Many feel that's the greatest line in Russian literature, and I won't disagree. It's also no surprise that someone quoted this line in the comments thread for the blog post that reported the scene below.
The incident: Russian Orthodox nationalists burning Harry Potter books in Moscow.
One enthusiastic book-burner ("The fire's a good thing") described the group as "a holy inquisition" that "will fight against heretical literature." "These aren't little children's books about a heroic teen, but the darkest of dark literature, filling the souls of our children with evil, satanism and witchcraft. Harry Potter books teach the younger generation that through witchcraft and "enchantment" it's possible to achieve positive ends."
From a historical perspective, I can see why Russian Orthodox nationalists don't want books about witchcraft to teach kids to do evil that good may result. After all, isn't that traditionally the province of the Moscow Patriarchate?
Leave a comment