Stuff I Wish I Could Get Paid to Do
The fifth Harry Potter book is my favorite, chiefly on account of its representation of the Wizard system of government. Harry's endless struggles with the Ministry of Magic -- some humorously bureaucratic, some downright nasty -- and the attitude he developes toward the Ministry give the book a very rebellious and anarchistic tone. I think it's an important aspect of the broader story and it's clear that J. K. Rowling isn't a big fan of government.
However, I don't think this observation merits an entire law review article published by one of the nation's top law schools. And the fact that the author is a real-life law professor who looks like he's on his way to a sorority formal just embitters me even more.
And while we're on the subject, I will happily read the seventh Harry Potter book, knowing full well that it may be as lousy as the sixth, but under no circumstances will I allow Harry Potter and the Law into my home or office.
Posted by hb at June 28, 2006 05:54 PM
Order of the Phoenix 4evah!
Re-reading the books for the fourth time, it's interesting how much Book 2 suffers on re-reads, while Book 4 gets relatively better. Book 3 is still the lodestar of the series, but Book 5 is really the masterwork in terms of writing and characterization.
Book 6 is a nightmare. I call it Everwarts, or possibly Dawson's Castle.