The Magical Worlds of Harry Potter: A Treasury of Myths, Legends, and Fascinating Facts

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Summary: Fun and fascinating !
Review: It's fun and fascinating! David Colbert's book entertained me with delightful stories about mythical creatures, real history, ancient mythology and his own speculations on Potter's world. All too brief and lightly illustrated ( it is a very fast "read"), it left me wanting more. It also left me even more delighted with the talents of J. K. Rowling. The weaver of these wonderful tales has woven even more mythology and fact into the Potter books than I had realized. I had not know that Nicholas and Pernelle Flamel were real people (delighted that she had "made" him successful and brought him into the 20th cantury)and had forgotten from Greek mythology, who "Argus" was. While there are a few omissions (no werewolves ?), and a few intepretations I didn't quite agree with (don't we all have an opinion ?), I would recommend the book highly to any fan of the Potter series.

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Summary: Everything you always (?) wanted to know about wizards, etc.
Review: David Colbert is an editorial director at HarperCollins Publishing Company. I think he missed his real vocation; he should have been a middle school teacher. Mr. Collins has an amazing gift for catching and holding youngsters' (and us oldsters', too) interest through forays into scholarly erudition that actually sound like fun as he presents it. Have you ever noticed that so many of the names and terms in the Potter books have Latin bases; or wondered where the legend of the manticore originated; or wanted to know more about the influence of magic and legend on the writings of Shakespeare, Flaubert, Dickens, and John Donne, among others? It's all here, and lots more, in this fact-and-fancy-packed and fascinating book. Pottermaniacs from 7 to 97 will love it. (Although I'm still wondering about what kind of spray will work on that nasty Peeves the Poltergeist...)

Rating:
Summary: fascinating and entertaining
Review: highly recommended -- both for casual Potter fans and hard-core enthusiasts. there's a lot of stuff in this book that was completely new to me, and it made all the Potter books more interesting when I had a sense of what Rowling was thinking about. I wouldn't have thought that anything could make HP more intriguing, but this book might just do it.

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Summary: Must Have, Must Read
Review: A definite must-have and must-read book for the summer. Wow! It's opened my mind to all the good stuff J. K. Rowling was seeded in the Harry Potter books. It's made me a better reader and someone who really appreciates the Potter experience. Thanks, David Colbert! I'm a believer.

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Summary: A fascinating book....
Review: When I read the Harry Potter books I asked lots of questions. Now I can answer the questions myself. I even know things about Harry Potter that my big sisters don't know. I think everybody should read this book! It is a really great book!

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Summary: Recommended for every Potter fan you know -- and then some
Review: Here is a cleverly put together, beautifully written companion to the Rowling texts. From the discussion of mythical creatures to the analysis of what makes Harry a universal hero this is an imnpossible book to put down. In our house this was as true for the l0-year-old as for the 40-year-old. Our son refused to go to bed until he had finished it. You won't find a better summer read anywhere.

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Summary: I would give it 10 stars!
Review: I got this book for my birthday, and I just can't stop reading it! It's full of amazing information and tells all about the background of Harry's magical world. I love the Harry Potter books, but I never knew all these other things! I told my teacher about David Colbert's book, and she bought one for our class. The other kids thought it was amazing too.

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Summary: THIS BOOK RULES!! AWESOME HARRY POTTER READING!
Review: I GOT THIS BOOK FOR MY BIRTHDAY AND IT'S EXCELLENT! I FINISHED READING ALL 4 HARRY POTTER BOOKS A LONG TIME AGO (TWICE!) AND I'M HUNGRY FOR MORE. THIS BOOK GIVES GREAT DETAILS ON ALL THE HARRY POTTER BOOKS! I READ THIS ONE TWICE TOO! IT'S AWESOME!!

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Summary: This is a great book! I LOVED IT!
Review: "The Magical Worlds of Harry Potter" delivers what the title promises -- an in-depth, insightful (and thoroughly entertaining!) look into the incredible worlds J.K. Rowling has created in her wonderful Harry Potter series. "Magical Worlds" provides amazing background details derived from actual history as well as both ancient and modern mythology. It's rich in details and extremely well written. The author, David Colbert, very effectively and amusingly puts Harry Potter's worlds into a real world perspective. Who would have known J.K. Rowling had such a sly sense of humor? I didn't until I read "The Magical Worlds of Harry Potter". I read "Magical Worlds" with my child (10 years old, female, another Harry Potter fan!) and she enjoyed it just as much as I did. What's more, now she knows who Ovid and Flaubert are! I highly recommend this book!

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Summary: I LOVED THIS BOOK! IT'S INSIGHTFUL AND A FASCINATING READ!!!
Review: This wonderful book covers a broad array of fascinating topics related to our favorite wizard and hero, Harry Potter. "The Magical Worlds of Harry Potter" reveals the actual historical and mythological backgrounds of the magic spells, magical beasties, locations, good wizards and the nasties that make up J.K. Rowling's world(s). Before I read "The Magical Worlds of Harry Potter", I had no idea that J.K. Rowling infused the Harry Potter stories with SO MANY inside jokes and hidden meanings. Rowling was brilliant in creating and intertwining everything in her stories. David Colbert, the author of "Magical Worlds" was equally brilliant in explaining it all clearly and concisely. David Colbert discusses Harry's relationship to people like Ovid, Shakespeare, Dickens and Flaubert in a highly informative yet lighthearted and irreverent way. Reading in bed at 2:00 in the morning, I was laughing out loud. The book is beautifully illustrated.

Now that I've read "The Magical Worlds of Harry Potter" I have an incredibly greater appreciation for the richness and depth of the Harry Potter epic. Whether you are simply a curious Muggle or a die-hard Harry Potter fan, this book is a MUST READ. It's as good a read as the stories themselves!