Lorrie Kim, author of Snape: A Definitive Reading, has been posting write-ups of her talks at the 2019 LeakyCon and the Chestnut Hill Harry Potter Conference on her WordPress weblog, LorrieKim.com. I posted a link to her thoughts on the relationship of Severus Snape and Albus Dumbledore last month; today I direct you to her most recent work, a discussion of Hermione’s story arc, the mystery of Ravenclaw House, and how much we are obliged to read Rowling’s work in light of her biography. She acknowledges that others disagree with a psycho-biographical reading of the Hogwarts Saga but then makes this reading the focus of her conclusions about Hermione, Ravenclaw, and what the reader is meant to take away from the story.
Though I disagree with several of her assertions in addition to this ‘personal heresy’ and was a little startled by one or two statements of fact, I enjoyed J.K. Rowling, Giftedness, and the Ghost of Ravenclaw as I do everything Lorrie Kim writes. Her Potter Punditry is informed by a signature command of text and a unique perspective on the characters and their interactions. Her thoughts on Hermione alone and her annual “projects” are worth the time it takes to read; they complement in challenging fashion David Martin’s charting Hermione’s development as a reader book to book, Stone to Hallows.
Let me know what you think in the comment boxes below! Hat-tip to an anonymous correspondent for the pointer to this Kim post.
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