Customer Reviews

The Plot Thickens... Harry Potter Investigated by Fans for Fans

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The author of previous HP clue books has chosen to be the editor of this new book of essays by HP fans of all ages and descriptions. The essays are as varied as their authors and will be an interesting read for adult HP fans as well as the 9-12 age group. It is a book to be read slowly and savoured. It is a fun and thought-provoking read. Sometimes you will say to yourself "Hmmm, I never thought about that. He/She could be right." You will enjoy having this book to read while waiting for HP Book 6. Thanks Wizarding World Press.

As a New Clues forum member myself,(on the Mugglenet fan site) I was excited to hear this book was going to be published last year, as it definitely fills a niche not explored before in the HP accessory books. Having read most of the author's posts and exchanged ideas with some, seeing full-length essays from several of the best was particularly of interest to me, however, I think you can completely enjoy this book without being a forum member. In fact, it doesn't necessarily appear that the other reviewers here are, but have all obviously loved it. The essays are nicely grouped in chapters according subject matter (i.e. "Wacky Weasleys", "Mischief Created", and "The Potions Master") and also by how in depth or advanced in HP knowledge (using the O.W.L. system: needing only a handful, like Fred and George, 12, or N.E.W.T. level). All of the NEWT level discussions are fantastic and quite extensively researched, but by far the best in the whole book is one in the Snape chapter titled: "Voldemort's Pawns." This is the only essay included that offers an opposing view on Snape as a misunderstood hero/good guy with excellent research and meticulous canon proof that might sway you to reconsider our Potions Master's position in the Order even if you love him! The only reason I didn't give this book five stars is there are some editing problems, a couple of which are rather glaring. Most are just some typos or grammatical errors, but several concern quotes citing the wrong book, chapters, etc. (page numbers in different versions like UK versus US will vary, but not the other two). Nonetheless, I still recommend this book as a great way to kill time until July 16th, 2005 when we will get our hands on Book 6!

Just received this book and have read a lot of it-- it's a GREAT read for those awaiting the sixth Harry Potter book. It brings up many new ideas, and shows a reader how to come up with theories and hypotheses of their own. It's a great learning tool and provokes thought, it gives insight and entertainment. I highly suggest this book. If you are a fan of MuggleNet and it's forums-- you will love this book! It's written by fans for fans, which makes it even easier to relate.

This is collection of essays about the Harry Potter books written by fans from around the world. Each essay presents a theory of some sort on the backgrounds of characters, relationships between characters, what role certain characters and events will play in the future of the septology, etc. Most essays are two to three pages long, which makes it a great book to read in short spurts - in short, an excellent bathroom book.

Most of these authors have read the Harry Potter books several times, and have picked up on various clues that you may not have noticed if you've only read the books once or twice. In addition, some of the theories present some really good ideas to chew on. Some of the theories are way out there, but even the most outlandish ideas can work as building blocks to formulate more valid theories.

If you are a big fan of the Harry Potter books and would like something to read that may deepen your understanding of the magical world created by JK Rowling, then I would definitely recommend this book. There are only a few possible drawbacks that I might bring up. One is that this book was published between books 5 and 6, so some of the theories are a bit outdated now that we have been given much more information in the latest book. There are also a few errors that a perfectionist such as myself has to laugh at, but I suppose that's understandable when the authors are devoted fans rather than professional writers. Finally, if you've already spent hours reading through online forums discussing the Harry Potter books, then you might not find too much new here. I wouldn't know because I just don't have the time for all that, but this book seems to provide a pretty succinct summary of all the discussions that have gone on amongst Harry Potter fans on the web forums.

All in all, however, I really am enjoying this book. I'm currently on my second read-through of the series, so it's really interesting when I'm reading an essay that discusses an event that I just read through the day before.

This is a great collection of essays that really make you think and are a nice refresher course on all things Potter pre-book-six. There are a wide variety of topics and writing levels, from charming observations by 8-year-olds to talk of time travel and quantam physics that will make your brain melt at the complexity. Truly something for everyone! It's also a treat to read such discussions in organized book form instead of surfing for hours through online forums to find similar writings.

In a few places the theories are stretching credulity a bit, but it's all in fun. Most of the essays are excellent and well-researched. The information on world mythology, history, and other real-world topics is fascinating, and many facets that are explored are ones that aren't often looked into in the fandom. In more than a few places I literally put the book down and said, "Whooooooooa!" aloud because a theory or observation just blew my mind.

My only complaints are a few typos that a little extra editing could have taken care of, and a bit of repetition in topics. The essays on time travel and Mad-Eye Moody were all good, but did we need multiple pieces on these topics at the expensive of others? The Potter universe is so vast, varied and deep, and there are tons of other characters and topics that I would have loved to explore in this format. Instead of two essays on Moody, I would have preferred one on him and another on Lupin, for example (or any other character who is more or less ignored in this book).

I also found it a bit odd that the only real "shipping" essay (putting characters into romantic relationships) centered on the Harry/Hermione pairing, while no other pairings got any in-depth dicussion. Shipping is a huge part of the online fandom, and although it was nice to see it acknowledged in a published work I would have preferred to see a broader treatment of the topic.

But these are small complaints, really. Overall I very much enjoyed this book and highly recommend it to any Potter fan.

I just got this book for Christmas, and I've fallen in love with it. The authors are members of the Mugglenet forums, who have used their wealth of HP knowledge to compose essays especially for this book. The essays run the gamut from "Who is the Half-blood Prince?" to "Is Percy just a stupid git?" and the writers range in age from 8 to 40+. Even the illustrations are done by fans, and beautifully.

Someone not as obsessed as myself might be a little overwhelmed (some essays contain VERY detailed analysis) but you should still enjoy it. And if you're a part-time fan looking to go full-time, this is the book for you!

even though the title, especially the part "by fans for fans" might make you think these people who brought this book together are just too HP crazy, and yes, it can get old pretty quickly bcos the 6th hp book is abt 2 be released soon anyway.....Its still interesting to read other people's perspectives on the harry potter books and possible suggestions/theories they have come up with. Its also amazing how they were able to pick up clues and fit them all together to get an understanding of the subtle messages JKR was hiding.

I thought this book was very clever and also creative; how ordinary people who love harry potter can think up all those ideas, research some evidence to support the idea, and eventually put it into a book to be published. Some of the questions (e.g. in what ways are harry and neville related in terms of the children of the prophecy?)i have long been wondering ever since i have finished reading all hp books up to #5.

This book was very entertaining and will (possibly) make you see the hp books in a new way. It certainly made me more alert and aware whenever i start re-reading the HP books and in the future, for the 6th & 7th books, i will be paying attention even more. bcause even small details/events can be important clues, and the more you understand the hp books, the more enjoyable it is.

I've really enjoyed my copy of this book. My husband and I have had fun hashing out the theories and haven't shelved the book since I received it as a gift 5 months ago!

I particularly like the research that the various authors invested in their essays. The meticulous documentation in some of the essays is honestly astounding and means that one can't help but take seriously the ideas put forth, even if the reader ultimately disagrees with the conclusions drawn.

In addition, the wide variety of essay topics meant that I was guaranteed to find something that got my brain whirling with the possibilities. For example, The Knights of Walpurgis was a great analysis of the roots of the Death Eater movement; essays on Fred & George had me taking the characters more seriously as their strengths were analyzed, particularly their consistent devotion to family; and essays analyzing Neville Longbottom caused me to rethink my perceptions of both his history and his future importance.

I think, though, that what I enjoy most about this book is that there is no right or wrong; no absolutes. This is simply a collection of well-thought-out essays drawn up by fans as crazy as I am who want to hash out the possibilities together.

I would most certainly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys analyzing the "what ifs" behind this series.

I thought this book was great. The only problem I had with it was that some evidence supplied for the theories had been confirmed or unconfirmed at the time of printing so the theory was proved or disproved already. Maybe a bit extra proofreading for the next one. Other than that it was fantastic

THis is a very well researched discussion of the first 5 harry potter books. I really enjoyed it. I highly suggest it.