Review: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by J.K. Rowling

Review: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by J.K. Rowling

I actually first heard of this novel because of the upcoming movie. Now I consider myself a Harry Potter fan, but somehow missed the note about J.K. Rowling creating textbooks. So I was very confused as I started reading this book only to discover that there is no story. This is a textbook of monsters ("beasts" as Rowling calls them) in the wizarding world.

The introduction of the textbook reads a bit tedious - the definition of what exactly makes a beast is somewhat interesting. But when she gets into this Wizard Counsel or that Ministry of Magic decree, my eyes start to skip down the page (much like Ron Weasley I would imagine). But the definitions of the beasts themselves can be quite interesting. And if you take the time to read the end notes, you'll be surprised with some rather humorous tidbits. The so-called "add-ins" from Harry Potter himself are okay, but I would have preferred if added other notes besides "Hagrid does this" or "don't tell Hagrid that". Maybe a doodle here or there would have livened it up. But then, does Harry Potter doodle?

Overall I would recommend this book to any true die-hard Harry Potter fan. But as a literary junkie, skip it.