Includes bibliographical references (p. 294-297)

Provides five essential keys for understanding the Harry Potter series--not who will live or die in Deathly Hollows, but how J.K. Rowling created the most successful books of our times. To understand the story behind the stories, John Granger introduces the themes and patterns Rowling uses to write books that resonate with readers of all ages. This book is for "serious readers," but Granger writes in a very entertaining style. If you never understood the term "postmodernism" or how "literary alchemy" is used by great authors from Shakespeare to J.K. Rowling, then this is a fun way to learn. Unlocking Harry Potter is the only book to examine in depth the importance of what Rowling said in an interview from 1998, that "to invent this wizard world" she had to learn about alchemy "in order to set the parameters and establish the stories' internal logic."--From publisher description