J.
K. Rowling
The
Tales of Beedle the Bard, Standard Edition
ЗАКАЗАТЬ
In December 2007, J.K. Rowling unveiled The Tales of Beedle the Bard, a very special
book of five fairy tales illustrated by the bard herself, embellished with silver
ornaments and mounted moonstones. Amazon was fortunate to come into possession
of one of the original copies, and it was our privilege to share images and reviews
of this incredible artifact. Now J.K. Rowling is giving millions of Harry Potter
fans worldwide cause for celebration with a new edition of The Tales of Beedle
the Bard, available December 4, 2008. Offering the trademark wit and imagination
familiar to Rowling's legions of readers--as well as Aesop's wisdom and the occasional
darkness of the Brothers Grimm--each of these five tales reveals a lesson befitting
children and parents alike: the strength gained with a trusted friendship, the
redemptive power of love, and the true magic that exists in the hearts of all
of us. Rowling's new introduction also comments on the personal lessons she has
taken from the Tales, noting that the characters in Beedle's collection "take
their fates into their own hands, rather than taking a prolonged nap or waiting
for someone to return a lost shoe," and "that magic causes as much trouble
as it cures." But the true jewel of this new edition is the enlightening
and comprehensive commentary (including extensive footnotes!) by Professor Albus
Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, who brings his unique wizard's-eye perspective
to the collection. Discovered "among the many papers which Dumbledore left
in his will to the Hogwarts Archives," the venerable wizard's ruminations
on the Tales allow today's readers to place them in the context of 16th century
Muggle society, even allowing that "Beedle was somewhat out of step with
his times in preaching a message of brotherly love for Muggles" during the
era of witch hunts that would eventually drive the wizarding community into self-imposed
exile. In fact, versions of the same stories told in wizarding households would
shock many for their uncharitable treatment of their Muggle characters. Professor
Dumbledore also includes fascinating historical backstory, including tidbits such
as the history and pursuit of magic wands, a brief comment on the Dark Arts and
its practitioners, and the struggles with censorship that eventually led "a
certain Beatrix Bloxam" to cleanse the Tales of "much of the darker
themes that she found distasteful," forever altering the meaning of the stories
for their Muggle audience. Dumbledore also allows us a glimpse of his personal
relationship to the Tales, remarking that it was through "Babbity Rabbity
and Her Cackling Stump" that "many of us [wizards] first discovered
that magic could not bring back the dead." Both a wise and delightful addition
to the Harry Potter canon, this new translation of The Tales of Beedle the Bard
is all that fans could hope for and more--and an essential volume for the libraries
of Muggles, wizards, and witches, both young and old.