A Charmed Life (by Francis Bridger)

(Amazon UK link)

I don’t remember where I found the book ‘A Charmed Life’ by Francis Bridger, back in 2006. But I do remember being intrigued by the idea that a Christian academic would write a book about the spirituality contained in the Harry Potter series. The book was written at a time when only the first four books had been published although when I read it, all except the last one were out, and I had read all six.

The author wrote the book as a kind of defence against the extreme reactions against the Harry Potter series, particularly those of some fundamentalist evangelicals who were convinced that the books were evil, as they were about witches and wizards. Francis Bridger takes a much more balanced view, contrasting JK Rowling’s work with that of other fantasy writers including JRR Tolkien and CS Lewis.

There are just six longish chapters in this book, looking at the series from different angles. The author starts by establishing how magic works in what he calls ‘Potterworld’, explaining that when magic is used in the way it’s taught at Hogwarts, it’s like an ability, to be used for good or evil depending on the temperament and intentions of the person using it. He also points out that if a series were to be rejected due to it containing mythical creatures or wizards and witches, one would also have to reject many great works of literature, including some written by notable Christians.

I wondered what I would think of the book, re-reading it long after the Potter craze has died down (though many children still discover and love the books). I’ve read the whole series twice, some of the earlier books more than that. I’ve also seen the films. I know, as was made clear in the seventh book, that JK Rowling intended a sacrificial, redemptive climax to the book which has strongly messianic tones; indeed there are several references to Christian symbolism in ‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows’. But she managed to keep very quiet her allegiance to the church and her faith, wanting to keep her readers guessing about what would happen in the end - and there was much speculation in a multitude of directions beforehand.

Francis Bridger, in this book, mentions several aspects of ‘Potterworld’ where the reader is pointed towards God, or at least towards questioning the status quo, Rowling, as he states, clearly valued the importance of courage, love and integrity, and while the main protagonists broke some school rules, they were almost always for the sake of a higher cause. It’s something, he suggests, that some naive believers have not understood - that blind obedience to rules is only appropriate for young children who are kept out of danger by the enforcing of rules.

There’s much more - and it’s all well written and, I felt, well argued. Every so often Bridger gives the disclaimer that JK Rowling might not be intending Christian parallels - but that in her well-constructed world and characters of integrity, she is nevertheless pointing the readers towards something beyond the mundane, and that all great thought and writing is, in some sense, of God.

As far as I know this book was not updated or re-written to take account of the last three books in the Harry Potter series. I would have been very interested to read the author’s take on them, particularly the last book. But I found this a very enjoyable read anyway, and would recommend it to anyone interested to know more about the series who has not thought about the books in a spiritual way.

Review copyright 2022 Sue's Book Reviews