I can say this book is for everyone. Whether your a rageaholic; partner, family member, co-worker or friend of an angry person; or someone who occassionly gets angry, this is a wonderful book to read. Mr. Potter-Effron explains with no holds barred. Since reading this book five days ago, I found my behavior and attitude has changed in a positive direction which is snowballing in a good way. I know now that anger was never a good part of my life and is something I can change. For rageaholics like myself, I do recommend also using the support of your friends, family AND a professional therapist or counselor to continue your progress towards an angry free life.

My problem was that i was just not consious of how much anger I was carrying around and what it was doing to me and the people in my life, especially those that I loved the most. When I first read the book, I saw my life unfold before my eyes. It was shocking to say the least. I read the entire thing in one night. Then I read it again and and a third time just to make sure I understood everything. I did what it told me and my life has changed because of it. I now have the ability to be conscious of my anger and have learned to let it go. Consequently, I have more patience, more energy, less stress and I can finally feel happiness, compassion and love. I cannot say enough good things about this book. I would highly recommend it for anyone who thinks that they may have a problem with anger. Even people who don't think they have an anger problem may learn something about themselves by reading this book. It has changed my life for the better. Thank you Ron.

Over the course of my life I have run into many problems with anger. I used to beat on my sister when I was little. When I grew older, my parents tried to discipline me, but my Dad would rage and I would rage and there were several times I had my bags packed ready to run away from home. I have used my resentments and my anger to keep people away. I thought that since I had many bad experiences that the world owed me something. When I started to read this book, it was as if someone put out the fire on my short fuse. I was almost convinced that the author had a hidden camera in my house. I found myself nodding my head in agreement to many of the points he brought up. I used to get angry about once an hour and scream and yell, it has been a week now and I am at peace for the first time in my life. I am working on patching up the relationships that my old "angry" self has severed.

Before there was Harry Potter, there was Harvey Potter, gentleman balloon farmer. Jerdine Nolen's story is fun and plays off a child's natural curiosity. The story is great--a little girl spies on the farmer of a balloon farm to figure out exactly how he grows those balloons (and, of course, it turns out that he uses good old-fashioned magic). But what really makes this book a stand-out are Mark Buehner's superb illustrations. Slyly employing a style and upright look that recalls both Grant Wood and Edward Hopper, Buehner turns the volume up by using super-saturated colors--perfect for a book about magic and balloons. There is almost more humor and wonder in the pictures than in the text. I highly recommend this book, especially for budding artists. The pictures are just a joy to gaze upon and enjoy.

I just read Harvey Potter's Balloon Farm to my little brother who is 6 years old. He got it at the library and had it sitting on the table when it caught my eye. The illustrations are excellent! I am a future art teacher, finishing up my last year of college. We have been looking at different books that could be incorporated into lessons. This book is a must for my class! I love the possibilities that this book gives for stretching a child's imagination and creativity. It's very appealing because of it's colorful images and magical story.

I bought this book for my daughter when she was 18 months old, and although the text was too advanced ,she was captivated by the colorful and creative illustrations. More than a year latter, this is still her favorite book simply because of the illustrations. The reason is that every time you read the book you find something in the pictures that you hadn't seen before. My daughter has had such fun discovering the animals(cow,hen,pig and cat)hidden in every illustration. Mr.Buehner's talent is immense. I give this book as a gift for children, as well as adults. I would also recommend Mr. Buehner's book, "Fanny's Dream" for the illustrations as well as for the wonderful story.

I had read the complaints about the translation, and so I didn't buy it, but it is now at our local library in Spanish! Ha! And I wondered, is my Spanish good enough to read this book? And is my Harry Potter quotient high enough to smooth that over? Will I even understand why people don't think the translation is great (since I had not seen any specific criticisms)? After reading through it (and only stumbling over what it is Mr. Dursley sells for a living -- I'll never forget "taladros" now!), I can pinpoint what I think the weaknesses are. Tiny flourishes are left out. The vocabulary used isn't as rich as the English. There are small interpretive errors (Filch is the one who says "Bien, bien, bien ..." when he catches Harry and Hermione out of bed, not Harry). But I think the Spanish language publishers did not understand how wide a target audience was available to them. It's a children's book, right? How complicated does it have to be? As the "Piedra filosofal" stands now, it's ... enchanting! I would recommend it for a classroom where students can see the use of real grammar in sentences they might actually enjoy reading or as a gift for the Pottermaniac in your home who is waiting waiting waiting for the next installment.

I love the Harry Potter books. I've read all of them, and I am currently reading the 2nd book in Spanish to my sutdents. I already read Harry Potter y la piedra filosofal to them. I will say I was not all that pleased with the translation, but overall, the story is good and I wanted to give my students the opportunity to meet Harry Potter and his wonderful world. They are as excited about it as I am, but I will say that it would be difficult for them to understand if I were not guiding them through it. My students range from ages 9 to 11 and are Spanish speakers. Many of the words they have never heard such as zumo, mazmorras, zaino, etc. We are using every bit possible as a learning experience. Overall, I can say that difficult or not, it's great the Spanish speakers can have the opportunity to read such a wonderful story.

Lo siento a todos para mi espanol. Puedo leer mejor que escribir. Por eso voy a escribir mas en ingles para los que estan tratando a aprender espanol. Creo que es mas facil aprender una lengua nueva cuando esta leyendo un libro tan excelente como esto.

As you can see, my Spanish is not very good anymore; the only practice I get is from reading books which were originally written in Spanish or have been translated, as was Harry Potter. For those of you who are interested in beefing up on your grasp of the Spanish language, I highly recommend these books. Although they will be difficult at times, it is still a great read, especially if you have the patience to take your time with the novel. [If you want to read it quickly and easily, try the English version; it's just as good!] Reading a book that is as good as this one makes learning the language so much better, as I'm sure you're aware.

The hero of the story is Harry, a kid who's entire life has been spent in a cupboard under the stairs, being raised by relatives who don't love him at all. One day he finds out he's really a wizard, and has been accepted at Hogwart's, the greatest school for wizards in the world. When he enters the wizarding world, adventures just seem to jump into his lap. It's a great story for all ages!

Que te diviertas!

This is a good book that covers a lot of basic mythology, folklore, superstition and history, and (tangentally) connects it to the Harry Potter series.

First, the good stuff: it includes a lot of entries (accurate - so far as I can tell) about a lot of supernatural creatures, beliefs and other topics. Want to know the different mythologies of the phoenix from different countries, and which parts J.K. Rowling made up for her books? It's here. Want to know the historical beliefs about unicorns, how they differ from the "classical" interpretation of the glowing white horse with the long slender horn, when (and possibly how) these beliefs came about? You got it.

Also good: there are many helpful illustrations. The writers treat the superstitious beliefs of different times and places with a certain respect, not saying "man, they were idiots for believing in ghosts!" or anything like that. But skeptics won't be disappointed, either. For example, when frankly talking about how many alchemists were charlatans who only pretended to create gold with the "sorceror's stone" (or, more accurately, the philosopher's stone) --- it even tells you HOW it was possible to fake this wondrous transmutation. Nice.

On to the bad stuff... actually, not BAD stuff, but things you should know the books is NOT about.

While it uses the Harry Potter books as a jumping off point, it doesn't really go into depth about the HP series. For example, no entries on Argus, Remus or Minerva (despite some famous residents of Hogwarts who bear those names, often as none-too-subtle cues on their characters). It won't comment on the (rather obvious) symbolism of Dumbledore having a pet phoenix, when one of his hallmarks is giving people a second chance.

[Still, it's rather disturbing to read the negative reviews of some people on Amazon who refused to read the book simply because it was about the mythology of magic, and not enough about Harry + co. Don't get me wrong - I love Rowling's work. I bet she'd be a little dismayed to learn that her writing has caused some readers to be interested in only her writing, and not inspired them to read more about different, if related, subjects.]

The book also shouldn't been seen as an in-depth guide to mythology, but then, it wouldn't be easy for any one volume to do that. Vampires, for example, get 2 pages here, but whole books could be written just on the mythology of vamps in different cultures (and pop culture).

There's some mention of literature - Bram Stoker is referenced in the vampire entry, the one on cauldron's refers to the famous "eye of newt" scene in MacBeth. But there's only a little of this. No commentary on the influence of, say, Tolkien, on Rowling's work.

Including "Harry Potter" in the title of this book is quite possibly a bid to increase sales. That being said, it's a good read, and a solid intro to the mythology of the magical.

Of the paltry number of Harry Potter reference guides on the market, this is perhaps the best. It is better organised and more in depth than the overrated "Magical Worlds of Harry Potter," and better researched than Elizabeth Schaefer's terrible "adult" sourcebook. The information is accurate and concisely presented, and covers a wide range of subjects, from the nature of hippogriffs and goblins to the truth about the Dark Arts. The parts people are likely to find most interesting are the guides to the various forms of divination mentioned in the novels. There is much the book could have included, but what it did include was entertaining and informative. However, though it offered a glimpse into the brilliant mind of Harry's genius creator, it failed to do her complete justice; there are no references to Rowling's knowledge of Greco-Roman mythology for instance. One thing that really bothered me; in a long list of acknowledgements, there is not one mention of JK Rowling. At least the author of "Magical Worlds" knew who was buttering his bread.

The difinitive Harry Potter reference guide has yet to be written, but until it is this work will open your eyes to a wider world and hopefully encourage younger people to research other topics.

To everyone who said, "Oh, that's Latin!" when Wingardium Leviosa first showed up, or knew what a mandrake was for right from the start, this book is for you. It is much more detailed and interesting than other companion books and explains a lot more than just Harry Potter. As an avid reader of fantasy for years I learned plenty about Tolkien and Lawhead too. As a history major I also appreciated the brief but accurate descriptions of medieval beliefs.
As a Christian I was somewhat uncomfortable with the full explanations of arithmancy and tea leaves, prefering to leave those firmly in the setting of fiction. But, everyone has done number puzzles since they were 10 and any reader of Harry Potter knows how indiscernable tea leaves can be.

Setting that aside, the whole book turns the whole "Harry Potter is occult" movement on its head by showing how Rowling has recreated nothing more than a mythical medieval world that has everything to do with the Greeks and the Romans and old wives tales and nothing to do with any particular religion today. The worldview of the book is a very Modern one. Geomancy, arithmancy, and astrology are explained because the authors obviously believe they are absolute bunk because scientificly, they are bunk. However, religion is not scientific, so the explanations are sure to cause some people to be concerned.

The book has quite wisely stuck with the "facts" of beastiaries and historical figures and doesn't try to make doubtful connections of meaning (the word "Quidditch" doesn't mean anything, Rowling has said so many times, so I wish everyone would stop trying to come up with its meaning). Altogether, it is quite enjoyable to learn what a manticore is and where the belief of its existence came from, along with reproductions of original woodcuts from medieval manuscripts. This book is definitely Western Folklore 101, and in this post-modern world, that type of book is well needed.

If you are one of the many adult fans of J.K. Rowling's books I am sure that you would find The Hidden Key to be a fascinating read.

I would also highly recommend this book to you if you have no intention whatever of reading the Harry Potter series but are interesting in understanding what all the fuss is about. It is the best attempt I have seen to account for the unprecedented worldwide phenomenon that the books have become.

Granger takes the Harry Potter books seriously as literature, and the depth of analysis is remarkable. However it is done with such enthusiasm and humour that it is also a very enjoyable read.

I'd always suspected that there was more to these books than met the eye, and Hidden Key puts the complex weave of plot, symbolism and allusion under the microscope to reveal its intricate structure. As well as a detailed analysis of the four books so far published there is also some intriguing speculation about where the next three might go.

This book gives us the chance to be informed about and involved in a remarkable literary event as it unfolds, don't miss the opportunity!

This book succeeds on a number of fronts: 1) It details the important themes of the Potter books extremely well. This has allowed me to enjoy and appreciate the books much more than when I first helped read Sorcerer's Stone to my son. The Potter stories are great on their own but Hidden Key allows you to see the deep themes Rowling is baking into these stories. I guarantee you will appreciate her writing skill and the books themselves significantly more after reading this guide. 2)This has helped me to reinforce the themes in the Potter books, which are really the great themes we are faced with in life, for my son. It has given me an informed, adult view on Rowling's writing that has created many "teachable moments" with my son. In fact, I just had several more of these moments in the theater, while watching Chamber of Secrets, that were directly inspired by the Hidden Key's content.

I consider myself a decent reader but, to be honest, it's amazing how much I missed in Rowling's books that John Granger has captured in great detail. From the themes in each of the four books to the hidden meaning of most of the character's names--the detail and analysis will astound you if you are a Potter fan. Plus the predictions for the future direction of the story provide great fodder for musing and discussion. I've looked at a few of the other guides out there but they really don't compare. If you'd like to see a serious treatment of Rowling's world as literature--and benefit from the experience--this is your book. If you are a Christian reader, you'll appreciate this guide even more--although the prime criteria needed to enjoy it is being a dedicated Potter fan or the parent of one! Actually, that leads me to my only disclaimer. This book is not written for the 8 year old Harry Potter fanatic. It is probably best suited to good teen readers and adults. But I do think the 8 year old fanatic's parents should buy it so they and their child will get the most from the magical world of Hogwarts.

While many books have been written about the Harry Potter series, none (that I have seen) have really looked at the series as literature in the form of literary explication. The series is often evaluated as "Christian or unchristian" or discussed as a study in popular culture in an effort to determine the reasons for its popularity. John Granger's book The Hidden Key to Harry Potter does all of this. By exploring the book through his experience as a classics scholar, Granger makes the case in Key that Rowlings' Harry Potter is literature written in the tradition of Lewis' Narnia and Tolkien's Rings. Through a discussion of the books' plots, themes, characters, images, allusions, etc., he convincingly makes his case that the appeal of Harry Potter speaks to readers consciously or unconsciously through its archetypal elements and that Rowling has meticulously written the novels to do just that. He shows that the story's structure is too solid, the images consistent, the effect unified to deny that this was Rowlings' intention. Whether you agree or disagree with his conclusion, you will find Key to be readable and enjoyable, and definitely worth your time because it will help you explore the novel from a perspective that needs to be addressed as you consider your response to "the Harry Potter phenomenon."

Have you ever wondered what types of books Harry Potter reads, for fun or for school? When JK Rowling was given a chance to write two of Harry Potter's books, she jumped to the chance. The books are very short, but tons of information is crammed into them. The first book, Quiddich Through the Ages is talking about the history of the magical sport, Quiddich.. (how it started, what it formed from, etc). It's actually very interesting. The second book, Magical Beasts and where to find them is a list from A-Z of all the magical beasts in the world, (there are a lot of them). After a while the book gets a little boring, so JK Rowling,who probably realized this, added in Harry, Ron, and Hermione's little notes commenting on the words, ideas, names, etc.

If you love Harry Potter, then this is a gr8 book for you.. Enjoy!!

Although not a necessary addition to everyone's personal Harry Potter library, these two little books are quite interesting and a lot of fun to read. They are both quite short, totaling less than sixty five pages apiece, but they are wonderfully put together and made to look like copies of real books from the Hogwarts library. None other than Albus Dumbledore himself writes the introduction to each book, explaining how and why these books are being made available to Muggles for the first time and explaining how proceeds from each book go directly to a fund, set up in Harry Potter's name by Comic Relief UK and author J.K. Rowling, which is dedicated to help children in need throughout the world.

Quidditch Through the Ages, penned by Quidditch expert Kennilworthy Whisp explains the ultimate sport of wizards from top to bottom, giving the centuries-old history of the game as it has evolved. First and foremost, he explains why wizards and witches employ brooms to fly on in the first place, and then he proceeds to give an account of the changing rules of the game from its early days of primitive baskets set atop poles to the standardized and world-sweeping format of today. Of most significance and interest is the story of how the Golden Snitch was introduced into the sport. Different strategies and maneuvers are named and explained, the thirteen Quidditch teams of England and Ireland are identified, some of the seven hundred types of fouls are explained, and some of the most memorable games and individual performances are detailed (including the Tutshill Tornados' Roderick Plumpton's amazing snag of the Golden Snitch only three and a half seconds into a game back in 1921).

Fantastic Beasts & Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander is a compendium of all the fantastic beasts currently known, from the Acromantula to the Yeti. Prior to the actual listings, Scamander explains the criteria by which some beings have come to be labeled beasts (it's more complicated than you might think) and devotes some time to the obvious question as to why Muggles seem to spot such creatures only rarely. Each listing also carries the classification assigned each beast by the Ministry of Magic, which is important information given that these beasts range from the harmless to the controllable to the incredibly dangerous. Along with fascinating descriptions of the animals we have already encountered in the Harry Potter books, there are some real jewels of information included here, solving several Muggle mysteries such as that of the true identity of the Loch Ness Monster. Fantastic Beasts is a copy of Harry Potter's own personal copy of the book, and its margins are dotted with little notes ranging from the mundane to the bitingly funny written by Harry, Ron, as well as Hermione. Now, if we could only get our hands on A History of Hogwarts; I'm sure Hermione has a copy they can use for the printing of a Muggle edition.

Although the wait for 2002 and "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" is going to be a hard one for a lot of people, these two brief but fun books should fill the gap admirably as well as supporting a great cause. Released for the first time (well, to the general Muggle public), here's two of Harry Potter's schoolbooks, "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" and "Quidditch Through the Ages."

Slim and quick reads, these books nevertheless are a great deal of fun. "Quidditch" provides us with a brief evolution and history of everyone's favorite broomstick-riding sport, with rules of play, focuses on top world teams, and the revelation that Americans don't really play Quidditch on the world-class level, preferring an American variation called "Quodpot." "Fantastic Beasts" is a brisk and humorous guide to mythical, er, totally real monsters and magical creatures from the Acromantula (giant spider) to the Yeti. This book is Harry Potter's own personal copy, and is enlivened with Harry and Ron's writing and jokes in the margins of the book. Both books feature a wonderfully dry-humored introduction by Albus Dumbledore. Both books are written with a friendly and light sense of humor that's delightful to read and makes great background for the serious Harry Potter fan. Quidditch team Chudley Cannons' motto is said to have been changed from "We shall conquer" to "Let's all just keep our fingers crossed and hope for the best."

The most important reason to buy these books, however, is to support Comic Relief UK, the British relief organization set up to help children in the disadvantaged countries of the world. Although we can't save the world from manticores or score the winning goal in a Quidditch World Cup match, we can still be heroes by supporting this great cause.

This little book is a great resource for us Harry Potter fans. (Yes, I'll admit it, I'm hooked.) The book is a wonderfully eclectic collection of little articles, each dealing with something different from the many J.K. Rowling books. The first four Harry Potter books are touched on, as is Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, and Quidditch Through the Ages. A lot is covered in this book, including (but not limited to) the history/mythology behind various magical creatures and creatures, the meanings of various names and words, and much more. A fun read, I recommend it wholeheartedly.

I found this book easy to read, and a quick read too. I finished it in a couple of hours (it has wide margins and short chapters).

This is definitely the book for those who want to know about the origin of the beasts and names mentioned in the Harry Potter books, and it does do a good job of explaining each one.

Although "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" may have been a humorous (although pointless, in my opinion) book on the origins of the beasts mentioned, this is much more worthwhile, because, of course, in this book they give you the truth. :)

Would any Harry Potter fan enjoy this book? No, not in my opinion. I've always been interested in mythology and the like, hence why I found this interesting. If you're not already interested in that, this book could be a good starting point, or it could bore you to death.

Basically, if you're interested in what inspired Rowling, and the stories behind the beasts and names mentioned in the novels, then this is the book for you. If you're not, then just keep waiting for the next Harry Potter novel. :)

I am an adult Harry Potter fan, and I found this to be an excellent guide to the historical events and figures behind the characters in the books. I learned about the real Nicolas Flamel, for instance, and about many mythological creatures similar to those in the Potter books. Surprisingly, it is a much better guide than the 500-plus page volume, "Beacham's Sourcebook...Exploring Harry Potter" by Elizabeth Schafer. Schafer's book seems at first glance to be a well-researched guide to the ideas and figures behind the series, but I found her analysis and conclusions to be somewhat forced. It strikes the reader as more of an adult reference book than "The Magical Worlds..." does--this one can definitely be enjoyed by young readers-- but Colbert's guide is much more grounded in fact, sticking to explaining who the historical figures were and what events are related to the Potter books. Each chapter is short, explaining one name, creature, or idea. This made it very easy to explore in short stretches, without having to start from the beginning. It doesn't pretend to offer a deep analysis of Rowling's motives or thought process, but does give us the background to further appreciate her work. Think of it as a quick course in mythology and history as related to the Harry Potter books. I find myself referring to it repeatedly, while Schafer's book sits on my shelf. A must-read for any Potter fan interested in learning more about his magical world!

First let it be said that while I love the film Orlando it is simply impossible to get all the themes and events of the novel into one movie, so I strongly urge all viewers, whether they loved or hated this movie, to read the book, Virginia Woolf's unique love letter to Vita Sackville-West.

The inevitable failings involved in translating a book into a film aside, 'Orlando' is visually exsquisite, the costumes and locations sumptuous and splendid, fully evoking the decadance and contrasting squalor of the centuries in which Orlando lives his/her life. The score perfectly compliments the surroundings, the atmosphere and the themes of each scene, and is beautifully composed and performed.

Though some have expressed doubts over Tilda Swinton's ability to play Orlando, the aristocrat born as man who turns into a woman half way through his/her life, I thought she was the perfect choice. I believe knowing she is a woman initially taints people's ability to find her convincing as a man; to me she played the part with great charm, amiability and empathy, and became even more charming as a woman - the character of Orlando at this stage in 'her' life becoming more rounded, more sympathetic, more knowledgable and Swinton captures that well.

This film does not follow the 'rules' of the 'real' world - besides changing genders, Orlando lives for 400 years and does not age a day. It is the story of a pursuit for life, for meaning, by one individual determined to discover what that means. Accept it, and enjoy.

In its attempt to capture the most important of the book's events the film does have a slight recurring bump in continuity, it seems, and will no doubt be pretentious and boring to some, if not many. Nonetheless, Orlando is a sometimes humorous, sometimes haunting movie, thought provoking and richly realised.

This is an amazing, ironic film, based upon Virginia Woolf's whimsically mock-serious epic about an immortal English lord, who experiences 400 years of history, changes his sex to that of a woman after refusing to participate in warfare (a feminist point that is subtly made), and never bores or condescends to us. What surprised me when I first saw it is how dry, boring and pompous it isn't; the film has a nice lightness and dry humor that make it digestible. The photography is beautiful and the film never drags, and the performances, which a lot of critics have suggested are somewhat two-dimensional, are that way for a reason: Orlando's adventure is too awesome to be rendered realistically; the people and adventures she experiences are meant, I think, to be represented symbolically---each character is actually a rough composite of perhaps hundreds of such types she meets in her journey from 1600 to 2000. Billy Zane, who is seen in the movie's poster, plays an American adventurer who romances the female Orlando, but to all of his "Titanic" fans, a word of caution: he's in the film for roughly twenty-five minutes, if that much. The real star of the show is the ethereally lovely, brilliant, and mysterious Tilda Swinton, whose male Orlando is unnervingly convincing; so much so that "he" almost seems to be doing a drag bit once the sex change happens---and because Swinton is so eye-pleasing and delightful, this is not a bad thing. Her intelligence and talent radiate from her face, which is so expressive that many shots consist simply of gigantic closeups of it---she can say more with a gaze than many lesser performers do with a page of dialogue. I first saw this film in 1993, as an exchange student living in London, and it gave me an appreciation for British history and for Woolf's books that I had never had before. It's really quite a smart, funny, cool, hip movie, but with no explosions, car chases, or hot-button themes, it's by no means a populist-type entertainment. If you like period films, or anything English, you'll dig this a lot: Orlando isn't just English, he/she *is* England, and the country should be so lucky as to be compared with Tilda Swinton's long-suffering (centuries of it, in fact, what a burden) poetry-spouting nobleman/woman. Very cool.

First of all, I have to say that I have not read Virginia Woolf's book on which this film is based. Ms. Woolf is not an "easy read", as her style tends to ramble a bit, and from what I understand, one could not literally translate "Orlando" to the screen. I commend Sally Potter for her adaptation of Woolf's novel. "Orlando", to me, is about a person's journey of self-discovery. As the lead character says, "The same person-just a different sex." There is a wonderfully sly mixing-up and playing with gender here. Orlando, an effeminate male poet who later becomes a woman, is beautifully underplayed by Tilda Swinton. I admire her performance, as it is played with a very subtle wit. Queen Elizabeth I is portrayed by that grand unwilling champion of gay rights Quentin Crisp, and the beautiful Billy Zane is treated as the "love object" in two scenes of lush sensuality. "Bronsky Beat"'s Jimmy Somerville, with his famous falsetto voice is here too, as a singing angel at the film's finale. His song, "Coming", is wonderful, stating that gender doesn't really matter here-"I am coming, I am coming, here I am, neither a woman nor a man." The art direction is breathtakingly beautiful, and Sandy Powell's costumes are remarkably accurate, spanning the centuries from Elizabethan thru Jacobean thru Rococo thru Victorian to present-day. Some may find the pace of this gorgeous film a little ponderous, but I found it to be an intriguing 90 minutes. We are all humans, individuals-why all this fuss about what a "woman's" role in society is, or what a "man's" role in society is? Virginia Woolf, I understand, based "Orlando" on a meeting she had with an Italian noblewoman who bemoaned the fact that she was denied her inheritance due to the fact that she was born a woman. Almost unbelievable, isn't it?

I would like to point out that although this book has very old-fasioned ways of talk and is written in a "melodramitic" way as someone put it, that this book was written over 150 years ago! Her father has no idea what so ever about child-rearing and is not a "drunken brute". ... The people from "A life of FAith" Have re-written the books to make them more understandable to people our age. I have read bothe the original Elsie, and the new Elsie and the only change is they have updated the language, made the slave talk more understandable, changed names, (aka instead of being referred to as "creatures" slaves are reffered to a more appropriate names) They have also changed the wording because some of the book would be considered sexual to todays readers. THEy have also included a charachter list and family tree becuase as you know, the Dinsmore family tree is vvery complicated! :)

I am a mom of 2 young preschoolers. I own the entire series of 28, but I haven't finished reading all the books yet. I had heard of Elsie Dinsmore before reading it, as it has been referenced even in Anne of Green Gables. I love historical novels.

Elsie is an 8 yrs old motherless rich girl who tries really hard to please God & her family. She is a love-starved girl who tries her best to obey & her family in order to win the affection of the Dinsmores - her grandfather, his wife, aunts & uncles (all children as well) and most of all her father. I agree with other reviews that at times Elsie was "too much sweetness", but I think that was done for emphasis on her contrast to the rest of the Dinsmore clan. She was not like the other younger Dinsmores, being sweet only to gain favor.

Mr. Dinsmore (her father) is a good man, though in this book he treats her very unfairly, and he reflects how people are quick to judge others and accept other people's prejudices. At times the reading does get a little sappy (the end), but I like sappy.

The racial issues are dated - as it was written in the late 1800's, and the reader sees it(slavery) in the viewpoint of a young rich girl in slavery south...which is who Elsie is. Having bits of reality added to the overall effect of the book. At one point, she tries to save a wrongly accused slave boy. It would be nicer if she was some champion for slaves, but as a female & a child, she had no place in society to do that sort of thing. It was sweet to see how she clung onto her nanny's love.

I would strongly recommend reading book 1, as it shows Elsie's stong Christian convictions. She stood firm, despite parental & emotional turmoil. She may be very conservative, but being conservative is better than being wrong with God. She was not just a "Sunday" Christian, she was an every minute Christian, and she did it with quiet strength and gentleness.

I didn't realize just how precious this book was when I bought it. Telling the children, we'd just read the first one to try it out, I have decided to get every one I can possibly get my hands on. They are the most beautiful books I have ever read. I certainly don't think they are over the top. On the contrary. I believe the author's intention was to provide an excellent role model, but more importantly, to lead children to Jesus in EVERY situation. This she has done perfectly. Elsie is an adorable character, it is set in beautiful surroundings and provides us with a look into 18th century living. My children of varing ages(and I!!) just can't get enough. I thoroughly recommend this book to every person of every age.

Although I delightfully enjoyed this book, the author's style of interpreting and predicting annoyed me a bit. During many instances I found myself laughing at the mammoth conclusions that the author made from extremely minor coincidences. For instance, when ever any body part, any color, or any animal is mentioned more than once in the 1600+ pages in the Harry Potter series, the author mindlessly jumps to the compulsion that it is major evidence that will help us solve the rest of the plot for the entire series. Even though author jumps to conclusions with little evidence she make some good points once in a while that really made me think. So if you are an above average HP fan (which you probably are if your looking at this review) then take a look at this in depth Harry Potter guide.

This book analyzes (maybe over-analyzes) the Harry Potter books, but the results are very enlightening. It's like seeing the HP world with a whole new set of eyes. A typical item notes that Mrs. Figg's house (she's Harry's "babysitter" when the Dursleys exclude him from a family event) smells of cabbages, just like the apothecary shop in Diagon Alley. I had already noticed that Diagon Alley = "diagonally", but missed Knockturn Alley = "nocturnally".

By tying small references from one book location to another, it makes connections that are easy to miss. These are not the usual "how could I have overlooked that?" tidbits, but things one could never connect without keeping detailed notes. Who reads a book of fiction like that? The authors also note the significance of character names, using knowledge that is way beyond my shallow understanding of mythology and magic.

From what I've read so far, I'd say that calling Harry Potter a "children's book" is to miss the deeper meaning (and hard work) that makes the series so special.

I got a tip on this book from a Harry Potter website and ordered it up immediately. It is a comprehensive analysis of the first 4 books in the HP series, chapter by chapter and sometimes paragraph by paragraph. The authors have cross referenced all the hints and clues they note in each book and build these clues and hints into their predictions for what's coming in books 5 - 7. A unique and thorough review of all 4 books and a must read to get ready for the release of Order of the Phoenix in June. 5 stars in a walk!