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The Magical World of Harry Potter
by
David Colbert (Goodreads Author)
J.K. Rowling fills her books with references to history, myths, legends and literature. The Magical Worlds of Harry Potter reveals the stories behind the stories.
All the questions you ever wanted to ask about the fantastical world in which Harry lives are answered here. Discover the astonishing origins of magical creatures, the clues to hidden meanings in names, and amazin...more
All the questions you ever wanted to ask about the fantastical world in which Harry lives are answered here. Discover the astonishing origins of magical creatures, the clues to hidden meanings in names, and amazin...more
Hardcover, 223 pages
Published
2001
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Community Reviews
(showing
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3,000)
Nov 08, 2007
Stephanie S.
rated it
2 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Harry Potter Fans
Shelves:
books-i-own,
harry-potter-and-related-stuff
This book is very informative. It identifies all of the elements in the Harry Potter books that come from actual literature or history. It tells the origin of many names and words in the books. It also shows how many of the creatures such as hippogriffs, manticores, and sphinxes are actually mythical creatures that have been around for a long time. It also points out many things you would not have noticed in the books. For example, in book one, the Mirror of Erised isinscribed with the words "Er...more
Oh, you know, this was a lovely little bathroom book type of read--a few pages before bed sort of thing. I really enjoyed reading the Harry Potter series, was reluctantly sucked in when my then-boyfriend (now husband) wheedled me into trying them out just before Goblet of Fire came out. I worked at a bookstore then, and nothing is more strange than seeing that place fill up like a hothouse for that Potter mania that is a release party. I was charmed. And I liked this dip in returning to some of...more
Dec 27, 2011
Jessica
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
recommendations,
2011
I give this one 3.8 stars out of 5. The information is well-researched, eloquently written and keeps your attention, so it doesn't feel like you're reading something that could easily be an academic paper. Not only did Rowling do her homework while writing the entire Harry Potter series, David Colbert did his in conducting a thorough analysis of the books. The Magical Worlds of Harry Potter includes history, politics, language, astronomy, religion, geography, science (mainly alchemy), pop cultur...more
I would have given this book four stars for its interesting tidbits on the myths, folklore, and history that seeped into the Harry Potter series. I had been looking forward to reading it because it was recommended in John Granger's books on the series. However, I had a few problems with this book.
First, the organization is not as logical as it first appears. The bulk of the book is organized alphabetically by topic, with the exception of the final chapters, which are devoted to topics from the l...more
First, the organization is not as logical as it first appears. The bulk of the book is organized alphabetically by topic, with the exception of the final chapters, which are devoted to topics from the l...more
The name is somewhat misleading; this is a cute mini-encyclopedia of the real mythological roots of many aspects of the Harry Potter books. While I didn't learn a whole heck of a lot of new information, I would definitely recommend this book to any Harry Potter fan, especially younger ones. The writing is friendly without being dumbed down, the articles are short but concise, and the breadth of information is impressive. If nothing else, it instilled in me a renewed interest in mythology, and th...more
Every HP fan would definitely need (or desire) a companion book just to wade through all the literary, religious, fantastical and mythological references and innuendos Rowling made in all of her seven books. The book aptly describes itself as a "treasury of myths, legends and fascinating facts" regarding the world of Harry Potter and it wasn't that far off in its self-description.
It is a great tribute to Rowling's works; consisting of around 50+ questions aiming to dig deeper at an innocent rema...more
It is a great tribute to Rowling's works; consisting of around 50+ questions aiming to dig deeper at an innocent rema...more
1 like · like · see review
Oct 07, 2011
~Geektastic~
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
books-about-books,
fantasy,
kids-and-ya,
myths-and-legends,
non-fiction,
owned,
reviewed,
so-sue-me,
2011
Interesting, if simplistic, insight into the various myths, legends and languages used as reference by JK Rowling in the Harry Potter series. The writing style is obviously aimed at a younger audience (tween to younger teen), but the research is solid. I like that I was able to get my hands on the expanded version, but it's a little annoying that the main text covers books 1-5, while books 6 and 7 are sort of tacked on at the end. I wish some of the chapters, like the one on the use of Latin for...more
Dec 02, 2007
Jeeth Suresh
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Not For Harry Potter Fans
Shelves:
harrypotter
An excellent guide into the world, and history of Harry Potter. However, it seemed a bit unrealistic that J.K. Rowling is so in tune with these histories...I think that this is speculation on a massive scale, and aims only to try to phantom the world of Potter... Oh well.
Full review here on TotalTeenFiction
I'm a huge Harry Potter fan and I love reading about the series (when I'm not reading the books themselves!) so when I spotted this book in a charity shop, I had to pick it up. The edition I have was published in 2001 and only focusses on the books that were released that time: up to Goblet of Fire and the companion books Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them and Quidditch Through the Ages. It's a completely unofficial guide, not associated with JKR or WB.
Th...more
I'm a huge Harry Potter fan and I love reading about the series (when I'm not reading the books themselves!) so when I spotted this book in a charity shop, I had to pick it up. The edition I have was published in 2001 and only focusses on the books that were released that time: up to Goblet of Fire and the companion books Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them and Quidditch Through the Ages. It's a completely unofficial guide, not associated with JKR or WB.
Th...more
28-December-07 - I found this book while re-organizing my room in Brooklyn. This book belonged to DJ which I borrowed it from her back in 2003 (found my train ticket from Washington, DC to Newark, NJ in April 2003...that was how I knew! LOL). Other thing is that this book was published in 2001 with only 3 books of Harry Potter being out in the market. There is an updated book published in 2004 with more information. However, J.K. Rowling is planning to write an encyclopedia about Harry Potter wh...more
Oct 22, 2007
Carmen Maloy
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
HP fans
This book was a great one for those who find words and the origin of words and ideas fascinating. This book opened up the mind of J.K. Rowling in terms of where she found references and words and changed them to fit her story. As many of the words or word roots and ideas have corrolations in myths and legends, the words and names that the Harry Potter series uses strikes a chord with adult readers as well as young readers as they are already familiar in oue own history and vocabulary.
The compar...more
The compar...more
The one thing that distinguishes this book from many other books on mythology and legends is the fact that it is tied to J.K. Rowling's much-loved series Harry Potter. I found this book particularly interesting as it brought to light many of the secrets and hidden meanings Rowling lovingly placed in her books, and it was nice to learn more about things such as the origin of certain characters' names and plants. A must-read for anyone interested in delving a little deeper into the complex magic t...more
This is a must, must read for Harry Potter fans. It tells you that there lies so much symbolism at the core of the story. There are references to Greek, Norse, Celtic myths, to Christianity, to Pagan rituals. There are allusions to legends of yore, the Arthurian in particular. Rowling devises each name with a purpose. Almost everything has a basis in something. So, without further ado, go read it if you love the world of Harry Potter as much as I do.
an interesting supplement to the Potter series that touches on mythology, etymology, and history to show connections to Frazier's Golden Bough, Greek, Egyptian, Native American and other mythlogies, Christology, the history of alchemy and witchcraft, etc....What was most interesting to me is how much was NOT invented but woven into the stories from multiple sources (especially the names of plants which are really fanciful)....
Each chapter of David Colbert’s The Magical Worlds of Harry Potter answers a question that many Harry Potter fans have long wondered (and even some we’ve never thought to ask): Is “Avada Kedavra” a Real Curse?; Why Would Chocolate Help after Escaping a Dementor?; Why Are Goblins Such Good Bankers?. Because of this structure, readers can pick and chose which chapters to read, in any order they’d like. It’s not necessary to read the book all the way through from cover to cover.
While reading the Ha...more
While reading the Ha...more
Apr 08, 2012
Sakura Yue Michaelis
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
fantasy,
paper-books-i-own
Me encantó este libro. Es corto pero muy útil si eres fanático de Harry Potter. Lástima que no sea tan largo; a veces parecía un resumen de un libro más completo, pero cuando lo encontré en la librería lo agarré sin dudarlo. Explica cosas que, cuando lo leí, no estaba tan enterada, como de dónde provienen la mayoría de los nombres de los personajes. Muy recomendado.
An insightful and interesting look into the story behind the story of Harry Potter, mostly semantic perspective on how names were used with latin roots, and how even the spells, names of places and people all tease out a little extra about the characters and their respective role. Great for anyone who is a Harry Potter fan, but if you're that big a fan, you've probably already read it.
this was something my parents bought me right after I read the first 3 books and I found it really very interesting all the connections and mythological roots there are in the books. the interesting facts really were interesting! It's crazy to know that J.K. Rowling didn't just scribble some stuff down on paper and that she actually had strong roots in mythological history involved!
I registered a book at BookCrossing.com!
http://www.BookCrossing.com/journal/10412651
When I first started reading Harry Potter, I read everything I could get my hands on that had to do with Hogwarts. This I found to be very informative and at times fascinating, but it could also be at times, a little dull.
http://www.BookCrossing.com/journal/10412651
When I first started reading Harry Potter, I read everything I could get my hands on that had to do with Hogwarts. This I found to be very informative and at times fascinating, but it could also be at times, a little dull.
Unfortunately I read this book not knowing it was written before the Harry Potter series was complete so there is a lot of speculating about how the series will end. There was a little bit of interesting information here but most of it I already knew. It was well organized and easy to read, definitely geared to a younger audience.
I think this is must for die-hard fans, especially between ages of 10-14, as it gives a valuable insight into the legends behind the books. I would actually recommend this as a basic guide for studying mythology, outside of Harry Potter too!
Well worth the read - it's informative and very easy to read with a universal tone.
Well worth the read - it's informative and very easy to read with a universal tone.
I really enjoyed this book because I think it's interesting to learn the origins of some of the creatures and spells that are in the books. How accurate it is, well I suppose someone could argue that, but I find it interesting and entertaining none the less. I like the books and information that Colbert writes.
Well, I'm absolutely completely and utterly obsessed with Harry Potter, so I thought I'd give it a try...
___________________________
Overall, a good read. Some interesting facts, and provided a good insight into the world of Harry Potter. Recommended to any fans of the series :)
___________________________
Overall, a good read. Some interesting facts, and provided a good insight into the world of Harry Potter. Recommended to any fans of the series :)
Nov 20, 2010
S.
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Harry Potter fans
I remember reading this book from top to bottom and loving every bit of it. I used to play with myself as if I was in Hogwarts, learning magic, and I used this book as a textbook, and set myself homework from it. It was so amazing! It also taught me quite a lot from the real world, funnily enough.
i love the harry potter movies but refused to read the books because i loved the movies. my mother got me this easy read to help explained some of the myths and legends that were altered for the books... example the basilisk is a lizard not a snake but was altered for the books/movies.
Very Knowledgeable! It is quite fascinating to learn that every magical creature has an origin and not just created out of thin air of imagination.
As its rightly said in the Afterword in this book,
'J.K. Rowling must have been a terrific reader before she became a terrific writer.'
As its rightly said in the Afterword in this book,
'J.K. Rowling must have been a terrific reader before she became a terrific writer.'
Being a huge Harry Potter fan, I'll read pretty much anything that focuses around the magical world. This was an interesting book that talks about and explains in detail the creatures and studies within the Harry Potter books - such as goblins, alchemy, divination and witches.
I thought this book was an amazing read for any Harry Potter fan. It is full of hidden meanings and origins of many different names, beasts, and items in the Harry Potter series. After reading this book I have an entire new respect for J.K. Rowling, and I already thought she was pretty amazing!
Can't say that i really enjoyed it all that much. Most of the questions were HP related, but most of the answers weren't. Some of them were just plain stupid.
Not an ideal book for hardcore hp fans i suppose! You'll already know everything this book anyway....
Not an ideal book for hardcore hp fans i suppose! You'll already know everything this book anyway....
I loved this book. It gave me a deeper look in the Harry Potter series and I began to see many connections to history and mythology. The author presented the information in a way that I could easily understand and still enjoy what he was telling me. I would recommend it to anyone who is a fan of the Harry Potter series.
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| JK Rowling new book 2012 for ADULTS | 1 | 12 | Apr 10, 2012 04:46pm |
May 23, 2012 04:36pm
May 23, 2012 04:37pm