The Tales of Beedle the Bard by JK Rowling
When Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows was first published, I thought that JK Rowling was done with Harry Potter, and possibly even as a writer. With the exception of a possible encyclopedia she mentioned in a few interviews, I thought that we would never see another book from her set in this world. That’s why The Tales of Beedle the Bard was such a nice surprise. Although it’s unlikely to draw any new fans to the series, the Tales of Beedle the Bard does a nice job of giving us insight into Harry’s world.
The Tales of Beedle the Bard, first referenced in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, is a collection of wizard fairy tales. Like most of The Brother’s Grimm stories muggles heard growing up, they are all simple stories about magic, with a lesson in the end. Unlike the stories we read, witches and wizards are often the main character, rather then secondary, like the fairy godmother or an evil witch. The five tales included here are “The Wizard and the Hopping Pot”, “The Fountain of Fortune”, “The Warlock’s Hariy Heart”, “Babbitty Rabbitty and her Cackling Stump”, and “The Tale of the Three Brothers” (which was referenced in Deathly Hallows). My personal favorite is “Babbitty Rabbitty and her Cackling Stump,” which tells about a clever witch and a foolish muggle king. Each tale involves commentary by Albus Dumbledore himself, which is filled with the clever humor that we all know and love JK Rowling’s writing for.
The stories are sprinkled with tiny illustrations, which were really nice, but be careful if you’re someone that likes to “flip” through books. They can sometimes spoil the ending! As I mentioned before, these stories are not likely to draw in any new fans, but seeing how this is Harry Potter, I really don’t think that’s a problem. Like Qudditch Through the Ages, and Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, a large part of this book’s appeal is it gives the setting of the Harry Potter books more depth. By reading stories that wizard children were told growing up, it makes its world seem more tangible and more real. This book, published to benefit a charity called The Children’s High Level Group, is perfect for any Harry Potter fan that wants just one more glimpse into this magical world.
Rating: Four and a half out of five stars
Similar Books: The Harry Potter Series by JK Rowling, any book of fairy tales by The Brother's Grimm
Other books I've read by this author: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
What I'm reading Next: Currently reading Blood Rites by Jim Butcher. Seeing as they've got me on 12 hour shifts at work, God knows when I'll be able to finish that.
xposted to bookish and temporaryworlds
The Tales of Beedle the Bard, first referenced in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, is a collection of wizard fairy tales. Like most of The Brother’s Grimm stories muggles heard growing up, they are all simple stories about magic, with a lesson in the end. Unlike the stories we read, witches and wizards are often the main character, rather then secondary, like the fairy godmother or an evil witch. The five tales included here are “The Wizard and the Hopping Pot”, “The Fountain of Fortune”, “The Warlock’s Hariy Heart”, “Babbitty Rabbitty and her Cackling Stump”, and “The Tale of the Three Brothers” (which was referenced in Deathly Hallows). My personal favorite is “Babbitty Rabbitty and her Cackling Stump,” which tells about a clever witch and a foolish muggle king. Each tale involves commentary by Albus Dumbledore himself, which is filled with the clever humor that we all know and love JK Rowling’s writing for.
The stories are sprinkled with tiny illustrations, which were really nice, but be careful if you’re someone that likes to “flip” through books. They can sometimes spoil the ending! As I mentioned before, these stories are not likely to draw in any new fans, but seeing how this is Harry Potter, I really don’t think that’s a problem. Like Qudditch Through the Ages, and Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, a large part of this book’s appeal is it gives the setting of the Harry Potter books more depth. By reading stories that wizard children were told growing up, it makes its world seem more tangible and more real. This book, published to benefit a charity called The Children’s High Level Group, is perfect for any Harry Potter fan that wants just one more glimpse into this magical world.
Rating: Four and a half out of five stars
Similar Books: The Harry Potter Series by JK Rowling, any book of fairy tales by The Brother's Grimm
Other books I've read by this author: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
What I'm reading Next: Currently reading Blood Rites by Jim Butcher. Seeing as they've got me on 12 hour shifts at work, God knows when I'll be able to finish that.
xposted to bookish and temporaryworlds