Fabulous Creatures and Other Magical Beings [Paperback]

Joel Levy (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1, 2007

Discover the world of Crytozoology in this fabulous field guide to the denizens of the supernatural realm from gnomes, fairies, and elves to unicorns, dragons, and minotaurs. Featuring more than 600 color illustrations, this is a treasure trove of fun and fascination for the entire family.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“… great fun; full of documents, detailed sketches and inventive reports of legendary fauna.” -- Publishers Weekly --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From the Publisher

Discover the world of Crytozoology in this fabulous field guide to the denizens of the supernatural realm—from gnomes, fairies, and elves to unicorns, dragons, and minotaurs. Originally published as A Natural History of the Unnatural World, and featuring more than 600 color illustrations, this is a treasure trove of fun and fascination for the entire family. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Carroll & Brown Publishers (March 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1904760465
• ISBN-13: 978-1904760467
• Product Dimensions: 10.7 x 8.4 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,608,017 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A colorful and captivating book, August 3, 2006

By 

Seline (Weirton, WV) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Fabulous Creatures and Other Magical Beings (Hardcover)

This book is extremely interesting and fun to read. It includes accounts of people who claim to have encountered fantastical creatures (such as the banshee in Ireland). It includes various researched descriptions of creatures from fantasy/mythology. There are a ton of colorful graphics on the laminated pages. It looks like they put a lot of work into making this book fun and user-friendly.

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Rather Disappointed, January 2, 2009

By 

Gypsy November "Bethany" (Southern USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Fabulous Creatures and Other Magical Beings (Paperback)

Perhaps I misunderstood what I was getting, in fact, I think that is probably the case...but what I was expecting was not quite what I got. What I believed I ordered was a book about 'Magical Creatures' which would include everything from Mermaids to Elves, to Dragons and Fairies. These creatures are covered, but not as I thought they would be. I imagined that I would obtain in-depth information on these creatures (I'm writing a book) and on the varitions that man has come up with through out the world. I thought there would probably be some pretty interesting illistrations as well.

Unfortunately, most of the information on the creatures covered were formated like 'researchers notes' not really giving info on the behavior and habitats of these mythical beings, but giving notes on apparent hunts trying to find them. Most of the proofs given of their existence (which I really didn't want, because I don't believe in them, except in the imagination) are either just plain silly or have been proven false (such as a baby mermaid skeleton that was proved fake)

Another problem were the pictures...most of which (but not all) are black and white sketchs that, to me, look as if they were done in a hurry and without a terrible amount of skill. (Of course, they are better then I could do, but I never pretend to be an artist). There are some colored illistrations and they are well done, but there are not enough of them by far.

The final issue I had with this book was that some (again, not all) of the information that was given does not add up with my other research. I'm not an expert, but when 5 other sources say one thing and this book says another...well...it's not really hard to decide which is making the error. I think this problem arises from the effort this book makes to make creatures of the imagination real, because for them to be real, there has to be solid facts about them, facts that aren't based on human opinion or dreams. The reality is that these wonderful creatures come from the unlimited world of the human mind and so the facts about these creatures have to be based on what those humans made them out to be, not what we think they would be like if they really did live among us.

All that being said, I do plan to keep the book, in hopes that it will supplement my work here and there. As far as there being no Cryptozoological Society of London...I don't think the puplishers meant for you to believe that there is one, rather, that seems to be the 'name' of the author, if you get my meaning. Anyway, get it if you like...but buying it used or checking it out of a library first to see if you like it might be a good choice.


*If you really want a good book on a variety of magical creatures, I highly suggest 'The Element Encyclopedia of Magical Creatures' by John and Caitlin Mattews or 'Giants, Monsters, and Dragons: An Encyclopedia of Folklore, Legend, and Myth' by Carol Rose. Both are sold on Amazon, and both are wonderful...though they don't have pictures. Informationally, they are very far superior to this book.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Well worth the money., January 28, 2008

By 

V. Fryer "Page mistress" (UK) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Fabulous Creatures and Other Magical Beings (Paperback)

I thought this book was great. It was interesting to read and kept me hooked for days. The imagery and illustrations were fantastic as well as detailed. I learnt something new every time i picked it up and opened it. Better than your average book, even if you are sceptical over the subject it still is worth reading.