Who says fairy tales are just for children? I certainly didn't. You won't either, if you pick up a copy of The Tales of Beedle the Bard, J.K. Rowling's latest release. This is a collection of five children's stories by Beedle, a 15th century wizard equivalent to the Grimm brothers. My prediction is that this book will soon become a favourite bed-time read.
We first heard about Beedle the Bard in the final instalment of the Harry Potter series, The Deathly Hallows. In it, Hermione Granger reads out a story called The Tale of the Three Brothers from an ancient book that Albus Dumbledore leaves for her in his will.
Rowling, of course, has added more tales to that one extremely important story (in the last book, anyway) and has released them collectively for die-hard Potter fans.
Needless to say, the five stories are intriguing, unique and each have a moral, meant to instruct young witches and wizards to perform good deeds and do the right thing. In many ways, they are similar to our fairy tales – the good are always rewarded while the bad are either punished, or they realise their mistakes and change their ways. As always, Rowling has focused on the choices that various wizards make, and the consequences that follow those choices.
Notes from Dumbledore
While the stories themselves are endlessly entertaining (and well titled, e.g. Babbity Rabbity and her Cackling Stump), what most young adults would enjoy are the inclusion of personal notes from Dumbledore himself. True to his nature, the comments are witty, intelligent and amusing, not to mention self-indulgent. Most readers will be extremely curious about Dumbledore's notes on the final story, The Tale of the Three Brothers, and his thoughts on whether the three items mentioned – the wand, the stone, and the cloak – exist or not.
For those of us who are extremely attached to the Harry Potter series, this is a book worth adding to the collection. Similar to Rowling's previous releases Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them and Quidditch Through the Ages, all profits go directly to charity. If you went through PPD (Post Potter Depression) after the release of the last book, this small collection of stories is just the thing to take you back to the magical world of wizards, muggles, and the wisest of them all, Albus Dumbledore.
Author of the week: Joanne Rowling
Background
Joanne Kathleen Rowling is a British author best known as the creator of the Harry Potter series. She was born in Yate, Gloucestershire, and grew up in Winterbourne. As a child, Rowling enjoyed writing fantasy stories.
As an adult, she moved to London to work as a researcher and bilingual secretary for Amnesty International.
The idea for the Potter series came to her in 1990. Rowling was on a four-hour-delayed train trip from Manchester to London, and the concept of a school of wizardry "came fully formed" into her mind. When she reached home, she began to write immediately.
The first novel in the series, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, was released in June 1997. Only 1,000 prints were released at the time. Five months later, the book won its first award, a Nestlé Smarties Book Prize.
The novel also won the prestigious British Book Award for Children's Book of the Year, and later, the Children's Book Award. The rest of the series – The Chamber of Secrets, The Prisoner of Azkaban, The Goblet of Fire, The Order of the Phoenix, The Half-Blood Prince and The Deathly Hallows – followed, all breaking records in sales.
Rowling has received honourary degrees from St Andrews University, the University of Edinburgh, Napier University and the University of Aberdeen. She lives with her husband Neil Michael Murray and her three children.
— The writer is a communications studies student at Mount Carmel College, India
