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dramione2011-07-17 11:04 pm
boundbooks) wrote in dramione2011-07-17 11:04 pm
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A Review of The Tales of Beedle the Bard & Harry Potter's Schoolbooks
In addition to the seven Harry Potter books, J.K. Rowling wrote three more books which can be considered part of the canonical Harry Potter universe. I'd initially dismissed them as un-interesting because none of them were novels, but having re-read the entire series I found myself wanting more of the world. Thanks to a library card, I got them, devoured them, and now present a set of reviews for Dramione shippers! Each review of the book occurs in two parts: things of interest to a general Harry Potter fan and things of interest to a Dramione shipper.
The Tales of Beedle the Bard
This is an incredibly cute set of stories that are presented as traditional Wizarding children's stories. It also happens to be a translation of the book that Hermione inherits from Dumbledore at the start of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, and which later plays a pivotal role in the Horcrux quest. From a general fan-viewpoint, it's got J.K. Rowling's quirky writing, enjoyable stories, really humorous commentary 'written by Dumbledore' on all of the stories, and is something that I'd recommend to any fan of the books. It's really a lovely addition to the world-building, and I found myself giggling and greatly amused while reading each of the five children's stories and especially Dumbledore's commentary.
Harry Potter Fan Verdict: 8/10
From a Dramione shipper viewpoint, everything that I've said above applies, but the thing's also a damn shipping goldmine. For starters, the entire book is presented as an English-language translation from Ancient Runes by Hermione Granger. So, we're talking about something that Hermione Granger would absolutely be familiar with on an intellectual and personal level, which is pretty near priceless considering that the majority of the seven books are narrated by Harry Potter.
In addition, all of the stories are stories told to Wizarding children, so it really provides insight into more of the magical culture, as well as possible reference points for characters. Not to mention that Dumbledore's commentary is just a damn goldmine for Dramione shippers. In one of the commentaries, Dumbledore reveals that:
Draco Malfoy, pure-blood son of one of Voldemort's original Death Eaters, certainly would have been told revised versions of all of these Muggle-friendly stories. Hermione Granger, newly-published translator, would know the originals! Can we say plot bunnies? Hijinx? Awkward conversations? :D :D :D
There's also one story that has a Muggle knight pairing up with a witch, and Dumbledore's commentary states that:
HELLO, SHIPPER-FODDER! I mean, seriously, Lucius Malfoy actually suggests that his son might be influenced into sullying the purity of his blood-line AND Dumbledore going on record as stating that pure-bloods don't actually exist? GOLDMINE. GODDAMN GOLDMINE.
The entire book has little Wizarding culture and history tidbits in the commentary, such as a footnote about Hector Dagworth-Granger, founder of the Most Extraordinary Society of Potioneers (whom Slughorn asked Hermione if she was a relation of in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince), and the following fact which screams to be incorporated into a fic or bit of fanart:
Heck, for the people who love writing or reading Ferret!Draco stories, we even get the information that Transfiguring someone into an animal makes them mentally into an animal and unable to perform magic, while Animagi keep their human thinking skills. (pg 85) Yay for more information!
In conclusion, this is a fun book for any Harry Potter fan, but especially so for anyone who ships Dramione. I totally recommend tracking it down and reading it!
Dramione Shipper Verdict: 10/10
Harry Potter's Schoolbooks: Quidditch Through the Ages and Fantastic Beasts & Where to Find Them
Quidditch Through the Ages
Packed with lots of charming anecdotes and fun tidbits about Quidditch. I'd put this book more in the 'if you truly want to know everything about the Harry Potter world' or if an author needs to have a quick and easy Quidditch reference book at hand. It's a fun, short read and I'm glad I read it, but there's a good reason the book only costs a few dollars.
Harry Potter Fan Verdict: 6/10
I'd give this a pretty low shipper rating. It's not necessarily going to add anything to the ship, although there is a charming little 'Library Check-Out List' at the front of the book with the names of various students from all four houses, including an 'H. Granger'. No 'D. Malfoy' is there, but one can assume that Mr. I'm Ridiculously Rich Malfoy likely owned his own copy of the book. Possibly also useful if you want to know what kind of Quidditch fouls Draco might incur while getting distracted by one Hermione Granger, or the names of foolish stunts he might attempt while repressing his urge to hex Ron's face. :P
Dramione Shipper Verdict: 3/10
Fantastic Beasts & Where to Find Them
Urk. This book was almost tedious to read. Unlike the short-story and commentary format of The Tales of Beedle the Bard or the charming historical anecdotes of Quidditch Through the Ages, this book really does almost capture the experience of reading an overly-dull textbook. It's dead useful as a reference text, but it's really not enjoyable to read. I'd only recommend it for someone who really wants a reference book for magical creatures or who needs nit-picky details about how the Ministry classifies various creatures.
Harry Potter Fan Verdict: 4/10
The only reason why this book ekes out a 3/10 Dramione shipper rating is because Hermione worked for the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures for a little while after Hogwarts, and some of the information about the classification of beasts versus beings as well as other tidbits about how the Ministry handles such creatures, might be of interest as background information. Otherwise, this is a pretty dull book.
Dramione Shipper Verdict: 3/10
That's all! Hope that my reviews were useful, and I do seriously recommend The Tales of Beedle the Bard for the Dramione shipper who likes to speculate about what might have been.
As a general Harry Potter fan, you're looking for more enjoyable things from the Harry Potter universe, both The Tales of Beedle the Bard and Quidditch Through the Ages are well worth your time, but Fantastic Beasts & Where to Find Them should be reserved only for use as an actual real-world reference book. Happy reading!
Note:musyc, I have no idea how to appropriately tag this post. XD
The Tales of Beedle the Bard
This is an incredibly cute set of stories that are presented as traditional Wizarding children's stories. It also happens to be a translation of the book that Hermione inherits from Dumbledore at the start of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, and which later plays a pivotal role in the Horcrux quest. From a general fan-viewpoint, it's got J.K. Rowling's quirky writing, enjoyable stories, really humorous commentary 'written by Dumbledore' on all of the stories, and is something that I'd recommend to any fan of the books. It's really a lovely addition to the world-building, and I found myself giggling and greatly amused while reading each of the five children's stories and especially Dumbledore's commentary.
Harry Potter Fan Verdict: 8/10
From a Dramione shipper viewpoint, everything that I've said above applies, but the thing's also a damn shipping goldmine. For starters, the entire book is presented as an English-language translation from Ancient Runes by Hermione Granger. So, we're talking about something that Hermione Granger would absolutely be familiar with on an intellectual and personal level, which is pretty near priceless considering that the majority of the seven books are narrated by Harry Potter.
In addition, all of the stories are stories told to Wizarding children, so it really provides insight into more of the magical culture, as well as possible reference points for characters. Not to mention that Dumbledore's commentary is just a damn goldmine for Dramione shippers. In one of the commentaries, Dumbledore reveals that:
“some Wizarding children are only told the revised version of the story by their (generally anti-Muggle) parents, and the original, if and when they ever read it, comes as a great surprise” (pg 14)
Draco Malfoy, pure-blood son of one of Voldemort's original Death Eaters, certainly would have been told revised versions of all of these Muggle-friendly stories. Hermione Granger, newly-published translator, would know the originals! Can we say plot bunnies? Hijinx? Awkward conversations? :D :D :D
There's also one story that has a Muggle knight pairing up with a witch, and Dumbledore's commentary states that:
“Mr. Lucius Malfoy...submitted his demand for a ban on the story in writing:
Any work of fiction or nonfiction that depicts interbreeding between wizards and Muggles should be banned from the bookshelves of Hogwarts. I do not wish my son to be influenced into sullying the purity of his blood-line by reading stories that promote wizard-Muggle marriage.
My refusal to remove the book from the library was backed by a majority of the Board of Governors. I wrote back to Mr. Malfoy, explaining my decision:
So-called pure-blood families maintain their alleged purity by disowning, banishing, or lying about Muggles or Muggle-born on their family trees....There is not a witch or wizard in existence whose blood has not mingled with that of Muggles.” (pg 40-41)
HELLO, SHIPPER-FODDER! I mean, seriously, Lucius Malfoy actually suggests that his son might be influenced into sullying the purity of his blood-line AND Dumbledore going on record as stating that pure-bloods don't actually exist? GOLDMINE. GODDAMN GOLDMINE.
The entire book has little Wizarding culture and history tidbits in the commentary, such as a footnote about Hector Dagworth-Granger, founder of the Most Extraordinary Society of Potioneers (whom Slughorn asked Hermione if she was a relation of in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince), and the following fact which screams to be incorporated into a fic or bit of fanart:
“though somewhat dated, the expression 'to have a hairy heart' has passed into everyday Wizarding language to describe a cold or unfeeling witch or wizard” (pg 60)
Heck, for the people who love writing or reading Ferret!Draco stories, we even get the information that Transfiguring someone into an animal makes them mentally into an animal and unable to perform magic, while Animagi keep their human thinking skills. (pg 85) Yay for more information!
In conclusion, this is a fun book for any Harry Potter fan, but especially so for anyone who ships Dramione. I totally recommend tracking it down and reading it!
Dramione Shipper Verdict: 10/10
Harry Potter's Schoolbooks: Quidditch Through the Ages and Fantastic Beasts & Where to Find Them
Quidditch Through the Ages
Packed with lots of charming anecdotes and fun tidbits about Quidditch. I'd put this book more in the 'if you truly want to know everything about the Harry Potter world' or if an author needs to have a quick and easy Quidditch reference book at hand. It's a fun, short read and I'm glad I read it, but there's a good reason the book only costs a few dollars.
Harry Potter Fan Verdict: 6/10
I'd give this a pretty low shipper rating. It's not necessarily going to add anything to the ship, although there is a charming little 'Library Check-Out List' at the front of the book with the names of various students from all four houses, including an 'H. Granger'. No 'D. Malfoy' is there, but one can assume that Mr. I'm Ridiculously Rich Malfoy likely owned his own copy of the book. Possibly also useful if you want to know what kind of Quidditch fouls Draco might incur while getting distracted by one Hermione Granger, or the names of foolish stunts he might attempt while repressing his urge to hex Ron's face. :P
Dramione Shipper Verdict: 3/10
Fantastic Beasts & Where to Find Them
Urk. This book was almost tedious to read. Unlike the short-story and commentary format of The Tales of Beedle the Bard or the charming historical anecdotes of Quidditch Through the Ages, this book really does almost capture the experience of reading an overly-dull textbook. It's dead useful as a reference text, but it's really not enjoyable to read. I'd only recommend it for someone who really wants a reference book for magical creatures or who needs nit-picky details about how the Ministry classifies various creatures.
Harry Potter Fan Verdict: 4/10
The only reason why this book ekes out a 3/10 Dramione shipper rating is because Hermione worked for the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures for a little while after Hogwarts, and some of the information about the classification of beasts versus beings as well as other tidbits about how the Ministry handles such creatures, might be of interest as background information. Otherwise, this is a pretty dull book.
Dramione Shipper Verdict: 3/10
That's all! Hope that my reviews were useful, and I do seriously recommend The Tales of Beedle the Bard for the Dramione shipper who likes to speculate about what might have been.
As a general Harry Potter fan, you're looking for more enjoyable things from the Harry Potter universe, both The Tales of Beedle the Bard and Quidditch Through the Ages are well worth your time, but Fantastic Beasts & Where to Find Them should be reserved only for use as an actual real-world reference book. Happy reading!
Note:
musyc, I have no idea how to appropriately tag this post. XD
no subject
Hermione: Malfoy, are you buying a copy of my book?
Draco: NO. YES. I AM BUYING IT TO BURN IT.
Hermione: Are you all right?
Draco: MUGGLES AND WIZARDS SHOULD NEVER INTERMARRY.
Hermione: What?
Draco: NO, I WILL NOT MARRY YOU. *runs away with book he hasn't paid for*
Hermione: What was that all about?
Storekeeper: No idea. But he did that with all the other books that you wrote, too. Usually, he just talks to the photo on the back of the book. These days, we just bill the Manor.
Hm, as for tags, I'd say perhaps discussion: canon: supplement and discussion: books? They're definitely not as canonical as the seven HP books, but they're far more canonical than the movies (filmed AU fanfic!). Plus, they're definitely also books published as part of the HP world.
Ultimately, whatever works for you, since you're the one who has to manage the system. XD
Agreed that DW's multi-level tags are amazing tasty goodness!