In Ravenclaw Reader, an international gathering of scholars debate the literary merits and demerits of the Harry Potter series. Each chapter is conversation, with the main argument followed by a reply from another critic. Representing a wide range of critical and cultural voices, the discussion includes questions about the portrayal of education in the book, the role of Snape, the landscape around Hogwarts, the structure of the series, the Wizarding World as dystopia, the problem of the Dursleys, and the canonization of Neville Longbottom. Perceptive, incisive, and thought-provoking, this in-depth conversation will engage fans, students, and academics alike. Ravenclaw Reader sets a new standard for Harry Potter criticism. Developed from the historic St Andrews University Harry Potter Conference, Ravenclaw Reader features contributions by Jessica Tiffin, John Granger, Amy Sturgis, Maria Nilson, Vinita Chandra, Joel Hunter, Travis Prinzi, Gabrielle Ceraldi, Joshua Richards, Amy Sonheim, and more. If there had been any question as to the academic legitimacy of J.K. Rowling studies, Ravenclaw Reader has put the issue to rest, and with emphasis... This collection of essays brings our beloved Harry Potter novels under the piercing and revelatory gaze of profound academic rigor and insight. For those who have always known there was far more to Rowling's epic work than is commonly acknowledged, you will find solace, clear-sightedness and companionship in the pages of this collection. -- Patrick McCauley, author of Into the Pensive: The Philosophy and Mythology of Harry Potter Ravenclaw Reader is a compilation of some of the papers presented at the St. Andrews Conference on the literary elements, qualities, implications, and nuances of Rowling's books. Here is the future of Rowling studies. Rowling's work will endure and continue to elicit scholarly attention because her books are too rich, too deep, too personally meaningful to be forgotten or neglected by those who love books. --From the Foreward by James Thomas, author of Repotting Harry Potter: A Professor's Book-by-Book Guide for the Serious Re-Reader Arranged as a series of essays and responses, this compelling anthology allows fans to be part of a dynamic dialog on the Harry Potter books' core themes (death, education, the workings of magic), rich literary intersections (the forest archetype, folk tradition, utopia and dystopia), and most perplexing conundrums (understanding challenging characters like Snape, Neville, and the Dursleys). Ravenclaw Reader is an essential addition to every Potter fan's bookshelf. -- Kathryn McDaniel, editor of Harry Potter for Nerds II Ravenclaw Reader is serious reading for the Sirius Pottered. Never in the history of Potter Punditry has there been such an intense discussion and dissertation on the meaning and depth of the Hogwarts Saga. The broad range of subjects presented in the Ravenclaw Reader will interest any fan of the Harry Potter series. It will take their appreciation of the text of J.K. Rowling's magical world even deeper. A MUST READ!< --Keith Hawk, MuggleNet Managing Editor and Co-Host of MuggleNetAcademia Although Harry's adventures may have come to an end, Ravenclaw Reader makes clear that adventures in scholarly analysis of his story have not. Its pages filled with insight, informative contextualization, and illuminating controversy, the book offers both scholars and fervent lay readers of the series much to consider. A great addition to anyone's already packed shelf of Harry Potter studies.-- Edmund Kern, author of The Wisdom of Harry Potter: What Our Favorite Hero Teaches Us About Our Moral Choices John Patrick Pazdziora is Associate Professor of Foreign Languages and Literature at the College of Liberal Arts, Shantou University, in the People's Republic of China. He did his doctoral work with Micah Snell at St. Andrews, specializing in Scottish Victorian literature, and is currently teaching courses on 20th century British lit and children's lit. Micah Snell teaches writing and Great Books in the Honors College at Houston Baptist University. He helped John Patrick Pazdziora coordinate the St. Andrews University Harry Potter conference.