Recensioni
El Diccionario del Mago (Spanish Edition) di Allan Zola
I love this book. I read from it all the time. So many interesting things.
It's not much competition, though. This book is a compendium of data about the "real world" tie-ins of the Potter series, with particular attention to the paraphernalia of magic -- "wands," "spells," and so forth.
Because I've been researching similar topics, I've had to work my way through a number of Potter reference books. And "work my way" is generally the relevant word; too many are shallow and silly. This book stands rather higher on the list. The entries are relatively comprehensive, and often give hard-to-find material (e.g. on tea leaf reading).
Sometimes it's not as accurate as might be desired; as with many such books, some of the articles could have been stuck together based on little research except Wikipedia reading. There are no footnotes. But the defect is rarely that the book is actually wrong; it's that it fails to appreciate the cultural differences between classical Greek, British, Roman, and other traditions.
Do I trust it? Not entirely. It is my reluctant conclusion that no reference work on the Potter series is entirely reliable -- perhaps because J. K. Rowling herself had no qualms about producing a universe full of logical and economic inconsistencies. But if I had to pick just one Potter reference, this would surely be the one.
It's an invaluable companion book for the HP series but it stands very well on its own. Those who already have David Colbert's "Magical Worlds of Harry Potter" may want to add this book to their library; it covers a lot of areas the Colbert book doesn't and it's more comprehensive. Written in the form of a mini-encyclopedia covering everything from Amulets to Zombies, "The Sorcerer's Companion" provides links to the first four Harry Potter books (it was written two years before "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" was published) with notations for easy reference.
It includes a lot of entries (accurate - so far as I can tell) about a lot of supernatural creatures, beliefs and other topics. Want to know the different mythologies of the phoenix from different countries, and which parts J.K. Rowling made up for her books? It's here. Want to know the historical beliefs about unicorns, how they differ from the "classical" interpretation of the glowing white horse with the long slender horn, when (and possibly how) these beliefs came about? You got it.
It's not necessary to go through this book from A to Z; you can browse through it however you like and still come up with a bounty of entertainment and information, as well as practical advice on how to read tea-leaves (maybe you'll do better at this than Harry and Ron who couldn't see anything in the leaves but a big mushy mess), where to find a basilisk (guess what? there really is a basilisk lizard) and how to rid your premises of goblins. The book is a browser's delight -- fun and educational at the same time.
The writers treat the superstitious beliefs of different times and places with a certain respect. But skeptics won't be disappointed, either. For example, when frankly talking about how many alchemists were charlatans who only pretended to create gold with the "sorceror's stone" (or, more accurately, the philosopher's stone) --- it even tells you how it was possible to fake this wondrous transmutation. The reader learns about what arithmancy means, its history, and how to do a little of it. The subject matter of the book is so broad; this book is hard to put down and it's not even fiction!
Each alphabetically organized entry contains a potent blend of fact, fiction and folklore. A note at the end of each section shows readers where to find the reference in the Harry Potter books. Thorough research and period prints combine to create a memorable book. This book would be best for those who are beginners in the area of mythology/occult teachings. Those well versed in this area will probally not find a great deal of new information in this book, but would probally still find it an amusing read. Also for those who are totally Harry obsessed (as I am).
Book Details:
Title A Sorcerer's Companion: A Guide to the Magical World of Harry Potter
Author Allan Zola Kronzek & Elizabeth Kronzek
Reviewed By Purplycookie
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purplycookie | 8 altre recensioni | Apr 12, 2009 |
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