Please do read through the posts here about the seeing eyes of Deathly Hallows, especially the two on the Penn and Aeschylus epigraphs. You lost me when you said Ms. Rowling “believes in God even though she is an atheist.” It is either too clever by half or just a contradiction.

I think you are right, though, in sensing that there is “something stronger behind all this.” In one word, it is logos. I explain in The Deathly Hallows Lectures and in several posts here how Ms. Rowling is writing in the symbolist tradition of English literature after Coleridge and how this is revealed in the ‘King’s Cross’ exchange between Harry and Dumbledore the author says is “the key” to the series.

Happy reading! And, again, Welcome!

Several question….when Harry Potter died in the Deathly Hallows, where did he go? Where was Professor Dumbledoor? Were they in heaven? Or another type of purgatory.

What I am saying is, while I love the series, there are certain irregularities. Huge ones. There is no God but throughout the whole series there are aspects of “divine providence” littered throughout the novel. What gives? She never gives us any hint of a higher power besides magical forces yet there has to be something stronger behind all this. There is obviously some type of diety that is setting all this up.

Anyone who loves the Harry Potter books can probably fondly recall the first time Harry entered Diagon Alley. As readers, we figuratively stood with him while Hagrid tapped the bricks at the back of the Leaky Cauldron, marveling along with Harry as the bricks magically opened to form an archway. Along with Harry, we suddenly found ourselves transported into a wider world that we still hadn’t entirely believed existed just moments before.

Anyone who has read John Granger’s books on Harry Potter has probably experienced a similar feeling. With Granger as a guide, readers have stood before the Harry Potter books and discovered that, with the right keys and questions, a much wider world than we originally suspected opens up to us. Granger’s insights into the literary alchemy and “spiritual artistry” of J.K. Rowling’s books, along with his ability to explain concepts such as Rowling’s use of “narrative misdirection” were just the first of many eye-opening insights he has offered to what he likes to call “serious readers” of Harry Potter.

With The Deathly Hallows Lectures, John Granger builds on the work he began in Looking for God in Harry Potter (recently revised as How Harry Cast His Spell) and Unlocking Harry Potter. While it’s not necessary to have read the other two before getting to this one, it would likely enrich the experience. Even without that background, however, “serious readers” will find much to ponder and enjoy in The Deathly Hallows Lectures, which focus on the final book in the Harry Potter series.

Granger makes a persuasive case that the Harry Potter series stands in a long line of symbolist literature and that readers willing to dive deep in search of levels of meaning will not be disappointed. He mines layers of riches by exploring topics as diverse as the alchemical structure of the final novel and how that structure parallels and mines the symbolism of three major Christian feasts; the connections between Dante and the climax of Severus Snape’s story in Deathly Hallows; and the importance of the Coleridgian theme of “transformed vision” in the story and its symbols. These ideas and many more are winningly presented in a conversational teaching style. Serious readers of Harry Potter will find themselves challenged and engaged in the heart and soul as well as the mind.

In The Deathly Hallows Lectures, John Granger again demonstrates his remarkable insights into the phenomenally popular J.K. Rowling novels. Anyone familiar with Granger’s How Harry Cast his Spell, Unlocking Harry Potter, or his delightful Hogwarts Professor blog will not be surprised to find his usual wit, wisdom, and occasional mind-boggling insights at play in this collection of essays based on lectures presented in a variety of settings and all focusing on the last, triumphant novel in the series. Of course, Granger masterfully analyzes the novel’s treatment of his forte, alchemy, but he also analyzes other keys for a deeper and more complete understanding of The Deathly Hallows.

Among these are the Christian themes and symbols that are expressed even more overtly in this novel than in the previous six; Severus Snape as a Dante figure with Lily Evans Potter as his Beatrice-like inspiration; and symbolic elements including the critical eye, triangle, and mirror that resonate powerfully through the narrative. Drawing on contemporary criticism as well as revered literary voices like Samuel Taylor Coleridge and C.S. Lewis, Granger effectively weaves together a text that is both timely and grounded, both profound and playful. He even includes a section of his responses to questions, from the heart-felt to the cynical, that frequently come up at his lectures.

Granger’s tone is always accessible, with lighthearted touches that alleviate the crushing metaphysical weight of some of his references and analyses; thus these are less “lectures” in the pejorative sense than they are fascinating chats with an insightful scholar. This first edition does suffer from a fair few editing errors, minor in themselves, but all the more glaring in contrast to the thoughtful and impressive content. Though they are not obstacles to an enjoyable and educational read, one hopes these will be addressed in future editions.

While some Potter readers may have already drawn a few of Granger’s conclusions for themselves, it is highly unlikely that any serious reader of these books, or even of literature in general, will not find The Deathly Hallows Lectures an enthralling and illuminating read. As the field of Potter scholarship grows and gains wider acceptance, this text is an essential tool for any library or scholar capable of recognizing Rowling’s books as both cultural and literary milestones.