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You nailed what I continue to love about HP, and miss in so much of modern fantasy. The obsession with grimdark “realism” is depressing as heck. Also would love to read the Mansfield Park essay; I listened to a podcast that talked about some of the fairytale parallels (specifically with Cinderella) and it blew my mind/really made me appreciate in a new way what has always been my least favorite Austen novel

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Yes! The recent dark fantasies I’ve read makes me not want to read fantasy anymore. :( Thanks! I think I may post it to my Substack. Re-reading Mansfield and studying it has elevated it to one of my favorite Austen novels! What podcast were you listening to? I am so curious now!

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Yes-I used to read Fantasy more than any other genre and now it’s a rarity to find some that I enjoy. Please do! And it’s The Literary Life Podcast! Highly recommend

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I love that podcast! I didn’t realize they had done Mansfield. Thanks!

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Oct 31, 2023Liked by Karissa Riffel

Not exactly magic in the Harry Potter sense, but the "Hilda" graphic novels by Luke Pearson have that same feeling of wonder that you mentioned. Hilda's world is full of strange and mysterious beings and forces, some scary, some friendly . . . and the illustrations are simply beautiful.

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I’ve never heard of it. Sounds so good!

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