J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter Novels by Philip Nel

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J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter Novels: A Reader's Guide
by Philip Nel
http://www.bookcrossing.com/journal/12977477

I picked up this short little book at a book festival and have been reading it a section at a time.

This was quite a nice compendium of Harry Potter knowledge. Even though it was published after the fourth book, it still contains a lot of information I found interesting. There is everything from a short biography of J.K. Rowling, to analysis of themes and character references, to a list of popular fan websites, to a discussion of the reception of books, to speculation regarding what will happen in the rest of the series. I found some of that hilariously wrong, some was obvious, and some was quite perceptive.

I especially liked the analysis of the book compared with others that now I feel I should read, such as Tom Brown's Schooldays.

Even though this obviously isn't a full account of the Potter books, series. or cultural phenomenon, I still learned a few things and enjoyed reading through this book.