Field Guide to Harry Potter

by Colin Duriez

Everything you need to know about Harry Potter! From plot summaries to refresh your memory (Do you remember which book introduces the character of Luna Lovegood?) to a delightful glossary of characters, places, spells and special objects (Do you know what the spell aparecium does?), this book, authored by Colin Duriez, is designed to be an excellent companion to the Harry Potter books. With loads of quotes from interviews, you'll learn all about J. K. Rowling's life and her literary influences. Chapters on the spirituality of Potter explore the question of how Rowling's faith is reflected in the stories, what she believes about witchcraft and how the stories fit with Christian tradition. (Note: unauthorized version)

Genres: Harry Potter, Nonfiction, Media Tie In

301 pages, Paperback

First published November 16, 2007

About the author

Colin Duriez is an English writer and scholar best known for his work on the Inklings, the literary circle that included C. S. Lewis, J. R. R. Tolkien, Owen Barfield, and Charles Williams. Born in Derbyshire in 1947, he moved to Leicester in 1983 to work as a commissioning editor for the publisher IVP. Over the years he has combined editorial work with teaching, and in 2002 he established his own business, InWriting, in Keswick, Cumbria, providing writing and editorial services as well as book acquisition for publishers.
Winner of the Clyde S. Kilby Award in 1994 for his research on the Inklings, Duriez has been praised as one of the most valuable contemporary scholars on Lewis. His numerous books explore the lives, friendships, and imaginative worlds of Lewis and Tolkien, including Bedeviled: Lewis, Tolkien, and the Shadow of Evil, The Oxford Inklings, and Tolkien and C. S. Lewis: The Gift of Friendship. His work has been lauded for accessibility, scholarly insight, and fresh perspectives.
Duriez has also appeared in television documentaries such as A Quest for Meaning – Myth, Imagination & Faith in the Literature of J. R. R. Tolkien & C. S. Lewis. He lives in Wallingford, Oxfordshire.

Reviews

[Liz Harmath · Rating 2 out of 5]

For text and analysis, I would give it just one star. However, I found the timeline and the glossary very helpful, which bumped it up to an overall two stars. Those two pieces would be very helpful to a fast reader that wanted a refresher on some details. However, I have to believe there are better HP companions. Very glad I borrowed it from the library instead of buying it.

[Amber the Human · Rating 2 out of 5]

Good points:

Interesting theories about the books
Concise bio of Rowling
Valid points about children's literature

Bad points:
Poorly copy-edited
Half of the book is a glossary and synopsis
Kinda long winded at times.

But whatcha gonna do?

[Runa · Rating 1 out of 5]

Meh. Nothing special. There's a brief biography on JKR (all information you can easily find on Wikipedia), some literary analysis that reads like a high schooler's obvious thoughts, and an encyclopedia-type section that is dwarfed by the likes of the HP Lexicon.

[Tyler · Rating 4 out of 5]

I do book reviews for ARBA, so I sometimes have the "opportunity" to read books I normally wouldn't. This happened to be pretty good.

[Ryley C · Rating 3 out of 5]

I always love learning more about the world of Harry Potter!

[Riley Peek · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good source for information, I recommend it.