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but I have to ask--have you read the Chronicles of Narnia?

Many moons ago, yes.

And absolutely, the children do have 'real world' issues -- especially sibling-related ones! But again, HP surpasses them in that way. And by 'surpass', I simply mean that most children relate to HP's main characters' conflicts more deeply than they do to Lewis' characters. The thing I like best about Lewis' world is the depth, the history, the richness of the melieu. In 4 Potter books, I learned less about the Potter world than you learn in the first few *chapters* of Lewis or -- especially -- Tolkien.

Please forgive me, but finding out you work in academia does put a bit of a picture in mind.

There's a tendency in the academic world to write off 'popular art' as being inferior to 'classic art'. I often think this is a shame, because both are truly 'great' in their own way.

I simply mean that most children relate to HP's main characters' conflicts more deeply than they do to Lewis' characters.

Agreed...I think some of this may have to do with the time in which the books were written.

Please forgive me, but finding out you work in academia does put a bit of a picture in mind.

Here, let me burn that picture for you....

...I'm probably one of the few conservative arts administrators on the planet. I fish, work on my old boxer in the shop, do some woodworking now and then, watch football when I have a chance, and like ALL kinds of movies--including the "guy" kind of movies that I for some reason can't get my wife interested in.

I was showing off my new son to one of the earth-hugging POB's (Pompous Old B^$#@rd) on campus last week and he had the gall last week to infer my Wife and I shouldn't have any more kids because the "planet was already overcrowded."

Please don't put me in the same box with him!!! :)

There's a tendency in the academic world to write off 'popular art' as being inferior to 'classic art'. I often think this is a shame, because both are truly 'great' in their own way.

I agree wholeheartedly. Popular art isn't necessarily always "least-common-denominator" like a lot of people say it is.

But it IS very difficult (and I think misguided) to compare the validity of popular art with "the cultured arts" (sorry, I know it sounds pompous but that is how academics refer to it). They really are apples and oranges. I saw a performance by MOMIX Dance Theatre not too long ago with a bunch of dance critics. They all characterized the troupe's performance as "shallow." I though this was really a shame, because I thought the works were quite imaginative and engaging...and you should've seen the crowd's reaction to the performance!