Title: The Magical Worlds of Harry Potter
Author: David Colbert
Type: Non-Fiction
Page Count/Review Word Count: 224
Rating: 7/10
This is a great example of a book which does what it says on the tin - no more, no less. Colbert, who’s a former head writer for Who Wants to be a Millionaire and the author of the Eyewitness history series, is a man who carries out his research thoroughly before he starts to put pen to paper, and it shows.
In this book, he promises “a treasury of myths, legends and fascinating facts”, and he delivers on that promise with a succinct explanation of many of the creatures and settings that make Rowling’s work so memorable. In fact, in my mind, the only problem with the book is that it was written and released so long ago that Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire is the newest book to be included. That leaves Colbert making predictions about the final three novels in the series which, ultimately, were proved incorrect.
Still, it makes for a great read for any serious Potter fan, and even casual readers and students of folklore and mythology will enjoy reading it. Watch out for Colbert’s thoughts on the etymology and the meanings of Rowling’s idiosyncratic place and character names.
Click here to buy The Magical Worlds of Harry Potter.
