Tag Archives: Dumbledore

Trashing Dumbledore

Posted on October 21, 2007 | Comments Off on Trashing Dumbledore

It was bad enough when the stately Dumbledore of the first Harry Potter movie was replaced by the fussy, disheveled one of the later flicks. It was worse when J.K. Rowling’s later books became tedious, over-written lessons in how not to write fiction: full of crutch adverbs, confusing parenthetical phrases and always dependent on final-chapter explanations. Now the poor woman, who was recently photographed displaying her wares like a Hollywood tart, wants us to believe that Dumbledore was a closeted gay. Fortunately–unlike the completely unnecessary F-word she sullied the final book with–there’s no conclusive sign of the old wizard’s sexual preferences in the story. So who cares what she left out? The Harry Potter tales belong to everyone now. They aren’t hers to muddy anymore.

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The Christian Hallows

Posted on August 1, 2007 | Comments Off on The Christian Hallows

The Christian motifs of Book 7 in the Harry Potter series are pretty obvious, from Harry’s willing sacrifice of himself to save the world, and his afterlife way-station conversation with the spirit of Dumbledore (Just because it’s only in your head, Harry, doesn’t mean it isn’t real), notwithstanding his decision to return to life to defeat the evil Tom Riddle. Other interesting thoughts on these scenes are here, thanks to No Left Turns, and here at the Sword of Gryffindor and also LaShawn Barber. I was surprised by the intensity of the ideas in Book 7, but had to admit that much of the Potter books have, all along, mirrored Narnia and The Lord of the Rings, whose authors were serious Christians. I am not a Christian at all, but nevertheless find all three series inspiring in our, often oppressively, secular age.

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Harry Potter snickup

Posted on July 20, 2007 | Comments Off on Harry Potter snickup

The postman did it. Delivered the book early to a Chicago family, then tried to get it back. One member of the family had already read it, but isn’t revealing the details. Me? I think Snape will be the only major character to die–besides Voldemort. Snape will die protecting Harry, and be revealed as a good guy, afterall. Dumbledore will make some sort of Gandalfian resurrection. Don’t forget. You read it here first.

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Dumbledore and Gandalf

Posted on April 23, 2007 | Comments Off on Dumbledore and Gandalf

Mr. Boy and I have decided, having finished the Harry Potter books the same week as we saw the third installment of the Lord of the Rings movie, that Dumbledore, like Gandalf, will probably return to life more powerful than before–in the seventh book in the series due out this summer. Indeed, Mr. B. points out a similarity between Frodo and Harry. They both are marked, Harry with the forehead thunderbolt, and Frodo with the shoulder wound from the Nazgul. Both ache when the enemy is near.

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