The same alchemical language he analyzes with respects to Harry Potter both literally and allegorically pervades Deborah Harkness’ Discovery of Witch books.

Specific to my discussion of the fist chapters of the story and how it relates to alchemy both literally/allegorically, I highly recommend you read the full-text overview of Literary Alchemy, as written by Harry Potter scholar John Granger, a scholar of Harry Potter whose works have proven very influential to my own imagination. ( John Granger Literary Alchemy via Harry Potter- An Introduction)ĭiscovery of Witches has been largely omitted from academia, or any literary circles that even have the wherewithal, intellectual courageousness to discuss the underlying metaphors and allegorical structures inherent to JK Rowling’s Harry Potter series. In sympathy with these metallurgical transitions and resolutions of contraries, his soul will be purified in correspondence as long as he is working in a prayerful state within the Mysteries (sacraments) of his revealed tradition. (The Alchemist’s), His (or her) efforts in changing lead to gold are based on the premise that he, as the subject, will go through the same types of changes and purifications as the materials he is working with. Our discussions will take place mainly on Lestat’s Book Coven (Facebook Group) and through discussion posts on here, posted every Saturday throughout October, specific to Discovery of Witches.Ĭhapters 1-12 Discovery of Witches– Formative Stages of Alchemy Throughout the month of October, tweet (on Twitter) us using the hashtag #ashmolebibliophile, to engage in bibliophile reverie specific discussions for the first book of the All Soul’s Trilogy, by Deborah Harkness.īe sure to stay up-to-date on all our updates beginning now, and throughout the month of October! The winner will be chosen at random upon the end of the giveaway-Monday October 12,2015 at 11:59 PM. ** By leaving a comment below on our first discussion post, you will be instantly entered into a special giveaway for a paperback edition of Deborah Harkness’ Discovery of Witches, which is only open to those living in the US.

**SPECIAL BOOK CLUB GIVEAWAY (Copy comes courtesy of Viking Books, subsidiary of Penguin Random House) Today, we’ll be mostly focusing our discussion (very brief overview, with some discussion questions) on the first 150 pages of the story, with relation to the beginning stages/ formative stages of ‘alchemy?’ Be sure, if you haven’t already, to obtaina copy of Discovery of Witches from either Indiebound (independant book stores), Kobo, Barnes and Nobles, Amazon, or at your local library.

A discovery of witches book 3