Thursday, February 5, 2009

J.K. Rowling: The Tales of Beedle the Bard


If you are a Harry Potter fan, you need The Tales of Beedle the Bard. No Harry Potter collection is complete without it. That being said, if you are not a Harry Potter fan, stay away. This won’t make you one.

Beedle’s tales are cute, moderately fun. But Dumbledore’s commentary is better. Dumbledore explores the prejudices of “pure blood” wizards against those of mixed heritage. It seems that by twisting the message of Beedle’s tales, the “Pure Bloods” think they can prove their point. Dumbledore shows how the tales really teach lessons of tolerance and acceptance, rather than bigotry.

For anyone who is disappointed that the Harry Potter story came to an end, The Tales of Beedle the Bard does not help much. There just isn’t enough there.

2 comments:

Kit Bradley said...

I'm reading Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows out loud to Sue in the evenings. The Tales of Beedle the Bard has come up but not too significantly (yet). Is this a book we could read before we finish the Deathly Hallows, or should we wait?

Nate Bradley said...

The Tales ... are a short 107 page book. They are cute, and I can't see how they would have any impact on your enjoyment of ... the Deathly Hallows.

I don't remember the exact role of The Tales... in ... the Deathly Hallows, but I don't believe there is any spoiler involved.