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Aug 10, 2011

Rachel rated it:

Apparently I'm getting this for Christmas. ROCK ON.

...Having not read this yet, my favorite part was that on the day it showed up on Amazon it immediately placed above Breaking Dawn for most preorders ever received (currently in system, obvy). It was like, okay, everyone who says Smeyer is the new JKR. Smackdown.

Finally read, years later: Loved it.

3 comments like (67 people liked it)

Aug 10, 2011

Meg rated it:

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2 comments like (24 people liked it)

Aug 10, 2011

Leslie rated it:

I felt very warm and fuzzy reading new JKR. How can I not love an alleged children's writer who mentions murder, mutilation, cannibalism, adultery, and bestiality all within the span of 110 (ultra-short) pages? The stories are on the meh side, but Dumbledore's commentaries showed a smart, literary eye that reminded me briefly of Pale Fire. I'm all, "Hey, JK, you did your thang." Be that as it may, I'm a bit offended by the Dumbledore's anti-anti-Muggle bias. I see nothing wrong with wi More...

0 comments like (18 people liked it)

Dec 05, 2011

Nikki rated it:

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5 comments like (14 people liked it)

Aug 10, 2011

Elizabeth rated it:

I love fairy tales. New fairy tales that have any depth to them at all are going to make me happy. That these have depth and thought behind them is perfectly obvious. I particularly liked the commentary by Dumbledore about the witch who rewrote the tales of Beedle the Bard into sugar-dripping nonsense that made children retch. That is certainly my response to the sappy Victorian (or Disney) versions. Really, Rowling knows her literature, her politics, and can infuse children's fairy tales with c More...

0 comments like (12 people liked it)

Aug 10, 2011

Nathan rated it:

Not much to this book. Rowling uses double spacing, huge margins and mediocre pencil art (that she drew) to stretch out what should have been some short stories published on the internet, a magazine, or saved for inclusion in a bigger book. The tales are all very concise, you can tell she tries hard to make them deep and classical, but they fall short, and most fail to draw you in or make you interested. After each story is a boring (almost arrogant) review by Dumbledore, who tries to convince More...

0 comments like (11 people liked it)

Aug 10, 2011

VegasGal rated it:

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2 comments like (7 people liked it)

Aug 10, 2011

Aldrin rated it:

Muggles—the vaguely derogatory term for "non-magical people"—are well-informed about the spirited acts of princes, princesses, and proletarian polliwogs who populate the fantasies of storytellers of yore such as Charles Perrault, Hans Christian Andersen, and brothers Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm, whether through the original scrolls, through meliorative retellings like those in Angela Carter's The Bloody Chamber, through modern-day or futuristic adaptations like Joe Wright's Hanna and Steve More...

8 comments like (6 people liked it)

Dec 25, 2008

Robin rated it:

So I was not overly impressed with this book - I really didn't have very high expectations - i.e. I did not go into it with a lot of thoughts. I thought the idea was kind of interesting particulary the part about Dumbledore commenting on the stories.

For someone who is so creative I thought the stories were kind of "ho-hum" and not very revelationary (new word ;-)) I thought there could have been so much more...Of all of them I guess I liked the last one the best - it seems More...

4 comments like (12 people liked it)

Aug 10, 2011

Lisa rated it:

I didn’t enjoy the other 2 Harry Potter companion books by J.K. Rowling, probably because I was waiting for the more preferred yet to be published books in the Harry Potter series. Now that I’ve read all 7 Harry Potter books and know that there will be no more, I was really able to have fun with this book, much to my surprise.

I’m not a huge fairy tale fan, anymore anyway, but these five original fairy tales were good, I thought. I also enjoyed the commentary after each one via “Albus More...

7 comments like (5 people liked it)

Aug 10, 2011

MacK rated it:

In the 7th novel of the Harry Potter series Rowling alludes to this collection of stories as the wizarding world's equivalent of the Brothers Grimm.

In her execution of the stories however, Rowling creates the wizarding world's equivalent of Aesop's fables, and a hyper-repetitive set at that. Though each story has its own special charms and captures the spirit of oral story telling that makes fairy tales enjoyable today, each story also reiterates a moral that has already been developed More...

0 comments like (4 people liked it)

Nov 30, 2008

Mitzie rated it:

I was really surprised to see copies of this book already available in a local bookshop on Saturday, seeing as it's not supposed to be out until Thursday, but who am I to complain, really?

Without spoiling it for fellow eager fans, I can say that this book is every bit as good as I expected it to be. Of course it's not as spectacular as the Harry Potter saga itself, but like what Arthur Levine said in a recent interview, it is as good as your Grimms and Perrault. The five tales are ea More...

5 comments like (8 people liked it)

Jan 01, 2009

Kathryn rated it:

This was all I was hoping for, and more! Why, then, only four stars? Because it really wasn't as astounding in content or as fabulous in style as the HP novels. However, I don't think it was meant to be. This is a collection of fairy tales, fables. As such, they are not meant to be elaborate in scope or remarkable examples of literary talent. No, these are the tales that wizarding parents can adapt to tell their children at bed-time (remember Ron's dispute with Hermione's translation of on More...

4 comments like (6 people liked it)

Dec 24, 2008

Doc Opp rated it:

If you are looking for more Harry Potter type stories, this is not the place to look. Rowling has created a small number of fairy tales akin to what you might read in the Brother's Grimm. The tales are cute, and young children might enjoy them, just as they enjoy Androcles and the Lion, or Rumplestiltskin. The "afterwards" from the perspective of Professor Dumbledore of Harry Potter fame are a poorly executed attempt to make this seem more Potter relevant and thus attract readers of More...

2 comments like (8 people liked it)

Mar 29, 2009

Jerry rated it:

Consisting of 5 stories from fictional storyteller Beedle the Bard (including the 3 brothers tale that formed the basis of the Deathly Hallows myth), these stories are followed by notes from Dumbledore about the truth to the tales, revisions, objections and any other interesting information. The book is also adorned with adorable scribbles, and each tale is is reminiscent of Aesop's fables in terms of the morals, and Dumbledore's notes are humourous in a way that appeals to adults and children, More...

0 comments like (6 people liked it)

Aug 10, 2011

Jane rated it:

I feel sad again now that I finished the book.

I was dawdling around the first two stories for a while, but the third caught my full attention. I love the commentaries provided by Dumbledore and JKR. I relished in those memories...

click here for YABC's The Tales of Beedle the Bard discussion

0 comments like (4 people liked it)

Dec 31, 2008

Ann rated it:

I'm actually quite pleased with this collection of Beedle the Bard's five fairy-tales and Dumbledore's corresponding comments.
True, the stories are not very long or detailed, but I didn't feel they should be, because they are supposed to be fairy-tales that wizarding families read to their children as we would read Cinderella or Snow White. I thought the style was quite fitting (if a little gruesome on a few of the stories), and the art work is lovely!
It's delightful to think of Ron More...

11 comments like (5 people liked it)

Aug 10, 2011

Cara rated it:

I enjoyed reading this much more than I thought I would. The length made me think Rowling was just trying to juice out more from the HP series (which is true to a certain extent but...) but she did an excellent job like she always does.

You can tell she knows this world inside and out. We even find out other tidbits about the wizarding world. The book is compromised of what we would call fairy tales. The fairy tales were typical but with the wizard component in it. While I was reading More...

4 comments like (3 people liked it)

Aug 10, 2011

Kierstin rated it:

I can't even begin to describe how happy I was to see that when this book first came out it was immediately placed above the pre-orders of the Twilight series' last book, Breaking Dawn. This amazing book has reawakened my absolute love for the Harry Potter series! Although it deeply grieves me to see such a fantastically creative series begin to leave us, I can only keep those magical memories of my Harry Potter days with me to cherish forever. As cheesy as that sounds. More...

2 comments like (3 people liked it)

Aug 10, 2011

Cathy rated it:

As always, J.K. Rowling shows her wit, cleverness and brilliance in a handy little tome. The tales themselves are entertaining, but the commentary by Dumbledore and then the notes by Rowling herself on Dumbledore's commentary are priceless. Great bits include observations about the wizarding world's version of Beatrix Potter. I got a good set of chuckles and grins out of this book. Sadly, it only lasted a very brief time. If only Harry and his whole world could keep on coming.

2 comments like (3 people liked it)

Aug 10, 2011

stiny rated it:

this is a fun read for a lazy afternoon. it is a collection of amusing fairy tales told to little witches and wizards. after each story, there is a review by dumbledoor, which are very interesting, and tell you more about the wizarding world. another brilliant work frm j k Rowling.

0 comments like (3 people liked it)

Dec 07, 2008

Monica rated it:

A very amusing trifle.

0 comments like (3 people liked it)

Aug 10, 2011

Corinne rated it:

Ah, clever Rowling. Giving us a small fix of her world, to spread the Harry Potter Magic a little bit further (as if it still had further to go).

This is really just a book of "fairy" tales a la the Magical World. Apparently, if we'd been raised as wizards and witches, we would've heard these tales at our mother's knee. Which, to be honest, is a little scary, in same cases - since at least one is pretty seriously disturbing. Although, when you think about our own fairy tales More...

0 comments like (2 people liked it)

Feb 02, 2009

lita rated it:

Saat masih kecil, waktu menjelang tidur adalah waktu yang paling saya tunggu. Di saat itulah saya akan mendapatkan cerita-cerita menarik melalui dongeng yang diceritakan oleh orang tua saya. Apalagi kalau giliran ayah saya yang bercerita. Mimik wajah yang biasanya datar, jadi penuh ekspresi bila menceritakan dongeng untuk saya dan adik-adik.

Dongeng, sering kali dianggap orang sebagai sarana untuk menyelipkan pesan moral untuk anak-anak. Satu pesan yang sering terabaikan dan terlupaka More...

7 comments like (5 people liked it)

Aug 10, 2011

Amy rated it:

Now, I happened to be at a Wal-Mart at 11:53 pm on December third, the day before this book was to be released. Upon my arrival to the inside of the store, I saw a table decorated with a single blue balloon, and a plastic tablecloth. Taped across the front of the small buffet table was a sign that said "Join us at 12:01 for Tales of Beedle the Bard!" Needless to say, I squealed aloud with delight, and my best friend blushed with embarrassment at being seen in public with a squealing More...

0 comments like (2 people liked it)

Aug 10, 2011

JG (The Introverted Reader) rated it:

This book is the one that Hermione inherited from Dumbledore. It contains the "Tale of the Three Brothers" that was told in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. It also contains notes about each story written by Dumbledore and J.K. Rowling.

I'll be honest here. True, morbid, Brothers Grimm fairy tales are just not my thing. I much prefer the fully fleshed out, happily ever after Disney versions. So, this book was just okay for me. Rowling did a good job of staying tru More...

2 comments like (3 people liked it)

Aug 10, 2011

Izlinda rated it:

So I put a hold on this book through the library, and I was pretty surprised when a copy was available relatively soon after the release. Then again, there were about 17 copies ordered through the entire inter-library loan.

Too bad the collector's edition has been sold out on Amazon.com. I admit I am more interested in purchasing it now, because this little book was rather delightful. There are five short wizard's children's tales, as it were. (I don't know if it would be approp More...

0 comments like (2 people liked it)

Dec 16, 2008

Teri rated it:

This book was pretty much what I expected it to be - Rowling stretching her Harry Potter fame as far as it will go. (As if she needs the cash!) It is a book of "fairy tales" as familiar to wizards as "Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty are to Muggle children." It contains commentary from Albus Dumbledore presumably to evoke fond memories of the Potter series and make you forget how forgetable this book is. Just check it out from the library.
(Note to Virginia - Jade won't be More...

6 comments like (2 people liked it)

Aug 10, 2011

Joel rated it:

This is a short sweet read. Five fairy tales from Beedle and the wonderful commentary by Albus Dumbledore serve more as a petit four and less as a gooey banana split. Now petit fours are usually served as part of a dessert buffet and the entire Harry Potter series certainly serves up a buffet of tasty narrative and satisfying stories.

Perhaps Beedle the Bard was a distant wizarding world cousin to the Brothers Grimm; these tales are grotesque and slightly misshapen. As children we we More...

1 comment like (2 people liked it)

Aug 10, 2011

Mary rated it:

Containing five short stories and "commentary by Albus Dumbledore," this is an excellent addition to the Harry Potter oeuvre. Except for the last, which played a key role in "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows," the stories have little to do directly with the series, but the commentary of a beloved character and the feeling of depth to the wizarding world that the collection brings will attract fans of the series. Each short story is a fairy tale of the wizarding world and, More...

0 comments like (2 people liked it)

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