The Tales of Beedle the Bard by J.K. Rowling: For Fans or For Everyone?

The Tales of Beedle the Bard is the collection of fairy tales mentioned in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows; the seventh and last novel in the Harry Potter series. The whole work is a spin-off book written by J.K. Rowling and first published in 2007. Other spin-offs like this one are, for instance, Quidditch Through the Ages and Fantastic Beasts and where to Find Them. I started reading this book immediately after having finished the seventh book in the Harry Potter series (as I for some reason never thought of reading them as a child, I decided to finally do so now). Without spoiling anything, I will be going through what I liked and did not like about this collection.

            Just the fact that Rowling took her time to write this book amazes me. These additional books make the reader even more involved in the Harry Potter universe. The foreword, footnotes and afterword (by none other than Albus Dumbledore himself) are extremely witty. Sometimes Dumbledore makes reference to events that occurred in the Harry Potter series, making the reader feel even more connected to Hogwarts and its history. Thus the book itself contributed to the authenticity of the world and the involvement of the reader.

            The audience is not necessarily limited, either. While having read all of the Harry Potter books will make the experience even better, it is not a necessity for enjoying the fairy tales. If you have children, you might even consider reading them this book before reading the first one in the actual series. That way, when you reach the last novel, your children will recognize the fairy tale, which could be exciting for them. Except for the occasional references to magical terms, there really is no reason why anyone cannot read these fairy tales.

            The language is very clear and simple. This has two effects: the authenticity of the spin-off (as it is supposed be a collection of children’s tales) and the possibility to read it aloud for children. Because the book found in the Harry Potter series is meant for children, this one is, too. All the fairy tales follow the pattern that fairy tales and fables often do, with morals like: do not try to trick death, tell the truth, help others who are in need, etc. As “normal” fairy tales (or should I say “Muggle fairy tales”?) often include magic, there really is not much difference between the famous Grimm’s Fairy Tales and The Tales of Beedle the Bard.

            The pace of the stories is perfect for fairy tales. There is usually an introduction, with the exposition and the everyday life of the protagonist, followed immediately by the problem. Like in tragedies, the characters’ faults are usually what catch up to them in the end, creating a tragic irony in the tales. I always enjoyed fairy tales as a child and could not stop reading until I had finished the book (though it is not that long).

 

As a spin-off, the book is extremely well made. It fits perfectly with the Harry Potter universe and is definitely recommended for both those who are and those who are not fans of the Harry Potter series. Of course, the book will be most enjoyable if one has read all of the books, as one will know more about the circumstances around the book and how it was used by Harry and his friends.

I give this collection of fairy tales 5/5, as it is the perfect spin-off book. I recommend it to everyone.

 

- Charlie.

Stardust by Neil Gaiman

Stardust was written by Neil Gaiman in 2005. The author is known for having written several fantasy novels and children's books, namely Coraline, which was made into a movie in 2009. This year he also wrote the manuscript for "Nightmare in Silver"; an episode of Doctor Who in which the goal was to bring back the horror of Cybermen. Knowing this about Gaiman, I was looking forward to reading the novel. However only having read Coraline at this point, and not exactly gotten impressed by it, I had my doubts. I tried to keep in mind that Coraline was written as a children's book, though, and gave the author a clean slate when opening Stardust for the first time.

The story takes place "in the sleepy English countryside at the dawn of the Victorian era." This setting is definitely different from many other fantasy books; typically fantasy novels are set in the medieval age, often in an entirely different universe. The effect of this is an introduction that makes you stay and want to learn more about the place where the story is set. The protagonist, Tristran Thorn, leaves his hometown, Wall, to catch a fallen "to gain his Heart's Desire." To do this, he will have to walk deep into the Faerie; a mysterious land full of magic and strange beings. As he continues his journey he finds out that he is not the only one who wants the star; he also finds out more about his own past.

The novel is never boring; with 200 pages in length, Gaiman is able to keep up the pace. The novel is also filled with beautiful descriptions of Faerie, making for an interesting read. Though the novel describes witches and unicorns, it has been done in a very unorthodox manner, not making me feel like I have read it all before. The novel is also full of surprises, which makes me want to continue reading when I reach the end of every chapter.


I give this beautiful novel 4/5. The narrative was perfect, and the characters were original, but the plot was far from perfect. Except for at the end, the plot will sometimes feel a bit cliché.
All in all I thoroughly enjoyed reading the book, though!

- Charlie.

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee: Boring Novel Read at School or an Interesting Read?

Although I did not read this work in connection with school, I have heard several people (mostly North-Americans) complaining online about this novel, saying how it is a tedious job to analyze it. I ordered the book online pretty cheap; I had heard of it before, and thought I would give it a try. To what extent is To Kill a Mockingbird actually as boring and uneventful as students claim it is?

The novel was published in 1960, and is supposed to take place in 1936. The story is based on the author's own experiences when she was 10 years old. The story takes place in Alabama, USA, where we follow the main character, Scout, and her brother, Jem. Their father, Atticus, is a lawyer who has been given the task of defending a black male convicted for molesting a white woman. The novel discusses racism to a very large extent merely through this part of the story. Class is also discussed, and the school system at the time. Considering the time it was set, the author does not spend much time mentioning Hitler and Nazi Germany, and instead chooses to focus more on prejudice in the American society.

The novel is in no way difficult to understand. Because we follow the perspective of a child, the language is simple and straightforward. The only thing I found "difficult" would be to read between the lines when there are things happening that Scout does not understand. A lot of this is cleared up later in the story, however, so even that is not really a problem. Also, despite many complaints about this book being tedious and boring, I was never once bored while reading it. Perhaps it is about preference; some people like fast-paced entertainment, while others are satisfied with stories that spend more time building up the tension. All in all, I liked reading the stories Scout had to offer, and I was never bored reading the work.

On the other hand, it may be worth noting that the novel is pretty long, meaning that you probably should not read it if you do not have the patience for it. If you want action and quick pacing, this is not the place to look. The story has been written in a very realistic way, and though the climax is very rewarding and really makes you think, the rest of the novel may not be as exciting for everyone.

My rating for this book is 5/5, mainly because I was sitting here trying to find anything negative to write about it except for the fact that it may not be the most exciting book in town. I absolutely loved reading it, and I would definitely read it again sometime just to see if there was anything I missed the first time (most likely). I loved it, and I recommend it to most people who are interesting in novels about history, racism and gender discrimination.

The next review will be on Stardust by Neil Gaiman.

- Charlie.

PS. Sorry about the big gap between the reviews. I will try to write more frequently from now on.

Prince of Thorns by Mark Lawrence: A Novel That Deserves More Attention

Mark Lawrence's debut novel Prince of Thorns was published in 2011. Its sequel, King of Thorns, made the trilogy even more popular, so much that I even recall seeing it in an airport bookstore in Norway. Author Conn Iggulden reviewed the series saying: "Excellent - on a par with George R.R. Martin." In my experience, debut novels tend to be less smooth in their descriptions of setting and character, however. Sometimes the story also ends in an anticlimactic way. I will now go through my thoughts as thoroughly as I can, and lastly I will give my rating of the work.

The plot may sound like a typical one, but it has a certain twist to it. The protagonist, Jorg Ancrath, is early on in his life scarred due to his mother and brother being murdered. After leaving the castle with thieves who were initially sentenced to death, he leads them on their path to achieve his goal of killing the people who did him wrong. While the reader experiences Jorg's childhood as flashbacks, we follow him and his group on the road back to the castle, where Jorg is ready to claim his heir to the throne.

There were many parts of Prince of Thorns that I thoroughly enjoyed. Although Jorg is the biggest antihero I have ever read about, he is the narrator, making it interesting for the reader to see his train of thought. Following the mind of the murderer, the reader finds out about his past and how he had to grow up fast, thus in a way making up for his behavior. I really liked the narrative because it disgusted me in the same way that A Song of Ice and Fire disgusts me. There is something about the roughness of Prince of Thorns that I, and many other people, enjoy reading. The setting of the novel is also interesting, seeing as there are clear hints at the novel taking place in a post-apocalyptic universe. I am guessing the novel takes place hundreds (perhaps thousands) of years after most of the world has been destroyed by atomic bombs. Considering it is a fantasy novel I think the setting is pretty unique.

Some people may not enjoy the fact that there is a large amount of violence. There are many chapters filled with violent scenes, some of them quite morbid. There was also a time at the beginning of the novel where I found myself bored with Jorg's character, mainly because I thought he would be the typical antihero. At the beginning I also thought the plot was very basic, but the climax definitely made up for it.



All in all, I cannot wait to start reading King of Thorns. If this sequel made the trilogy more famous, I cannot wait to see which parts of the novel made it so interesting to the readers.

My rating for this book is 4/5. It has some flaws, but the story and narrative are really interesting and fun to read. I am looking forward to reading more of this series, and I am curious as to what Mark Lawrence will be writing in the future.

Welcome to my blog, by the way!

The next novel I am reviewing will be To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee.
- Charlie