Critical Companion To J K Rowling

Focuses on the life and works of J.K. Rowling, author of the Harry Potter series.

J.K. Rowling is one of the most popular authors of all time. Her Harry Potter books are beloved by millions of children and respected by critics of both children's and adult literature.

Praise for the previous edition:RASD/ALA "Outstanding Reference Source, 1996""'Essential' is the word for it!

The New York Times bestseller, now fully updated to include the complete seven-volume series. Who was the real Nicholas Flamel? How did the Sorcerer’s Stone get its power? Did J. K. Rowling dream up the terrifying basilisk, the seductive veela, or the vicious grindylow? And if she didn’t, who did? Millions of readers around the world have been enchanted by the magical world of wizardry, spells, and mythical beasts inhabited by Harry Potter and his friends. But what most readers don’t know is that there is a centuries-old trove of true history, folklore, and mythology behind Harry’s fantastic universe. Now, with The Sorcerer’s Companion, those without access to the Hogwarts Library can school themselves in the fascinating reality behind J. K. Rowling’s world of magic. Newly updated to include Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince, and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, The Sorcerer’s Companion allows curious readers to look up anything magical from the Harry Potter books and discover a wealth of entertaining, unexpected information. Wands and wizards, boggarts and broomsticks, hippogriffs and herbology, all have astonishing histories rooted in legend, literature, or real-life events dating back hundreds or even thousands of years. Magic wands, like those sold in Rowling’s Diagon Alley, were once fashioned by Druid sorcerers out of their sacred yew trees. Love potions were first concocted in ancient Greece and Egypt. And books of spells and curses were highly popular during the Middle Ages. From Amulets to Zombies, you’ll also learn: • how to read tea leaves • where to find a basilisk today • how King Frederick II of Denmark financed a war with a unicorn horn • who the real Merlin was • how to safely harvest mandrake root • who wore the first invisibility cloak • how to get rid of a goblin • why owls were feared in the ancient world • what really lies beyond the Veil • the origins of our modern-day “bogeyman,” and more. A spellbinding tour of Harry’s captivating world, The Sorcerer’s Companion is a must for every Potter aficionado’s bookshelf. The Sorcerer's Companion has not been prepared, approved, or licensed by any person or entity that created, published, or produced the Harry Potter books or related properties.

An essential companion to the Harry Potter books, The Tales of Beedle the Bard is a collection of fairytales from the wizarding world, via the enchanted pen of J.K. Rowling. Rich with allusions and symbols from the Harry Potter stories, and enhanced with fascinating commentary from beloved sage Professor Albus Dumbledore, this is a Hogwarts Library book to treasure and enjoy for years to come. All of the gorgeous, grim and gothic detail of the Bard's five bewitching tales has been brought to life by Chris Riddell, thrice winner of the Kate Greenaway Medal. Much loved by generations of witches and wizards, and translated from the original runes by Hermione Granger, this beautiful edition is the perfect gift for Harry Potter fans. Mischievous and witty, Beedle the Bard's stories are a deeply satisfying read in the tradition of all great fables and fairytales. Kindnesses are rewarded and selfishness shown to be the ruin of many a wizard. Burping cauldrons, hairy hearts and cackling stumps are met along the way. Each tale is brought vividly to life with Riddell's trademark wry humour and elegance, including 'The Tale of the Three Brothers', familiar to readers of Harry Potter from the crucial role it plays in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Now available in a paperback format featuring a brand new cover by Chris Riddell, this edition contains all of the mesmerising illustrations from the original hardback plus an exclusive additional art print of Harry, Ron and Hermione for readers to take out and keep. Prepare to be spellbound! The Tales of Beedle the Bard is published in aid of Lumos, an international children's charity founded in 2005 by J.K. Rowling.

An essential trio of books from the Hogwarts Library, now lavishly illustrated and collected in a giftable boxed set! This beautifully designed boxed set contains three essential volumes consulted by generations of students at Hogwarts: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, Quidditch Through the Ages, and The Tales of Beedle the Bard. Written by J.K. Rowling in aid of Comic Relief and Lumos, these companion volumes to the Harry Potter series have now been fully illustrated in brilliant color by award-winning artists Olivia Lomenech Gill, Lisbeth Zwerger, and Emily Gravett. This special edition boxed set is a beautiful gift for Harry Potter fans of all ages and a chance to explore the incredible richness of the wizarding world.

Biographical essay that traces the author's life and career. Essays expressing diverse views cover the author's works, autobiographical insights, and areas outside of literature, including film, that he or she may have worked in.

Classical Traditions in Modern Fantasy is the first collection of essays in English focusing on how fantasy draws deeply on ancient Greek and Roman mythology, philosophy, literature, history, art, and cult practice. Presenting fifteen all-new essays intended for both scholars and other readers of fantasy, this volume explores many of the most significant examples of the modern genre-including the works of H. P. Lovecraft, J. R. R. Tolkien's The Hobbit, C. S. Lewis's Chronicles of Narnia, J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter series, George R. R. Martin's Game of Thrones series, and more-in relation to important ancient texts such as Aeschylus' Oresteia, Aristotle's Poetics, Virgil's Aeneid, and Apuleius' The Golden Ass. These varied studies raise fascinating questions about genre, literary and artistic histories, and the suspension of disbelief required not only of readers of fantasy but also of students of antiquity. Ranging from harpies to hobbits, from Cyclopes to Cthulhu, and all manner of monster and myth in-between, this comparative study of Classics and fantasy reveals deep similarities between ancient and modern ways of imagining the world. Although antiquity and the present day differ in many ways, at its base, ancient literature resonates deeply with modern fantasy's image of worlds in flux and bodies in motion.