ABSTRACT
Harold Bloom claims that J.K. Rowling’s ‘Harry Potter’ novels are bland and lack ‘an authentic imaginative vision’. Along the same lines, Jack Zipes regards them as ‘formulaic and sexist’, while John Pennington argues that the series does ‘not have a firm footing in fantasy’ and is ‘never certain about fantasy content, structure, theme and how these components are essential to the reader’s response to the fantastic’.1 Despite these opinions – and numerous other similar responses – the ‘Harry Potter’ novels have gone from strength to strength with a global fanbase and substantial commercial success. In late 2005, it was announced that the series had sold over 300 million copies worldwide. Rowling is now only outsold by the Bible and Shakespeare.2 Her novels have been translated into 63 languages, a number which is matched by such other international bestsellers as Agatha Christie. As the result, Rowling has become one of the top five wealthiest women in the United Kingdom. The novels have, of course, also been adapted for the screen and each of the films has achieved ticket sales which has put them at the top of the global box office. It is difficult to comprehend the vastness of Harry Potter’s popularity. No other fictive character – whether in adult or children’s literature or film – has generated so much interest. Sumon Gupta makes several points about the novels’ popularity, stating that they ‘are economically the most successful of all literary books published in recent years’, that they ‘have apparently transcended cultural boundaries more effortlessly than any other fictional work of recent years’ and, subsequently, that they ‘are the most challenged … and banned books of our time’.3 It is difficult, if not impossible, to deny the overwhelming global presence of Harry Potter.
