Destiny Unfulfilled: A Critique of the Harry Potter Series

by Jim Adam

Not suitable for die-hard Potter fans, Destiny Unfulfilled is fundamentally critical of the Potter series, examining such issues as the role of a protagonist, the writer's contract with her readers, characterization, and shaggy dog resolutions. In Stein on Writing, Sol Stein tells us of "the value of dissecting a piece of writing repeatedly until it surrender[s] its secrets." Destiny Unfulfilled is an example of that very sort of intense analysis. Covering all seven books of the Potter series, Destiny Unfulfilled dives deep under the covers, ferreting out secrets that at times are dark and disquieting, but which will prove enlightening to students of both creative writing and literary criticism.

Genres: Nonfiction, Harry Potter

282 pages, Paperback

First published May 12, 2009

About the author

Jim has lived in Illinois, Tennessee, Texas, North Carolina, Iowa, Texas, Ohio, and North Carolina, pretty much in that order. North Carolina and Texas look like the winners, but he secretly hopes he can get back to Ohio, where he had started taking Karate lessons and, thanks to the regular exercise, actually lost some weight and kept it off.

Jim's Author Page on Amazon.com is mostly true.

Reviews

[Tom Snellgrove · Rating 3 out of 5]

First the negatives: the author is too extreme in his judgement, indulgent in his writing style, and in some cases seems to miss the point of what JK Rowling was (I believe) trying to accomplish.

That said, if you can overlook some ranting, Destiny Unfulfilled offers a rare thing - a genuinely critical, book-length analysis of the Potter series based on it's literary merits by someone who has read the Potter series very closely. The author also takes the time to not merely criticize points where Potter series could have been better but to propose concrete ideas for plot improvements. I don't agree with every suggestion but in many cases (book 4 in particular) I found myself impressed by good ideas I hadn't thought of myself.

Surprisingly, a lengthy and informed analysis of the Potter series writing is quite hard to find. This is especily odd given that it's the most popular book series ever written but none the less it's true. There are a raft of writers who want to analyze everything about Harry Potter other than its writing (e.g. it's social impact, it's philosophy, it's attitude towards feminism, it's psychology, it's mass market appeal, what would happen if Harry ran General Electric, etc). Then there are some very fine writers who have critiqued the writing of the Potter series - both positively and negatively - but who clearly never read past book one and seem to have only skimmed it at best. A very few well known authors seem to have read it closely and written fine essays on it's writing merits (Stephen King comes to mind) but these rarely extend beyond newspaper review length. And lastly - and by far most typically - there are a vast number of fans who believe in their earnest hearts that Harry Potter is simply the best thing ever written and is innately flawless in both conception and execution. So if you're looking for a truly critical and well read (if not always well written or moderately worded) critique of the writing in Harry Potter I do recommend Destiny Unfulfilled - it's the best I've come across yet.

[Jacquel · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great and wonderful essay about the Harry Potter books. I'm glad that I have read it and learned about where Harry Potter succeeded and failed. I hope to take what I have learned from the book and apply it to my alternative Harry Potter fan fiction, aptly called "Harry Potter Redux". I really hope that one day, the series can be rewritten and made better. I want to see Harry as a real hero (not just the title), Dumbledore as a mentor, and a real villain because Voldemort just doesn't cover it.

[Iqra V · Rating 4 out of 5]

When you've read and re-read the HP series a zillion times, there are things you start to notice, patterns you start to see and a number of flaws as well as strengths you start to appreciate, even if you can't put a finger on some of it.

Destiny Unfulfilled is not just a refreshing and coherent criticism of these very flaws of the HP books but goes further and attempts to provide solutions that could have made the series more ingenious than it already is.

While there are already criticisms for plot holes and whatnots of the HP series, this book is rather a take on the creative decisions of JK Rowling.

Ridiculous, you say? Not really. The Harry Potter books are a phenomenon of our time and not without reasons. But that doesn't mean they don't have gnawing flaws. I came at this book after having heard it all in the fan pages and fandoms. Or so I thought.

As Jim Adam has proved, it takes a book to comprehensively critique the phenomenon that is HP. I concur with most of the points author raises about our protagonist. This has been a serious peeve for me throughout the books. Harry is not much of a protagonist and Rowling seems to have lost a lot of opportunity by giving him a rugged upbringing and then completely failing to use it to develop him into someone who could match the stature of his mentors and nemesis as well as become a lot more than simply the "boy who lived" to go on an actually EARN the "boy who eventually killed the Dark Lord" title.

There are times when we see the sassy, brave side to him but those are far and few in between. And quite accurately most of DU is based around how the main characters Harry, Dumbledore and Voldemort could have acted their part in a more realistic way and thus attaining the full potential of the universe JK Rowling has so creatively woven.

I believe the ability of the HP universe to infuse and anchor itself in the reality of our world adds to it's addictive excellence. And when you see characters behaving in an illogical way or things happening that seem too fantastical even for a fantasy series, it gnaws at you. That is exactly what the author has tried to address.

The only problem is the alternatives that the author provides may not be the most effective resolution. Yes, the author is pedantic in some places but I overlooked that because I think that's a quality that has fueled much of this book.

Different individuals may offer different takes on alternate plot lines that could have been but the author's efforts need to be applauded. I loved some of his arcs and his ability to weave a foolproof narrative. Clearly, the critique comes from a place of immense appreciation for the series. And it shows in the writing and how far the author was willing to go with his analysis.

Finally, this is a GREAT book for budding fiction writers for whom it could be nothing less than a generously done academic study of HP's many flaws.

But this is what is so brilliant about Harry Potter. Even after years, you could continue to ponder over it, criticize it but still love it, still go back to enjoy it and still find something new.

[Himanshu Mishra · Rating 2 out of 5]

I want to give this critical essay a better rating, I really do, but for the life of me, I can't. It began strong, but the author lost his way in the middle owing to rants, simplifications, and sweeping over-generalizations. As a result, what could have been a perceptive critique turned out to be a mix of hits and misses.

Hits
1.The books' treatment of moral and ethical dilemmas leaves much to be desired. For example, in the first book, when Harry learns that his touch can harm Quirrel, he holds on to him vehemently to protect himself and the Philosopher's stone, and foil the plans of Voldemort. However, he faints before Quirrel actually dies. This is a dodge, aimed to prevent Harry from confronting that someone is dead because of him.
2.Harry, despite being an orphan, frequently acts callously towards the Creevy brothers, Myrtle, and Neville, among others. This would not be a bad thing by itself, but Harry is usually portrayed as an empathetic figure, so it comes a bit off.
3.Ron's underdevelopment as a character (most important, in my opinion). Surprisingly, author does not spend much time on it.
4.We are not given a satisfactory showdown between Harry/Snape, and to a lesser extent, between Harry/Malfoy. This, in turn, diminishes the characters of both Snape and Malfoy - since both of these are quite complex characters, and could have given an additional depth to the Harry Potter universe.
5.The way Dumbledore's past was revealed was problematic, and the rapidity with which Harry accepts this revelation even more so.
6.Most of book seven really, but most importantly, the resolution.

Misses
All the misses can be attributed to a single fact - the author is an uncompromising proponent of the monomythic structure of the hero's journey. He firmly believes that a hero must grow, both in power and wisdom, throughout the narrative. In his opinion, Harry Potter fails as a hero because he doesn't become another Dumbledore-esque wizard, capable of challenging Voldemort through the might of his arms (or magic, in this case). His other complaint is that Harry lacks the courage to take hard decisions - he goes out of his way to placate Mrs. Weasley, he refuses to use lethal curses, he cares about his friends and acquaintances getting hurt in a friggin' war for crying out loud, etc. These points are, for the most part, moot because Harry is not meant to be Dumbledore. While it is true that Harry's arc could have been handled better, the point here is that he values life, he refuses to kill, he is resilient. This is the key difference between him and Voldemort.
The author rants a lot about how Harry is not a hero, but his reasoning is flawed, and most of his arguments are non-sequiturs.

Final Rating: 2.5/5

[Martin McKenna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVE Harry Potter and highly recommend this book. It's not a bitch fest, it's a very useful writing guide. It will improve your writing by showing how essential it is to have your hero EARN each victory. It will help you examine your character arcs and see where the weak moments are. It will show you how not to weaken crucial scenes and climax moments.

This book will show you so many other things as well... but it definitely contains the best information I've ever seen on how to strengthen your hero's development. I am so grateful to the author because I can now see I was making all the same mistakes with the heroes in my own writing projects.

Think of this as a very easy to read writing guide that simply uses Harry Potter books as examples. I can't wait to revise my manuscript and strengthen it. I would definitely recommend all unpublished and published authors read it!!

[Yara Boraعie · Rating 3 out of 5]

For a series so phenomenal, Harry Potter is shockingly not faultless.

Destiny Unfulfilled is a fan's analysis and an open request for J.K. Rowling to rewrite the series, all the while taking into consideration a more realistic attempt at character development.

First off, I enjoyed the sardonically conversational and cleverly convincing writing style. The author was able to strip the books bare of all the beautifully descriptive words, dig out its fallacies, constructively criticise them, and clearly point to more logical and entertaining substitutes.
 
In the first few chapters, he presented solid points that render any counterargument invalid - save of course the fact that these are STILL children that ought to be given a freaking break 'cause they've been through so much!
 
But then you realise that's exactly the point.
 
Indeed, the point I agreed with the most is the fact (a fact which annoyed me a great deal whilst reading the series) that the only time Rowling honestly deals with an emotional repercussion is that of the loss of a loved one, more or less.

Reiterating again: these are children fighting and finishing off lives but (setting aside it being out of self-defence and whether or not warranted)... everyone just seemed to easily move on.
 
I understand this is fantasy fiction, but what's so loved about it is its alternate approach to reality, yet sticking true to it. Throughout the series, it feels as though the only connection setting the alternate reality and ours apart is the magical aspect, except when it comes to realistic tragedies.

Take for instance how Harry's abuse was belittled and the resulting psychological impact was not directly and carefully addressed. Adam's critique here is of the opinion that Rowling should've emphasised more on the realistic suffering.
 
Although his criticism was thoughtful, it did often digress into senseless rants.
 
All in all, if it weren’t for the hideously tacky cover, the ridiculously uncalled-for sexism and inappropriate body shaming here and there, this critique would've been ingenious.

[Karin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting viewpoints. The author thinks that the HP books are a fantastic idea, but that Rowling's characters (esp. Ron & Harry & Dumbledore) were undeveloped. That she could do a complete rewrite of the books. But they do admit that that would take years, and she may not wish to do it.

One of the really big problems is that Harry doesn't develop into a great wizard. His schoolwork is mostly just mundane. Adam thinks that Dumbledore should have taken Harry under his wing for lessons in defensive spells lots earlier than the sixth book. That Harry should be shown developing his magical prowess, so he could defeat Voldemort with skill, not luck. Harry begins to take charge of his life during Book 5, when he starts the DA. However, by book 6, he has disbanned them. He waits around at the Dursleys each summer instead of being tutored by Dumbledore. (Doesn't Dumbledore think Harry is a agood enough wizard for him to take the time to tutor him?).

I would love, love, love the series to be rewritten, for an adult audience. I do love the fact that the story was fun and adventurous and that kids eat it up , causing them to read more and see that reading gets them a reward (entrance to the wizard world.) She addresses hard themes like death but ddoesn't overdue it by killing off half the wizards we have come to know. There seems to be something to Harry being a hero, without having him be physically stronger, or brighter than the other students. Adams would have Rowling take out most of book 7; he does not like the death scene with Dumbledore. I did. I knew it was coming ever since Rowling said she loved the Narnia books and then shut up about them. She was going to do something like was done to Aslan in Book 1 of the Narnia series.

There may be too many episode-driven chapters and not enough growth for the main 3 characters (Neville does more changing than Harry) but i still love the series as it is- esp. for the 9-14 age group.

[Joe Mcdade · Rating 2 out of 5]

Mr. Adam just didn't get it.

I question whether or not this individual had any understanding whatoever of the depth of some of the characters in the series? To characterize Shape as I believe he said a "sniveling petty tyrant", shows a complete lack of understanding of his character's role. The only thing I can say to Mr. Adam is, unfortunately, you just didn't get it. And that's too bad for you, because millions of us, from the ten year old kids who loved it and learned how to love reading as a result loved it just on the surface, and the older readers, like me spent hours wondering what Me. Rowling meant by that.

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a fresh and interesting look at a series that is loved around the world. Whilst at times verging on the over-critical, it certainly raised questions and interesting points about the series that I had either thought myself, or never knew I wanted to understand so much as when I read it in writing!

[Y.K. Willemse · Rating 5 out of 5]

A marvellous overview of some of the logical fallacies and character development flaws in the Harry Potter series. This book helped me greatly in the writing of my own series and encouraged me to "question everything", as Descartes would have it.

[Zella Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars.

Goodreads needs half star reviews.