Editing J. K. Rowling (section)

== Reception ==
<!-- Paragraph on commercial reception-->Rowling has enjoyed enormous commercial success as an author. Her ''Harry Potter'' series topped bestseller lists,{{Sfn|Whited|2002|pp=1–3}} spawned a [[Wizarding World|global media franchise]] including [[Harry Potter (films)|films]]{{Sfn|Pugh|2020|p=4}} and [[Harry Potter (games)|video games]],{{Sfn|Gupta|2009|p=17}} and [[Harry Potter in translation|had been translated]] into 84&nbsp;languages by 2023.{{sfn|Marsick|2023}} The first three ''Harry Potter'' books occupied the top three spots of [[The New York Times bestseller list|''The New York Times'' bestseller list]] for more than a year; they were then moved to a newly created children's list.{{sfn|Anatol|2003|pp=ix–x}} The final four books each set records as the fastest-selling books in the UK or US,{{efn|Attributed to multiple sources – ''[[Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire|Goblet of Fire]]'',{{sfn|Beckett|2008|loc=p. 114: "''The Goblet of Fire'' was the fastest-selling book in history."}} ''[[Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix|Order of the Phoenix]]'',{{sfn|Grenby|2016|loc=p. 1: "''Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix'' (2003) was the fastest selling book in UK history (5 million copies in one day)"}} ''[[Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince|Half-Blood Prince]]'', and ''[[Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows|Deathly Hallows]]''{{sfn|Falconer|2008|loc=p. 16: "''Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince''&nbsp;... broke records as the fastest selling book in history, selling nine million copies on its first day in July 2005. The final volume went even further and broke sales records on both sides of the Atlantic, selling eleven million copies in its first 24 hours."}}}} and the series as a whole had sold more than 600&nbsp;million copies {{As of|2023|lc=yes}}.{{sfn|Marsick|2023}} Neither of Rowling's later works, ''[[The Casual Vacancy]]'' and the ''[[Cormoran Strike]]'' series, has been as successful,{{Sfn|Pugh|2020|pp=107–108, 122–123}} although ''Casual Vacancy'' was still a bestseller in the UK within weeks of its release.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Stone|first=Philip|date=9 October 2012|title=Casual Vacancy keeps pole position|url=https://www.thebookseller.com/news/casual-vacancy-keeps-pole-position|access-date=10 January 2022|work=[[The Bookseller]]}}</ref> ''Harry Potter''{{'s}} popularity has been attributed to factors including the nostalgia evoked by the boarding-school story, the endearing nature of Rowling's characters, and the accessibility of her books to a variety of readers.{{sfn|Levy|Mendlesohn|2016|pp=166, 168–169}}{{sfn|Eccleshare|2002|pp=106, 108}} According to [[Julia Eccleshare]], the books are "neither too literary nor too popular, too difficult nor too easy, neither too young nor too old", and hence bridge traditional reading divides.{{sfn|Eccleshare|2002|p=106}}

<!-- Paragraph on critical reception of Harry Potter-->Critical response to ''Harry Potter'' has been more mixed.{{sfn|Westman|2006|loc="The critical response"}} [[Harold Bloom]] regarded Rowling's prose as poor and her plots as conventional,{{sfn|Nel|2001|pp=59–60}}<ref>{{cite news|last=Bloom|first=Harold|author-link=Harold Bloom|date=11 July 2000|title=Can 35 million book buyers be wrong? Yes|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB963270836801555352|work= [[The Wall Street Journal]] |url-access=subscription|id={{ProQuest|1931451165}}|page=A26}}</ref> while [[Jack Zipes]] argues that the series would not be successful if it were not formulaic.{{sfn|Teare|2002|pp= 332–333}} Zipes states that the early novels have the same plot: in each book, Harry escapes the Dursleys to visit Hogwarts, where he confronts Lord Voldemort and then heads back successful.{{Sfn|Zipes|2013|pp=176–177}}<!--Zipes is the most highly cited out of all the literary critics here, so should be easy to add a secondary source--> Rowling's prose has been described as simple and not innovative; [[Ursula K. Le Guin|Le Guin]], like several other critics, considered it "stylistically ordinary".{{Sfn|Sunderland|Dempster|Thistlethwaite|2016|p=35}} According to the novelist [[A. S. Byatt]], the books reflect a dumbed-down culture dominated by [[soap opera]]s and [[reality television]].{{sfn|Pharr|2016|p=10}}<ref>{{Cite news|last=Byatt|first=A. S.|author-link=A. S. Byatt|date=7 July 2003|title=Harry Potter and the childish adult|work=[[The New York Times]]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2003/07/07/opinion/harry-potter-and-the-childish-adult.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090417131152/http://www.nytimes.com/2003/07/07/opinion/harry-potter-and-the-childish-adult.html |archive-date=17 April 2009 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|access-date=9 January 2022 }}</ref> Thus, some critics argue, ''Harry Potter'' does not innovate on established literary forms; nor does it challenge readers' preconceived ideas.{{Sfn|Pharr|2016|p=10}}<ref>{{cite news|last=Hensher|first=Philip|author-link=Philip Hensher|date=25 January 2000|title=Harry Potter, give me a break|page=1|work=[[The Independent]]|id={{ProQuest|311572655}}}}</ref> Conversely, the scholar [[Philip Nel]] rejects such critiques as "snobbery" that reacts to the novels' popularity,{{sfn|Nel|2001|pp=59–60}} whereas Mary Pharr argues that ''Harry Potter''{{'s}} conventionalism is the point: by amalgamating literary forms familiar to her readers, Rowling invites them to "ponder their own ideas".{{Sfn|Pharr|2016|p=15}} Other critics who see artistic merit in Rowling's writing include [[Marina Warner]], who views ''Harry Potter'' as part of an "alternative genealogy" of English literature that she traces from [[Edmund Spenser]] to [[Christina Rossetti]].{{sfn|Westman|2006|loc="The critical response"}} [[Michiko Kakutani]] praises Rowling's fictional world and the darker tone of the series' later entries.{{sfn|Whited|2015|pp=64–65}}

<!-- Paragraph on critical reception of Rowling's other works-->Reception of Rowling's later works has varied among critics. ''The Casual Vacancy'', her attempt at literary fiction, drew mixed reviews. Some critics praised its characterisation, while others stated that it would have been better if it had contained magic.{{sfn|Pugh|2020|p=115}} The ''Cormoran Strike'' series was more warmly received as a work of British detective fiction, even as some reviewers noted that its plots are occasionally contrived.{{sfn|Pugh|2020|pp=122–123}} Theatrical reviews of ''Harry Potter and the Cursed Child'' were highly positive.{{sfn|Brummitt|Sellars|2019|pp=108–111}}<ref name=Sulcas2018/> Fans have been more critical of the play's use of [[time travel]], changes to characters' personalities, and perceived [[queerbaiting]] in Albus and Scorpius's relationship, leading some to question its connection to the ''Harry Potter'' canon.{{sfn|Pugh|2020|pp=94–98}}

=== Gender and social division ===
<!-- This section heading is linked above in the Religion, wealth and remarriage section--><!--Rejigging to begin with Rowling – The ''Harry Potter'' series has been described as including complex and varied representations of female characters-->Rowling's portrayal of women in ''Harry Potter'' has been described as complex and varied, but nonetheless conforming to stereotypical and [[patriarchal]] depictions of gender.<ref>{{Harvnb|Heilman|Donaldson|2008|pp=139–141}}; {{Harvnb|Pugh|Wallace|2006}}; {{Harvnb|Eberhardt|2017}}.</ref> Gender divides are ostensibly absent in the books: Hogwarts is [[Mixed-sex education|coeducational]] and women hold positions of power in wizarding society. However, this setting obscures the typecasting of female characters and the general depiction of conventional gender roles.<ref>{{Harvnb|Pugh|Wallace|2006}}; {{Harvnb|Eccleshare|2002|pp=84–87}}; {{Harvnb|Gallardo|Smith|2003|p=191}}.</ref> According to the scholars Elizabeth Heilman and Trevor Donaldson, the subordination of female characters goes further early in the series. The final three books "showcase richer roles and more powerful females": for instance, the series' "most matriarchal character", Molly Weasley, engages substantially in the final battle of ''Deathly Hallows'', while other women are shown as leaders.{{sfn|Heilman|Donaldson|2008|pp=139–141}} Hermione Granger, in particular, becomes an active and independent character essential to the protagonists' battle against evil.{{sfn|Berents|2012|pp= 144–149}} Yet, even particularly capable female characters such as Hermione and [[Minerva McGonagall]] are placed in supporting roles,{{sfn|Heilman|Donaldson|2008|pp=142–147}} and Hermione's status as a feminist model is debated.{{sfn|Bell|Alexander|2012|pp=1–8}} Girls and women are frequently shown as emotional, defined by their appearance, and denied agency in family settings.<ref>{{Harvnb|Pugh|Wallace|2006}}; {{Harvnb|Heilman|Donaldson|2008|pp=149–155}}.</ref>

The social hierarchies in Rowling's magical world have been a matter of debate among scholars and critics.{{sfn|Horne|2010|pp=81–82}} The primary antagonists of ''Harry Potter'', Voldemort and his followers, believe blood purity is paramount, and that non-wizards, or "muggles", are subhuman.<ref>{{Harvnb|Barratt|2012|pp=63, 67}}; {{Harvnb|Nel|2001|p=44}}; {{Harvnb|Eccleshare|2002|p=78}}.</ref> Their ideology of racial difference is depicted as unambiguously evil.<ref>{{Harvnb|Gupta|2009|p=104}}; {{Harvnb|Guanio-Uluru|2015|p=121}}; {{Harvnb|Nel|2001|pp=43–45}}.</ref> However, the series cannot wholly reject racial division, according to several scholars, as it still depicts wizards as fundamentally superior to muggles.<ref>{{Harvnb|Ostry|2003|pp=95–98}}; {{Harvnb|Blake|2002|pp=104–106}}; {{Harvnb|Gupta|2009|pp=105–107}}; {{Harvnb|Mendlesohn|2002|pp=176–177}}; {{Harvnb|Nikolajeva|2008|pp=237–239}}.</ref> Blake and Zipes argue that numerous examples of wizardly superiority are depicted as "natural and comfortable".{{sfn|Gupta|2009|pp=105–107}} Thus, according to Gupta, ''Harry Potter'' depicts superior races as having a moral obligation of tolerance and altruism towards lesser races, rather than explicitly depicting equality.{{sfn|Gupta|2009|pp=108–110}}

Rowling's depictions of the status of magical non-humans is similarly debated.{{sfn|Horne|2010|pp=76–77}} Discussing the slavery of [[house-elves]] within ''Harry Potter'', scholars such as [[Brycchan Carey]] have praised the books' [[abolitionist]] sentiments, viewing Hermione's [[Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare]] as a model for younger readers' political engagement.<ref>{{Harvnb|Carey|2003|pp=105–107, 114}}; {{Harvnb|Horne|2010|p=76}}</ref> Other critics, including [[Farah Mendlesohn]], find the portrayal of house-elves extremely troublesome; they are written as happy in their slavery, and Hermione's efforts on their behalf are implied to be naïve.<ref>{{Harvnb|Mendlesohn|2002|pp=178–181}}; {{Harvnb|Horne|2010|p=81}}.</ref> Pharr terms the house-elves a disharmonious element in the series, writing that Rowling leaves their fate hanging;{{sfn|Pharr|2016|pp=12–13}} at the end of ''Deathly Hallows'', the elves remain enslaved and cheerful.{{sfn|Barratt|2012|p=52}} More generally, the subordination of magical non-humans remains in place, unchanged by the defeat of Voldemort.<ref>{{Harvnb|Dendle|2008|pp=171–173}}; {{Harvnb|Horne|2010|pp=96–97}}.</ref> Thus, scholars suggest, the series's message is essentially conservative; it sees no reason to transform social hierarchies, only being concerned with who holds positions of power.<ref>{{Harvnb|Ostry|2003|pp=95–98}}; {{Harvnb|Applebaum|2008|pp=92–93}}; {{Harvnb|Heilman|Donaldson|2008|pp=140–142}}; {{Harvnb|Horne|2010|pp=96–97}}; {{Harvnb|Mendlesohn|2002|pp=180–182}}.</ref>

=== Religious reactions ===
{{Main|Religious debates over the Harry Potter series{{!}}Religious debates over the ''Harry Potter'' series}}
<!--This section is linked above, in the Religion, wealth and remarriage section-->There have been [[book censorship|attempts to ban]] ''Harry Potter'' around the world, especially in the United States,{{sfn|Gupta|2009|pp=18–20}}{{sfn|Cockrell|2006}} and in the [[Bible Belt]] in particular.{{sfn|McAvan|2012|pp=100–103}} The series topped the [[American Library Association]]'s list of most challenged books in the first three years of its publication.{{sfn|Gupta|2009|p=18}} In the following years, parents in several US cities launched protests against teaching it in schools.{{sfn|Foerstel|2002|pp=[[iarchive:bannedinusarefer00foer/page/180/mode/1up|180–188]]}} Some Christian critics, particularly [[Evangelicalism|Evangelical Christians]], have claimed that the novels promote witchcraft and harm children;{{Sfn|Whited|2002|pp=3–4}}{{sfn|Guanio-Uluru|2015|pp=85–86}} similar opposition has been expressed to the film adaptations.{{sfn|Gibson|2007|pp=187–190}} Criticism has taken two main forms: allegations that ''Harry Potter'' is a [[Paganism|pagan]] text; and claims that it encourages children to oppose authority, derived mainly from Harry's rejection of the Dursleys, his guardians.{{sfn|Gibson|2007|pp=188–190}} The author and scholar Amanda Cockrell suggests that ''Harry Potter''{{'s}} popularity, and recent preoccupation with fantasy and the occult among Christian fundamentalists, explains why the series received particular opposition.{{sfn|Cockrell|2006}} Some groups of [[Shia]] and [[Sunni]] Muslims also argued that the series contained Satanic subtext, and it was banned in private schools in the [[United Arab Emirates]] by its Ministry of Education and Youth, which stated it contradicted Islamic values.{{sfn|Guanio-Uluru|2015|p=85}}<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/1816012.stm|publisher=[[BBC News]]|title=Emirates ban Potter book|date=12 February 2002|access-date=23 February 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2002/feb/14/news|work=[[The Guardian]]|title= Harry Potter expelled from UAE schools|date=14 February 2002|access-date=23 February 2025}}</ref>

The ''Harry Potter'' books also have a group of vocal religious supporters who believe that ''Harry Potter'' espouses Christian values, or that the Bible does not prohibit the forms of magic described in the series.{{sfn|Gibson|2007|pp=192–193}} Christian analyses of the series have argued that it embraces ideals of friendship, loyalty, courage, love, and the temptation of power.{{sfn|Taub|Servaty-Seib|2008|pp=15–17}}{{sfn|Ciaccio|2008|pp=33–37}} After the final volume was published, Rowling said she intentionally incorporated Christian themes, in particular the idea that love may hold power over death.{{sfn|Taub|Servaty-Seib|2008|pp=15–17}} According to Farmer, it is a profound misreading to think that ''Harry Potter'' promotes witchcraft.{{sfn|Farmer|2001|p=53}} The scholar Em McAvan writes that evangelical objections to ''Harry Potter'' are superficial, based on the presence of magic in the books: they do not attempt to understand the moral messages in the series.{{sfn|McAvan|2012|pp=100–103}}