My family have been fans of the books for a while. Which entry is my favorite? You'll find out below. Even if you are not a fan of these books, you must admit there is something special in the series. These qualities become even more evident with the use of the criteria I employed in the last post (on The Lord of the Rings) for reassessing the category of "epic." Those points again were:
1.) The work(s) must possess scope, depth, and/or creative ambition.
2.) There should be a persistent cultural influence on other creative works.
3.) It should interact with and draw upon previous creative works.
4.) The work(s) must comment on the dilemma of being human.
It is pretty clear that Harry Potter fits these criteria, but let's go through each of them. All seven books (totaling more than 4,200 pages) form an intricate sub-world of magic-endowed people and beings. The relationships between characters go back generations and the people themselves behave in convincingly three-dimensional ways. There is an entirely new sport ("quidditch"), a wizarding language, and a plot that takes seven books to come to fruition. This is certainly a saga of scope, depth, and ambition that author Rowling has composed.
One also need not look far for the book series' impact on popular culture. Some have argued that, due to the fracturing of societies into "micro-niches," Harry Potter may be the last genuine global popular phenomenon. That, of course, remains to be seen. For the time being, though, a writer at the Stanford Daily believes that one day we will be reading Harry Potter alongside Antigone, The Great Gatsby, and the Iliad.
Besides obvious cultural influence, the Harry Potter saga draws on cultural touchstones from the past. Rowling puts in references to classical mythology (the three-headed dog, centaurs) and other traditions of the world (the snake nagini). The most obvious corollary with other epics, though, is the template of the "hero's journey" (the schematic of which is often attributed to Joseph Campbell). The individual is called, unexpectedly, into an adventure, must assemble allies and friends, overcome challenges, and protect a community. It's a standard sort of plotline found across the world and Harry Potter is obviously far more complicated than this rendition, but the basic elements are there and connect the story to traditions from around the globe.
Where I find Harry Potter most compelling, though, is in its human element. The characters reflect classic archetypes (the hero on a quest, the old mentor, the zany sidekick, the ruthless villain, etc.) but each is a fully realized and, at times, unpredictable person. Even the good characters do things that frustrate and upset me, just as real people would. The series does not shy away from showing people as quite flawed.
Entire books have been written on the ethical and philosophical themes of the series. (Also, did you know that there's a group that uses the Potter series as the basis for a modern Lectio Divina practice?) Out of all the possible topics, one that has always stuck with me is the dynamic between Harry and Voldemort. Their lives parallel one another, becoming more and more entwined as time passes. Each is an orphan, each is recognized as the most powerful wizard of his generation, and after the events of Goblet of Fire, they share the same blood. Yet, Voldemort (whose name means "flight from death" in French, giving just one example of the fascinating name etymologies Rowling employs) fixates on control and fear, both in others and, unbeknownst to himself, his own. Harry, on the other hand, chooses friendship, trust, and love. While Voldemort and his vision achieves ascendancy not once but twice, both times it falters, showing that while evil power may dominate for a time, due to its own inherent insecurity, it cannot persist.
I've loved Harry Potter for a long time, but over vacation we listened to The Order of the Phoenix on tape during the car ride.
This may be my favorite volume of the epic since it illustrates lessons I've taken to heart, and ones I hope my sons do, too. In this book of the series, we see how otherwise good people can make terrible, obstinate mistakes. Harry doesn't listen to his friends' counsel, with tragic consequences, though the entire situation is arguably set in motion by Dumbledore's paternalistic mistrust that Harry can't handle certain crucial pieces of information. Beyond that, there is the additional message of resilience: Harry knows irrefutably that Voldemort has returned, but the majority refuse to believe it and systematically harass, taunt, and smear him. Still, he persists, even at great cost, because he knows he's right. That is a lesson for any age.
Given its exquisite mastery of language (on multiple levels), connection to ancient mythic/religious themes, and central humanity, it's clear that Harry Potter deserves a place among the "new epics." Next time, I'll go even further beyond the usual understanding of "epic" to highlight some graphic novels that I believe also meet the criteria.
Until then, take care.
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