The Severus Snape Paradigm: Outcast, Rebel, Hero

I think this was by far the best of the Snape trilogy by Logospilgrim. All three books, as mentioned in the above reviews, offer a stunning perspective on our beloved potions master. I will say though, that at times, I found the plethora of religious verses a bit distracting at times in the first two. I am not an atheist, nor am I a member of an organized religion. I can agree with the other reviewers that once I acclimated to Logospilgrim's writing style, I was able to see the verses more as a metaphor than a sermon, and found the texts quite fulfilling. In the preface to this volume, the author notes that she has experienced some changes in her spiritual life that have removed her somewhat from the organized plane of Christianity. Personally I think the change actually improved her writing. I got the sense she was more at ease with her beliefs, rather than trying to make them fit to a doctrine, and her writing reaps the benefits of this openness. This is by far the most beautiful of the three books, and easily the most endearing to any Snape fan. In many ways I could call it a touching requiem for a character that many of us had grown to love and who felt that he was dealt a terrible coup de grace in the worst possible manner. The means by which Snape died so abruptly left many (especially adult readers) devastated in its wake. These three books allow us to examine the Severus Snape character from a totally different perspective and to see just how deep and miraculous a being he was. They also provide a source of comfort and closure that was denied to many readers of the Deathly Hallows. It also offers a chance to examine your own spirituality and short comings by seeing how a lost boy could become the bravest man that Harry ever knew.

This book is about spirituality, if that's what you want to read about, then by all means buy the book. However, the references to Snape are just to illustrate points being made by the author. There is no real indepth look into the character of Severus Snape. Title is totally misleading.

*** Readers who have not yet read through the 7 Harry Potter books should note that this review of necessity contains spoilers. *** Logospilgrim has written 3 books centering around the Harry Potter character Professor Severus Snape, and I have read all 3: 1. BRING FORTH THE BEST ROBES (SEP 22, 2008) 2. THE FLAWED MASTER: LESSONS PROFESSOR SNAPE TAUGHT ME (NOV 9, 2009) 3. THE SEVERUS SNAPE PARADIGM: OUTCAST, REBEL, HERO (JUN 8, 2012) Many Harry Potter fans are deeply affected by the death of Snape and subsequent revelations about him in the last book in the series HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS. We learn that he was maligned and misunderstood yet faithfully endured to the end, ultimately giving his life in self-sacrifice. Maybe HP author J. K. Rowling has since changed her views due to massive fan feedback, but initially she did not like Snape and many readers who emotionally identified with him were left feeling an unhealed sense of sadness and loss after finishing the series. Logospilgrim felt this way and always shares that Snape has had a profound influence on her life. She stepped in with her first book to help bring healing by sharing her profound insights into the character of Professor Snape that JKR obviously could not see herself. For this reason my personal favorite Logospilgrim book is BRING FORTH THE BEST ROBES, followed closely by book 2, THE FLAWED MASTER. You can check out these 2 books and customer reviews on Amazon, and you will also see that most people are very moved by her works, regardless of their religious persuasions. For someone who is checking out these books because they've read Harry Potter and want to get more insights about Snape, my advice would be to read Logospilgrim's books in order. Start with book 1 and then go on to book 2 which is written in a similar vein. Those inclined toward mysticism can then go on to book 3 because it is much broader in scope and much more mystical in nature than the first two books. Some of the material in Logospilgrim's books is autobiographical in regard to her spiritual searching and growth. She is a religious mystic who has journeyed from the legalistic harshness of fundamentalist Christianity to Greek Orthodoxy and now to religious pluralism. The first 2 books were written during her Greek Orthodox stage, while the third book is written from her current pluralistic perspective and is much more 'mystical' than the others because she merges Tarot card symbolism with passages from the Bible, Buddhist, Hindu and Taoist works. Using Snape as a model, she explains concepts such as learning to see our selfish ego agenda for what it is and putting it aside as we realize our Oneness with all creation. This is what Snape had to do and what he saw at his death. People who like reading books on mysticism and such topics will likely enjoy book 3; it should be read slowly and thoughtfully to allow deeper consideration of the things being said. Logospilgrim's genuine love and warmth flow from every page she writes, and the insights she extracts through examining the life of Professor Snape are deeply moving and profound, as reviewers of her first 2 books have already affirmed. These 3 books can be read and enjoyed by anyone interested in Snape or looking for personal growth by learning life lessons she teaches through examining this character. For more on Harry Potter and Snape: Many literary critics and fans acknowledge that JKR needs to correct and revise several things in Harry Potter to make her extraordinary books even better. For anyone interested in reading about needed corrections and revisions to HP (including the characterization of Snape), you can check out my review of DESTINY UNFULFILLED by Jim Adam posted on June 22, 2012: Destiny Unfulfilled: A Critique of the Harry Potter Series For anyone wishing to know a little about currently available versions of Harry Potter books, ebooks and audio books, I posted a review on June 24, 2012 for the HARRY POTTER HARDCOVER BOXED SET: BOOKS #1-7 where I discuss some of these and the Pottermore web site: http://www.amazon.com/review/RF1O6KDW2H0HA/ref=cm_cr_rdp_perm I hope all of the above info is helpful to you.

Far more than simply a fan's meditation on a favorite character, Logospilgrim here explores issues of her own faith as well as theological and philosophical speculations on the nature of failure, self-doubt, and unconditional love. A slender book of surprising depth. I highly recommend it

This is a very interesting book and was very happy that Amazon had it. I am sure that this book will be very hard to put down once I start reading it. Harry Potter's Professor Snape was a very interesting character and was very happy to see there were books on this character.

I've just finished reading Logospilgrim's book The Severus Snape Paradigm for the second time. The first time, I simply read it through, often with tears forming in the corners of my eyes. The second time, I read it with highlighter in one hand and a pencil and paper in another. I took eight pages of notes on the first half alone. This book's prose is almost poetry at times. With her command of language, Logospilgrim is able to present her ideas in ways that are stunningly beautiful; thoughts presented in symphony. Logospilgrim's ability to reach into the reader's soul with her words is a gift given to the few who are able to see without judgment. She is, in truth, a modern theologian of the highest order. As I read this book, I found myself often comparing her to Joseph Campbell. Her theology unites rather than divides. Her wisdom rings deep and true. Rarely does a writer share her heart and mind in such a way that the reader feels understood and blessed. The Foreword alone is worth the price of the book. Rather than set herself above the reader as some guru who deigns to share from her wealth of wisdom, Logospilgrim shares her own struggles with learning how to traverse the landscape of the spiritual. She lets the reader know that she has been reduced to a puddle of tears on more than one occasion as she has sought to know her own soul, the soul of her fellow human, and the soul of God. "I had to let go of the notion that reduced Supreme Love to only one absolutely perfect manifestation, a manifestation bound to one time and place." (52) What is most wondrous, and a pure delight to those of us who are Harry Potter fans, is that Logospilgrim uses the character of Professor Severus Snape to outline, develop and present her ideas. For her, Snape is the bridge to understanding herself and her journey, the heart of others and the road that leads to Love. "He was at the center. He had always been at the center, although as time advanced his in-between position became even more central. He was shadow and light, a professor who was ignorant, killer who preserved life, a protector who pointed towards danger, a lover who was alone." (81) By accepting the contradictions in the character of Professor Snape, we, like Logospilgrim, are invited to accept, and embrace, the contradictions within ourselves. Logospilgrim is quite candid when, in the Foreword, she writes of her own early struggles with accepting the light and darkness within herself. How many of us have found ourselves in fear of our own brokenness; thinking that, perhaps, it is a sign that we are not loved by Love? She writes of Snape: "He helped me to see that it is not a sin to be broken. It is not a sign of spiritual destitution, of divine rejection." (15) What is curious about Logospilgrim's writing is that it does not tell the reader that his or her belief system is wrong; it simply asks that the reader be open to seeing how truth can be found and lived out within many perspectives; that none have the only and final word. As a Catholic nun, I find this rather refreshing. Are you a Harry Potter fan... or a great admirer of Professor Snape? Then this book is for you. Are you on a spiritual journey and wanting ways to understand the terrain upon which you traverse? Then the Severus Snape Paradigm is a book that needs to be in your personal library.