The Harry Potter books continue to be a trending topic of debate to this day, facing those who see the series nothing short of magical against those serious literary critics who are innately skeptical of popular culture. With opinions raging between the two sides and critics being divided, there seems that there will never be a final conclusion made on the worthiness and literary merit of the Potter series. Some shall make the stand against this frenzy: a futile stand, no death or glory, to only be mowed off by the vast, unstoppable force of popular acclaim. It is in this framework that Can 35 Million Book Buyers Be Wrong? Yes. was published. Author Harold Bloom voices his total lack of regard for Harry Potter, because it feeds a vast hunger
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This is accomplished by emphasizing Rowling’s philosophical, allegorical depth, powerful symbolism, as well as integration of “traditionalism,” “convention(s),” and morals. The aspect of traditionalism is underlined when Acocella states that the series follows the classic story line and depicts traditional aspects of a Gothic novel, and that it does so well. Conventionalism is highlighted by the juxtaposition of the Potter series with Vladimir Propp’s 1928 book, Morphology of the Folk Tale, in which she states that the book lists every convention that one can think of. Finally, morals and educational features are stressed through Acocella’s point that Rowling “asks her preteen readers to face the hardest questions of life,” teaches about how knowledge is power, and teaches the importance of unity and decision making. However, this review may strike some readers as incongruous. Acocella is closely examining a children’s book, but holding it to literary and social standards that seem unreasonable for adolescent literature. She disproves that the series is a good read for children by proving that these books stand up to scholarly scrutiny and that they are worthy of the attention and anticipation they continue to attract: yet another flaw in her argument in that she opposes her
This is accomplished by emphasizing Rowling’s philosophical, allegorical depth, powerful symbolism, as well as integration of “traditionalism,” “convention(s),” and morals. The aspect of traditionalism is underlined when Acocella states that the series follows the classic story line and depicts traditional aspects of a Gothic novel, and that it does so well. Conventionalism is highlighted by the juxtaposition of the Potter series with Vladimir Propp’s 1928 book, Morphology of the Folk Tale, in which she states that the book lists every convention that one can think of. Finally, morals and educational features are stressed through Acocella’s point that Rowling “asks her preteen readers to face the hardest questions of life,” teaches about how knowledge is power, and teaches the importance of unity and decision making. However, this review may strike some readers as incongruous. Acocella is closely examining a children’s book, but holding it to literary and social standards that seem unreasonable for adolescent literature. She disproves that the series is a good read for children by proving that these books stand up to scholarly scrutiny and that they are worthy of the attention and anticipation they continue to attract: yet another flaw in her argument in that she opposes her