Unlocking Harry Potter: Five Keys for the Serious Reader
by John Granger
"I got so hooked I had to stop everything else I was doing and just read, read, read. I carried it around the house, read it while using the excercycle, I hid in rooms away from the action of daily life so I could take it all in. I haven't had that reaction to a book since, well, The Half Blood Prince. A spectacular read for all serious fans of Rowling's works. Compelling, well-argued, fun and funny. Engaging. Thought provoking. Erudite.
Tom Morris, author of If Harry Potter Ran General Electric
With his considerable talents and reservoir of language and literary expertise, the remarkable John Granger is singularly able to shed light on the work of J. K. Rowling. He illumines such aspects of the Harry Potter books as their alchemical literary ingredients, narrative misdirection, and postmodern themes that get turned on their heads, while enhancing our understanding and appreciation of Rowling's literary genius. He peels back the layers of Rowling's stories and sees patterns the rest of us miss - and he never forgets to be a fan, engaging in fun speculation about what will come in the finale. His isn't empty conjecture, for he has a trackrecord of anticipating plot points in advance, which his training and talents make unsurprising. Once more Granger has shown himself to be second to none among Potter commentators and literary sleuths. Some books are meant to be ingested quickly. Not this one. Serious fans of Harry Potter will relish it.
David Baggett, Editor of Harry Potter and Philosophy