Overview
J.K. Rowling has drawn deeply from classical sources to inform and color her Harry Potter novels, with allusions ranging from the obvious to the obscure. ""Fluffy,"" the vicious three-headed dog in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, is clearly a repackaging of Cerberus, the hellhound of Greek and Roman mythology. But the significance of Rowling's quotation from Aeschylus at the front of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is a matter of speculation. Her use of classical material is often presented with irony and humor. This extensive analysis of the Harry Potter series examines Rowling's wide range of allusion to classical characters and themes and her varied use of classical languages. Chapters discuss Harry and Narcissus, Dumbledore's many classical predecessors, Lord Voldemort's likeness to mythical figures, and magic in Harry Potter and classical antiquity--among many topics.
Full Product Details
Author: Richard A. Spencer
Publisher: McFarland & Co Inc
Imprint: McFarland & Co Inc
Dimensions:
Width: 15.20cm
, Height: 1.70cm
, Length: 22.90cm
Weight: 0.435kg
ISBN: 9780786499212
ISBN 10: 0786499214
Pages: 324
Publication Date: 20 July 2015
Recommended Age: From 18 years
Audience:
College/higher education
,
Undergraduate
,
Postgraduate, Research & Scholarly
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active
Availability: Available To Order
We have confirmation that this item is in stock with the supplier. It will be ordered in for you and dispatched immediately.
Reviews
This is a book which does much more than its title claims...an absorbing volume which will doubtless be enjoyed by Potter fans and classicists, as well as pointing the serious enthusiast towards further reading...a degree of detail that even the most hardcore fan will not have noticed before...valuable...insights on the book will, in places, be new to even the longest-standing fans...provides a rich resource on myth, folklore and classical languages in the Harry Potter books. It is an ideal book for the young (and not-so-young) Rowling fans who have noticed the classical side of their favorite books and want to find out more. --Classics for All; Spencer provides students, academics, and general interest readers with an examination of J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series of children's books, focusing on the author's use of allusions to classical sources --ProtoView.
This is a book which does much more than its title claims...an absorbing volume which will doubtless be enjoyed by Potter fans and classicists, as well as pointing the serious enthusiast towards further reading...a degree of detail that even the most hardcore fan will not have noticed before...valuable...insights on the book will, in places, be new to even the longest-standing fans...provides a rich resource on myth, folklore and classical languages in the Harry Potter books. It is an ideal book for the young (and not-so-young) Rowling fans who have noticed the classical side of their favorite books and want to find out more. --Classics for All Spencer provides students, academics, and general interest readers with an examination of J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series of children's books, focusing on the author's use of allusions to classical sources --ProtoView.
Author Information
Richard A. Spencer is a professor of classics and biblical studies at Appalachian State University, Boone, North Carolina. A Protestant minister for 46 years, he has published commentaries on the New Testament and apocryphal books and written for many religious publications.
