvin H. Diamond
5.0 out of 5 stars I'm a much more serious reader now
Very early in the book John Granger recalls Professor Moody's trunk with 7 locks. Each time Dumbledore inserts a key into a different lock the trunk opens and contains different... Read more
Published on August 17, 2007 by Susan Cusack
4.0 out of 5 stars Unlocking Harry Potter: Five for the Serious Reader
I have seen the books' author on tv, I like the way he divided the book in 5 parts so you can understand about Harry Potter.
Published on August 14, 2007 by Barbara M. Warren
4.0 out of 5 stars COLLEGE LEVEL READ
This book is for those who are serious about literature. It is designed for college educated or those who read at the college level. Read more
Published on July 22, 2007 by Helen R. Drake
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