Christopher Hitchens on Harry Potter

I get the feeling that Christopher Hitchens took it easy on Harry Potter because otherwise his young daughter would not forgive him, but I still appreciate his mostly benign review. The notorious hater incorporates Hitler, George Orwell, Dickens, George W., and Arthur Conan Doyle in his criticism of the Deathly Hallows, but begrudgingly he also shows himself to be well-versed in Harry’s magical world. From a safe distance, Hitchens honors Hogwarts, even going so far as to complain about Harry, Ron, and Hermione being away from their beloved school for so long in the Hallows. I think the atheist in him probably appreciates the absence of religious references in JK Rowling’s books, even though it pains him that Christian ethics somehow infiltrate the magical realm. I also think he got paid a lot for the review. But good job Hitchens! Maybe you are becoming less of a snob. Maybe you are getting soft in your old age. I would expect a harsher treatment of Harry than of Mother Theresa, but you defied my expectations. You tried to hate, but you failed. You’re still just a little English schoolboy at heart, even though you smell like whiskey shots and your three-pack-a-day habit.

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