A fictional character can serve as a mirror to readers, whether a Mirror of Erised showing the reader’s desires or a Foe-Glass, reflecting back the qualities the reader finds most threatening. Severus Snape is one of the most potent fictional mirrors I’ve ever read. Debate about this character can become so heated that moderators of online discussions routinely close comments as soon as the topic turns to Snape. Snape is only made up of words, the exact same words in the exact same order for everyone who reads the Harry Potter books, yet readers’ interpretations of this character can differ wildly according to whatever elements of his story or personality speak most to them.

What a gift he is to English literature.

Over a year ago, I began working with Phil Sexton of Media Lab Books and agent Gordon Warnock of Fuse Literary to create an updated, expanded version of my book on Snape. The most notable new content in Snape: The Definitive Analysis is Chapter 9, “Severus Snape and the Cursed Child.” I also worked with sensitivity reader Charles Waltz to expand a section of Chapter 3, “Severus Snape and the Prisoner of Azkaban,” that dealt with the implications of Lupin instructing students to retaliate against Snape’s bullying by imagining him dressed as Neville’s grandmother. The most recent addition to the team effort has been narrator Michelle H. Lee, a voice actress and longtime Snape fan. The audiobook she recorded should be available November 8, 2022.

The hardcover Snape is available as of today from bookstores and online retailers.