It’s amazing what you’ll find in your personal library when you look around, isn’t it? While perusing through my bookshelves for something to review, I came across a pair of books that I frankly didn’t even know were part of my collection. I had hinted in my previous review for the first Harry Potter novel that there were supplementary works for the series.
With the popularity of Harry Potter came a flood of merchandise in the form of shirts, stickers, band-aids, candies, posters, movies, and apparently some books based off ones that were found in the library of Hogwarts: Kennilworthy Whisp’s Quidditch Through the Ages and Newt Scamander’s Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. Both books were written for the charity Comic Relief, or if you would believe the back of the book, limited issues were released to the Muggle population as a token of good will for the aforementioned charity. What’s a really nice touch is that the price at the bottom of the books features a conversion to Sickles and Knuts, adding to the idea that the wizarding world is just around the corner from ours.
Quidditch Through the Ages details the history of Qudditch and how it evolved over the centuries, as well as other sports from the wizarding world that have either become extinct, merged with Quidditch, or still exist today. The logic and progression of using the broomstick as a mode of transportation is also explained in detail, as its history parallels that of Quidditch. The final chapters provide a breakdown of the various Quidditch teams and even some of the maneuvers and penalties that happen during a match.
Weighing in at fifty six pages, Quidditch Through the Ages appears thin but is packed full with a surprising amount of information. Every aspect of the game, from the balls, positions, the origins of the pitch and even the steps wizards take to keep Muggles from seeing even the biggest matches is described in minute and concise detail.
In the end, Quidditch Through the Ages is a brief, entertaining and informative venture into the wizarding world’s most popular sport. The fact that such a thing exists is a testament to the work that went behind the fantasy world and how steeped with lore Harry Potter’s world is. Even if that lore revolves around a sport. Hardcore Harry Potter fans would probably appreciate this book more than a casual fan, although it is a great piece of supplementary work.
Pros: A cheap, packed little book that provides more detail and material for hardcore Harry Potter fans. And it’s for charity.
Cons: The thin nature of the book may make some people wary, while more casual fans or people with only a passing interest may find it to be a bit too much information.
Overall: 5/5
Jennie Ivins