Harry Potter and the Paganization of Culture Review

Harry Potter and the Paganization of Culture
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This is an incredibly informative book that details books like the Harry Potter books (though other books and movies are analyzed)and details why it is not true authentic Christian Literature in the sense that moral relativism is rampant, dark symbols are portrayed as good, death is an ongoing theme and that there aren't really any virtues except what the most powerful persons in the books claim them to be.
It goes into more detail than O'Brien's previous book; and his explanations are clear and charitable. If one seeks to read a dark book, so be it. But know that it is a dark book, not a book pretending to be a virtuous one. This, especially is dangerous for children who need guidance.

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The Harry Potter Series, book by book. Parental Strategies for Healthy Family Culture. Pope Benedict and Harry Potter. The War of Disinformation and Opinion. Harry Potter and the Gnostic Mind. Where Is It All Going? Twilight of the West. The Golden Compass or the Moral Compass? Master story-teller and artist Michael O'Brien-the man to whom CNN went for comment on Harry Potter-has penned the definitive work assessing the Potter phenomenon. This book is essential reading for all parents whose children have read or are considering reading the wildly popular offerings by J.K.Rowling and similar works such as Stephenie Meyer's Twilight series. Although this is an analytical work, the reader will be captivated from the beginning, from the must-read preface onward. O'Brien's earlier work, A Landscape with Dragons, delineated authentic Christian fantasy literature from its counterfeits. Now in Harry Potter and the Paganization of Culture, he fascinatingly contrasts Potter-world with C.S. Lewis's Narnia and with Tolkein's The Lord of the Rings, and specifically Harry with Frodo. For those whose children have consumed Potter, O'Brien's analysis will enable parents to comprehend the messages which have been fed their children and give them the points and arguments which will hopefully be the antidote to properly reset their moral order. The book goes beyond Potter, however, to address other bestselling series such as Twilight by Stephenie Meyer and Phillip Pullman's The Golden Compass. In addition to these and other fantasy books, O'Brien reviews the films which they spawned. In all, the author's new book teaches Christians how to discern harmless fantasy literature and film from that which is destructive to heart, mind and soul. I cannot recommend this work highly enough. John-Henry Westen Co-Founder and Editor-in-Chief LifeSiteNews.com See F&T Press for more info www.ftbookstore.com --This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

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Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire: Selections Book & CD (Alto Sax Edition) Review

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire: Selections Book and CD (Alto Sax Edition)
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This is a very good music book. The sheet music are not difficult and the CD helps a lot. Best of all is that it comes with the piano accompaniment sheet music.

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Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2 Volume Set) Review

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2 Volume Set)
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I bought two copies of this book when it was only 3 bucks on Amazon :) Extremely satisfied with the price!
Anyway
This book features some furigana, which helps, but it really at an upper-intermediate level for Japanese learners. I'm only a beginner, but I like the fact that I have a goal to work towards.
The binding and pages are high quality as well.
Highly recommend this.
Travis from [...]

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Garri Potter i filosofskii kamen / Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (Russian Edition) Review

Garri Potter i filosofskii kamen / Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (Russian Edition)
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I am a Russian-English translator, and a fan of the Harry Potter books. A friend gave me the Russian version of the first book, and I was quite interested to see how it went. To be blunt, it is poorly translated, and appears to be the result of the Russian publisher hoping to get something on the shelves as soon as possible. A great deal of Rowling's humor lies in her turns of phrase, and the translator made only half-hearted attempts to convey these, if he made the attempt at all. I frequently wondered about his grasp of the English language. Most baffling to me was that the translator changed Neville's pet toad into a turtle--but only on some pages. I cannot recommend this book even as a curiosity, since that would only encourage the publisher to continue putting out shoddy work.

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Finally in a Russian translation, the first book in the Harry Potter series (Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone ).--This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

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J. K. Rowling, Updated 2007: The Wizard Behind Harry Potter Review

J. K. Rowling, Updated 2007: The Wizard Behind Harry Potter
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Marc Shapiro takes just over 100 pages to say what many authors have said much better in biographical information recounted in magazine articles. The facts are bungled in details from the books which makes me question the facts about J. K. Rowling's life. Were those bungled as well?
Clearly the book went to press prior to the time when the name of the Fourth Harry Potter Book was officially released because it refers to that book in it's working title. However the last couple of chapters report "facts" about J. K. Rowling's life that take place as late as the last quarter of the year 2000.
Overall, save your time and money for more worthwhile reading...

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Critical Perspectives on Harry Potter Review

Critical Perspectives on Harry Potter
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I joined the Harry Potter phenomenon late in the game. Book four had already been in circulation for over two years and at 25, I considered myself well above the normal reader age. However, once I picked up the first book in the series, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, I was (no pun intended), spellbound. I spent the rest of that long summer weekend reading the remaining books. Since then, I have read each book in the series at least 20 times apiece. Somewhere in the middle of all the reading, I began to jot down notes, questions and observations I made- little items that I wanted to ponder afterwards. Questions such as: Why did Professor Dumbledore so prize the individual merits of courage and "sheer nerve"? Did Hermione and other female students ever experience gender discrimination at Hogwarts? What defined the social structure of the wizard world (surely one exists as is evident by the influence of the well-to-do Malfoy family)? What is it about the Harry Potter books that have such universal appeal? And most importantly, what lessons can be learned?
Shortly after Pottermania began, several books appeared on the market dedicated to analyzing the phenomenon. Some addressed broad themes, while others disseminated every detail of the book, trying to decipher each and every meaning of every word of J.K. Rowling's works. Among these is Harry Potter's World: Multidisciplinary Critical Perspectives, a collection of essays written by professors and graduate students.
Harry Potter's World: Multidisciplinary Critical Perspectives is by far the most comprehensive book of this genre. Edited by Michigan State University professor Elizabeth Heilman, the book is comprised of numerous essays separated into four perspectives: Cultural Studies Perspectives, Reader Response and Interpretive Perspectives, Literary Perspectives: The Hero, Myth and Genre and Critical and Sociological Perspectives.
As a graduate student pursuing a MSEd in Curriculum and Instruction, this book has been a wonderful guide for me and enriched my understanding of the many facets of curriculum study. Not only does it provide unique interpretations of the series, but it also stimulates critical reflection and offers deep analyses of the boy wizard the world has grown to love.
While it is appropriate for college and graduate-level classes, anyone interested in exploring the cultural phenomenon of Harry Potter should read and will benefit from this. You will never look at Harry Potter the same way again.

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This thoroughly revised edition includes updated essays on cultural themes and literary analysis, and its new essays analyze the full scope of the seven-book series as both pop cultural phenomenon and as a set of literary texts. Critical Perspectives on Harry Potter, Second Edition draws on a wider range of intellectual traditions to explore the texts, including moral-theological analysis, psychoanalytic perspectives, and philosophy of technology. The Harry Potter novels engage the social, cultural, and psychological preoccupations of our times, and Critical Perspectives on Harry Potter, Second Edition examines these worlds of consciousness and culture, ultimately revealing how modern anxieties and fixations are reflected in these powerful texts. ("DISCLAIMER: This book is not authorized, approved, licensed, or endorsed by J.K. Rowling, Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc., or anyone associated with the Harry Potter books or movies.")

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The Gospel According to Harry Potter: Spirituality in the Stories of the World's Most Famous Seeker Review

The Gospel According to Harry Potter: Spirituality in the Stories of the World's Most Famous Seeker
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I had the privilege of providing some editorial review to the manuscript for this book prior to its publication. I became aware of Mrs. Neal's work through her previous volume on the controversial Harry Potter series, and was intrigued by her approach and perspective. She continues this fine work with this latest volume.
It is no secret that the Harry Potter series has set off a firestorm of controversy. In Western popular culture the dividing lines have been drawn over the series (now expressed in film with the second film due in theaters in November in the U.S.), with a polarization between pro- and anti-Potter perspectives. Traditionally, evangelical Christianity has a track record of articulating many valid concerns about the rise and influence of Paganism in American culture, but little work has been done addressing just why so many are rejecting the church in favor of alternative spiritual pathways, or creatively engaging popular culture to mine various concepts that can be used as bridges to communicate the gospel. Thankfully, _The Gospel According to Harry Potter_ provides a remedy to this situation.
Mrs. Neal recognizes that both pro- and ant-Potter advocates can (and will) find elements to support their contrary views on Potter. Thus, Mrs. Neal specifically states that she is not writing to articulate a pro-Potter position, but rather, she is looking at the Potter series with the specific intention of finding elements within the series that discerning Christians can use as bridges for communication to individuals interested in Potter (and perhaps the general fantasy genre as well). Just as the Apostle Paul drew upon various Pagan sources and ideas that were used to communicate the gospel to sophisticated Pagans of the first century, contemporary Christians may wish to explore Mrs. Neal's book for suggestions on evangelizing contemporary Pagans and others interested in spirituality but "turned off" by the church. Although not everyone will agree with her approach, it is worthy of careful consideration.
Mrs. Neal has done the Body of Christ a real service in authoring this book. It is my hope that the efforts of others interested in creative engagement with popular culture on behalf of Christ will be stimulated by this fine volume.

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