2018 Reviews Week 3

🦉 2018 Reviews Week 3 🦉
January 15th- 21st

Book 10: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

by Newt Scamander (J. K. Rowling)

Read by Eddie Redmayne

Listened to January 17th

📚📚📚📚📚

Before I go into my actual review, I want to explain a little bit about this book. This is not a book that holds a story, it's more of a compendium. In the voice of Newt, you learn a little about each of the creatures that he has discovered in his travels around the world as a Magizoologist. It's a great companion to the Harry Potter series, especially since it is part of the Hogwarts curriculum. An A to Z guide of around 80 creatures. The version I listened to is the most updated version of the book (the March 14th, 2017th edition or the first audiobook edition). I loved Newts' little introduction in the beginning.

This is the second time that I have read this book, but this time I decided to listen to the audiobook. If you get a chance to, make sure you listen to the audiobook version of this. It was incredible. The production level was top notch and listening to Eddie Redmayne read this book in the character of Newt was not only wonderful, but also the best way to absorb this book. Also, they have the sounds of the creatures playing in the background when he is reading the entries, which makes it atmospheric.

Overall, this is an interesting informational guide about many of the creatures that are in the Harry Potter series and also in the Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them movie. It is a great addition to the series and really if you want to read this I'd listen to the audiobook. It made me enjoy it a little more than when I read it the first time. In regards to the actual book, the notes that Ron and Harry make in the margins of the book are funny and a cute little way to tie this in with the series. Especially since this was one of their textbooks. Clever and creative.

Book 11: Stardust by Neil Gaiman

Read January 19th-21st

📚📚📚📚📚

“There was once a young man who wished to gain his Heart’s Desire.” 

― Neil Gaiman, Stardust

What really makes this book and also any of Neil Gaiman's books, is the worlds that he creates and his prose. To me, what really carries this story is his writing. Neil Gaiman has a way of writing that draws me in and really I never want to stop reading it. He creates these worlds in this book that are not only creative and inventive but also feel so real. I cannot get enough of them. 

This is the second time that I've read this book, the first was around five years ago. I can honestly say that it still holds all of the charm and wonder as my first time with it. Tristran, the main character is sometimes a little grading but I will say that he makes up for that with his growth over the novel. Every character is so well developed and you really get to know them over the course of the novel. 

I'm not going to go into too much here because I am going to be doing a book to movie adaptation review on my blog sometime this week, but I will say my overall thoughts. The world of Faerie never stops intriguing me throughout this book. I love fantasy worlds that are intricately built, and Neil is one of the best at that. This world not only has wonderful descriptions but also quirky characters and a scope that surpasses the length. We get a real feeling for the many tales that have taken place in this world, while also getting a story that feels just the right length. I hope that someday Neil comes back to this world like he has said that he would. 

There are three subplots that are interwoven so well together and built this complete narrative that felt so alive. There are also two worlds that we get to experience in this tale. One is the town of Wall, that gets its name from a wall surrounding the town. This town is in England and Neil makes references that really help set this world in reality. For instance, he references Charles Dickens in a wonderful line that I will not spoil here. The setup in the first two chapters of Wall and its citizens was a perfect introduction not only to this world but also to the characters. The other world that we are in for most of the novel is the land of Fairie. In this short novel, we really get the feel of the scale of this world and also just how beautiful it really all is. Flying ships, witches, unicorns, conniving princes, and so much more. This has it all. 

We follow along Tristran as he tries to win the hand of Victoria, who he finds very beautiful. In a failed attempt at wooing her with overexaggerated promises, he makes a deal that he will go and fetch a fallen star for her. This will be in exchange for anything he wants. Little does he know that this oath to her will lead him on a daring and dangerous adventure in a world very unlike the quaint town of Wall. This is just one of the many the plots. I won't go into the others here because I don't believe you should know too much going in. 

Overall, this is my favorite book by Neil Gaiman and a favorite in fantasy. The world is so inventive but also familiar. That I believe is because of the way that Neil has written this book to feel like a fairy tale. This is a modern fairy tale in every single sense of the term. It's a perfect story for any fan of fantasy or just Neil Gaiman in general. I would recommend this to anyone. Also, if you get the chance, I would recommend reading the deluxe illustrated edition that came out around the time of the movie. Charles Vess's illustrations are stunning and the extra material in the back of the book is great. A must-have for any fans of this book. 

Magical, with just the right amount of humor.