Reviews

The Tales of Beedle the Bard by J.K. Rowling

aspi1218's review against another edition

adventurous lighthearted medium-paced

3.0

jowithtwoiis's review against another edition

4.0

I'd never read these and the branch got a copy of the new edition with Lisbeth Zwerger's illustrations. I curled up and read this on the 31st (yes, to get one more book in, LOL) and I was pretty happy with both the stories and the illustrations. The stories run from happy endings to outright tragedy but they are all well told, giving you a sense of their having been in world and written down for far longer than they have been. The commentaries by Dumbledore left me a little cold - they were too middle of the road, striving (I think) to be inoffensive; they did not provide much in the way of either edification about the stories themselves or additional insights about Dumbledore or his personality. I could have done without the commentary and been perfectly happy with the stories.

The real stars of this edition are the illustrations by Lisbeth Zwerger. They perfectly capture the stories and provide added charm to the proceedings. My favorite though is an outstanding "unfinished" portrait of Dumbledore that really needs to be a giant poster or something. It's that gorgeous and may be my favorite take on Dumbledore ever. (Hey J.K. Rowling - please let us buy copies of this art - as a fundraiser for charity perhaps?)

All in all it was a fun, quick read and I'd recommend it to any Harry Potter fans that may need convincing to re-read it (but why would you?).

tarungaleela's review against another edition

adventurous funny lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? N/A
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

wasserglanz's review against another edition

5.0

Beautiful, heart-warming stories. If anything, I'd definitely read these to my kids. They're not only told in a very child-friendly fashion but it doesn't mean they don't hold any truth within them. Even at my age (and certainly later on) I enjoyed every aspect of this book and I hope that someday I can get the deluxe edition.

piecan314's review against another edition

3.0

I was disappointed in the presentation of the stories. The stories themselves are brilliant :D

bookph1le's review against another edition

4.0

Cute, short book that's a nice addition to the Harry Potter mythos. I enjoyed the unique take on wizard world fairy tales, and the notes provide some insight into Dumbledore's character.

annashiv's review against another edition

5.0

Absolutely loved all the stories. The added stuff by dumbledore wasn't bad, it added to the stories a little and was short enough to not be overbearing. I really loved these stories and would recommend it to anyone who likes harry potter or fairy tales.

kaulhilo's review against another edition

4.0

"And then he greeted Death as an old friend, and went with him gladly, and, equals, they departed this life."
i want to fight someone (ง'̀-'́)ง it's been approximately 600 years and im still so bitter dumbledore died (ง'̀-'́)ง everytime someone mentions his name (ง'̀-'́)ง i become a puddle of tears and bitterness (ง'̀-'́)ง

paxenarion's review against another edition

adventurous informative relaxing fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

widderwille's review against another edition

4.0

Lustige, tragische, schöne Legenden, mit guten Moralvorstellungen. Für jeden Harry Potter Fan ein muss. Schnell lesbar.