A monstrous text : an exploration of genre in the Harry Potter novels

Abstract

When Bloomsbury published Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone in 1997, Joanne Kathleen Rowling began a whirlwind, rags-to-riches tale of her own. The writer, who once lived on welfare benefits, became a multi-millionaire in the span of five years, selling a total of more than 325 million copies of the seven novels. Orphaned as a baby, Harry discovers he is a wizard on his 11th birthday. He is enrolled into Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, beginning 7 years of wizard education while learning the real story behind his parents’ death and why he is the only one who may defeat the evil Lord Voldemort. From this (absurdly) brief summary, one may already see Rowling’s ingenious use of genres. At once, we understand the story to be fantasy, a bildungsroman, and a detective novel. In addition, we see elements of the fairy-tale, boarding school narrative and social commentary. This essay will examine Rowling’s manipulation of genres in the series, where and when they succeed and to what effect. Rowling’s success not only sparked renewed interest in the field of children’s literature, it also redefined parameters of reading. Crossover fiction is a burgeoning category of literature that attempts to capture the attention of both adults and children. With the help of authors such as Giselle Liza Anatol, Susan Bassnett, Jack Zipes, Rachel Falconer, Maria Nikolajeva and many more, this essay will attempt to explain how children’s literature is being redefined, and the increasing significance of crossover fiction.