Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)This is a good book that covers a lot of basic mythology, folklore, superstition and history, and (tangentally) connects it to the Harry Potter series.
First, the good stuff: it includes a lot of entries (accurate - so far as I can tell) about a lot of supernatural creatures, beliefs and other topics. Want to know the different mythologies of the phoenix from different countries, and which parts J.K. Rowling made up for her books? It's here. Want to know the historical beliefs about unicorns, how they differ from the "classical" interpretation of the glowing white horse with the long slender horn, when (and possibly how) these beliefs came about? You got it.
Also good: there are many helpful illustrations. The writers treat the superstitious beliefs of different times and places with a certain respect, not saying "man, they were idiots for believing in ghosts!" or anything like that. But skeptics won't be disappointed, either. For example, when frankly talking about how many alchemists were charlatans who only pretended to create gold with the "sorceror's stone" (or, more accurately, the philosopher's stone) --- it even tells you HOW it was possible to fake this wondrous transmutation. Nice.
On to the bad stuff... actually, not BAD stuff, but things you should know the books is NOT about.
While it uses the Harry Potter books as a jumping off point, it doesn't really go into depth about the HP series. For example, no entries on Argus, Remus or Minerva (despite some famous residents of Hogwarts who bear those names, often as none-too-subtle cues on their characters). It won't comment on the (rather obvious) symbolism of Dumbledore having a pet phoenix, when one of his hallmarks is giving people a second chance.
[Still, it's rather disturbing to read the negative reviews of some people on Amazon who refused to read the book simply because it was about the mythology of magic, and not enough about Harry + co. Don't get me wrong - I love Rowling's work. I bet she'd be a little dismayed to learn that her writing has caused some readers to be interested in only her writing, and not inspired them to read more about different, if related, subjects.]
The book also shouldn't been seen as an in-depth guide to mythology, but then, it wouldn't be easy for any one volume to do that. Vampires, for example, get 2 pages here, but whole books could be written just on the mythology of vamps in different cultures (and pop culture).
There's some mention of literature - Bram Stoker is referenced in the vampire entry, the one on cauldron's refers to the famous "eye of newt" scene in MacBeth. But there's only a little of this. No commentary on the influence of, say, Tolkien, on Rowling's work.
Including "Harry Potter" in the title of this book is quite possibly a bid to increase sales. That being said, it's a good read, and a solid intro to the mythology of the magical.
Click Here to see more reviews about: The Sorcerer's Companion: A Guide to the Magical World of Harry Potter, Third Edition
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