Shawn E. Klein

Entertaining in spots, but overall too lightweight and, oddly enough, too generic to satisfy either philosophy buffs or Harry Potter fans. The best essays are those that tackle a specific topic (such as why Dumbledore warns Harry about the Mirror of Erised) and explore it in real depth. Most, however, only talk in a general way about themes and characters (and not even the entire series, as this came out before Books 6 and 7 -- my misfortune to get this earlier version and not "The Ultimate Harry Potter ...", which covers all of them). This leads to arguments that are superficial or too short, and too much overlap and even repetition of certain quotes. I also was annoyed by one writer's confusion of Apparating with Portkey use, and another's discussing self-sacrifice only in the context of Jesus on the cross, though others might not have the same issues I did.

I'm not sorry I read the book, but I was glad I'd only borrowed it via my Kindle. The next time I read an entry in the "... and Philosophy" series, I'll probably try one of the later ones, since the Red Sox one I just finished was more recent and considerably better developed.… (altro)