Customer Reviews

Muggles and Magic: An Unofficial Guide to J.K. Rowling and the Harry Potter Phenomenon

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

As an adult fan of the Harry Potter series, I am fascinated by Ms. Rowling and her talent as a writer which brought this magical world to life. When I purchased 'Muggles and Magic,' I looked forward to reading more about the author and the pop culture surrounding this phenomenon.

After reading Beahm's publication, I have to say that I'm disappointed. Essentially, this book is a collection of articles highlighting Harry Potter/J.K. Rowling facts that have been featured elsewhere. (I.e. newspapers, magazines, online, etc.) While some of the articles have good information about Rowling, there were times where reading them made me feel uncomfortable. I wondered how Ms. Rowling, a famously private person who is not afraid to speak up to defend her character, would feel about the clippings that delve into her painful past. She makes a point to dissuade such stories on her personal Web page, and reading them in this "fan" book seemed more like reading gossip than fact.

Other articles in the book simply have fraudulent and outdated information that Beahm hasn't bothered to research and update, such as that Dan Radcliffe has bowed out of all of the films after 'Goblet of Fire' (he hasn't, and is telling the press he's signed on for 'Order of the Phoenix'), and that J.K. Rowling's Web site doesn't feature a F.A.Q. (it does, here: http://www.jkrowling.com/textonly/faq.cfm).

Another problem I had with this book was the higgledy-piggledy way it seems to have been put together. There's no real rhyme or reason to the selections, and the collection doesn't flow but rather jerks, such as from an article about owning owls as pets to another about Joanne's involvement in a cancer charity.

Beahm is clearly a fan and I can tell he had fun putting this little book of Potter/Rowling odds and ends together. Had a little more research been done and a bit more time spent on fashioning the information together, this would be a fleshed-out companion worthy of the world of Harry Potter.

I found this book to be a bit outdated, but nonetheless helpful. Written in 2004, the book does not touch upon any of the new concepts such as HBP Book 6, but this guide is a nice review to the first books in the series.

I personally consider Breahm and author Daniel Lawrence of the new ULTIMATE UNOFFICIAL HALF-BLOOD PRINCE BOOK 6 TRIVIA BOOK to be the top sources of HP info for fans. I would suggest reading this guide and then immediately reading the best-selling ULTIMATE BOOK 6 TRIVIA BOOK by Daniel Lawrence to gain even more insights and knowledge on the series and Movie 4 GOF.

While the author does a decent job summarizing someone else's work, the look and content of this title is a clear attempt to cash in on the popularity of the books and films. Within its pages, you'll find reproductions of "Teen Beat" style magazine covers featuring the movies' stars, and quickly see that the material covered is far from comprehensive. A much better choice for a book of this nature is Fionna Boyle's "A Muggle's Guide to the Wizarding World," also available through amazon.com.

I enjoyed reading this book. It had lots of useful information about J.K. Rowling in the large biography, and I finally found out what the J.K. stood for. But my favorite part by far was the Muggle's guide to Harry Potter. It had a lot of stuff I didn't remember, and new stuff I didn't know about. The Guide was interesting and full of information that I was looking for, such as how many knuts equal a sickle, and how much it costs to ride the Knight Bus. So basically it was a very original book.

it is a long listing of all things you can collect from harry potter. While i enjoy the HP series, I had no idea that this book would be SO boring. I don't care what all i can collect, I wanted background and comparisons. Yuck!

It's not a bad book but nothing really stands out about it either. It has a lot of information on J.K with quotes, background, and a bit of a biography. I did learn some new information about her but most of it is already known; single mother, thought of Harry Potter on a train, wrote in a café.

Books 1-5 and the first three movies are covered with reviews and general information. A detailed cast and credits are listed for the movies. This book has a lot of reviews and quotes from editors and publishers, it gets overwhelming at times.

The book also contains 70 or so black and white drawings from artist Tim Kirk. I didn't care much for them but they added to the book with the theme of wizards, creatures, and magic. They adorn each new section not unlike the Potter books illustration at a new chapter.

One useful thing is the "concordance" (list) of people places and things in the Potter universe. It's about 80 pages long and was what I bought the book for initially. Although the info is good, there is information available on the web for free and is much more detailed and easy to navigate. The sites (The Leaky Cauldron, Mugglenet, and the Harry Potter Lexicon) are even mentioned in the web sites section of the book.

There are also some omissions and errors. When he first starts to go over the books all the the entries have an "about the book" section except for Prisoner of Azkaban. Some of the entries for this section are a page or more long, it seems odd to leave this one out.

Other errors have to do with names like the Dursley's in Egypt when it should be Weasley's, Uncle Dudley, things of that nature. Not terrible errors but still annoying.

There are 27 color glossy pictures in the middle of the book. Most are of filming locations, a couple of the books, some of JK, one of Dan Radcliffe, and the rest are of owls. It was nice but I would of liked to see more.

Overall this book was ok. I learned some new things but most of it was basic stuff and a lot of quotes and reviews. Its a bit long at close to 400 pages so children may tire of it quite quickly. I would not recommend this book. Vast amounts of information are available online and the amount quotes and reviews make this a tough read.

I thought I knew it all. As a huge fan of the Harry Potter books and the surrounding media, I could have sworn that I knew all the insights into J.K. Rowling, her books, and the movies.

Muggles and Magic, by George Beahm, showed me just how little I actually knew. This 393 page gem covers all aspects of the Harry Potter phenomenon, from the writer herself, to the books and movies, to even helping aspiring writers get their start! Beahm does a top-notch job providing an informative account of everything you could ever want to know about Harry Potter, and more.

Part One deals with J.K. Rowling herself. How did she come up with the idea for Harry Potter? Where did she write the first book? How is it raising a child alone? All these questions are answered in this section.

Part Two is for authors-to-be. J.K. Rowling had little writing experience when she wrote the first Harry Potter book. She truly had a gift for telling a story, and there are others out there, too! This section tells those individuals how to go about following their dreams and becoming the next J.K. Rowling.

Part Three follows the movie track of the Harry Potter franchise. Covering all aspects of the first two films and even looking at the newest film, Prisoner of Azkaban, this section delves into the movie-making process and contains wonderful quotes from those involved.

Part Four covers the big topic - the books. An analysis of the first five books are covered here in great detail. Anything you could ever want to know can be easily looked up here. Other Harry Potter related books are also mentioned here. This section ends with my favorite part of the book, a quiz on the Harry Potter series.

Part Five inventories the plethora of Harry Potter merchandise. Everything from computer games to health products to school supplies can be found here.

Part Six lists the most popular Harry Potter official and fan websites, including my personal favorite, MuggleNet. Further reference to this book can be found at the informative site The Harry Potter Lexicon, and there are even sites devoted to J.K. Rowling herself listed here.

All in all, this is an outstanding book, a must have for any serious Harry Potter fan, or even for the casual fan who wishes to delve deeper into the imaginings of J.K. Rowling.

Recommended for all ages!

"Muggles and Magic" is the most comprehensive book I have found to date about the Harry Potter phenomenon. Written in a clear, honest, and delightful manner, it is sure to inform and charm its readers. There are many aspects of the book I enjoyed and I found a few things to be particularly helpful. Seeing that is was written to be a sourcebook, I found it satisfying that the book delivers exactly what it promises. There is a nice succinct, yet thorough chronology of J.K.R.'s life in the beginning of the book. There is a glossary of terms that can prove very handy to the H.P. newcomer. The section on merchandise will be invaluable to those obsessed with collectibles. Particularly eye-opening to me was the list of other H.P./J.K.R. books cited in one of the chapters. Other than rabid fans, I don't believe most people are aware of the wealth of literary ambition Harry Potter has inspired, not only in the form of professionally published books, but of devoted fan fiction which appears on many H.P. related websites. Some of these websites have not only been listed but also described in the book, along with screen shots from the actual sites.

The most popular chapters of M&M will, no doubt, be the ones which discuss the books and movies. Each one is covered individually and the chapters contain a good amount of information. Another popular chapter will be the one devoted to J.K.Rowling herself. Much interesting and sometimes fascinating information about the author is contained in this chapter, all of it stated without delving into gossip or hearsay. One of my favorite sections in the book is the one titled "So You Want to Be a Novelist?". Beahm is forthright and helpful in his offerings, choosing to share with the reader the wisdom gained from his own experience. I think parents of children who are budding writers will particularly appreciate his practical advice.

Unlike another reviewer, I relished the sidebars. I think they were informative, often amusing, and of benefit to the book. I found them to be few in number, and they did not hamper the flow of the book for me but were a fun way to include additional info that is pertinent, yet may not have fit perfectly into the current discussion. Tidbits such as how to make your way around England, Harry Potter polls, how to obtain H.P. merchandise, and J.K.R.'s charity interests are touched upon. Sidebars are always some of my favorite parts of non-fiction books and Beahm's inclusion of them has, in my opinion, been an asset.

I must add that the forward by Colleen Doran is something you shouldn't skip by. It is written with intelligence, sincerity and humor and, unlike many forwards of books, is a delightful read. I will also add my kudos to Tim Kirk for the wonderful sketches. I often found myself returning to pages simply to catch another glimpse of his work.

I enjoyed many other areas of M&M (including the fun trivia section) but my favorite parts of the book are the "Notable and Quotable" sections that appear in four of the six chapters. I enjoy reading words that come straight from the mouths of those directly involved in the books and films, especially J.K.R. herself. In my opinion, there is nothing that gives us a better perception of what this talented, generous woman is about than her own thoughts, in her own words.

I would recommend Muggles and Magic to all Harry Potter and J.K. Rowling fans, whether avid or tepid. You won't be disappointed!

If you are an avid reader and collector of the Potter books, which you are or you wouldn't be exploring the purchase of this book, then you MUST purchase this book. It is thick with facts and interesting items and will be a collectible for your Potter shelf in the coming years. You MUST try, buy and sigh -- with happiness at this inexpensive, but informative, addition. Remember - there is ONLY one Potter book left and after it has been read we will still ache for more --- so buy this now in anticipation of the last book!

This book is a great companion piece to the Harry Potter novels. If you love the Harry Potter stories, you will certainly enjoy this book. It is full of interesting facts and background on the Harry Potter phenomenon. I especially enjoyed the information on J.K. Rowling. Since she rarely gives interviews, I was unaware of her life story and how she came to write the Harry Potter novels. Her story from a struggling writer to one of the most successful authors in history is inspiration. Much like the Harry Potter novels themselves, it will inspire the reader to pursue their dreams with conviction. The information about the book publishing was also interesting, especially the facts and pictures related to the UK releases. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the book. It made me want to pick up the first Harry Potter novel and start reading the series again.