Rate this book

Het Lexicon (2009)

by Steve Vander Ark(Favorite Author)

3.95 of 5 Votes: 2

ISBN

9049102328 (ISBN13: 9789049102326)

languge

English

genre

Fantasy

publisher

Spectrum

review 1: {Note: this review may contain spoilers}Steve Vander Ark's website, the Harry Potter Lexicon, can be an incredibly useful tool at times, though difficult to navigate. The book is much the same way. A wealth of information is contained in this book, but in most cases, unless you know specifically what you are looking for, you may never find it. For example, there is no rhyme or reason as to how spells are placed in this encyclopedia. The most sensible way would be to list the name of the spell in its alphabetical place (for example, Diffindo) and the common name of the spell ("severing charm") in its place. Each should have a note referencing the other ("see also: 'Diffindo'"). This is almost never the case. Sometimes, in fact, the only information listed about a spell is t... morehe proper name. Of course, if you didn't know what the proper name was, and simply wanted to find the digging charm used in Deathly Hallows, you would probably never find it, as it is only listed as its proper name.Another issue with the book is the fact that not all information about the characters is listed. I understand that it would be impossible (and slightly illegal) to write a complete biography of each character, but there are inconsistencies when listing birth and death dates. The disclaimers on the front, back, and inside of the book make mention of the fact that some information was left out- we can assume that the author was not allowed to "spoil" much of the actual series due to the litigation that hounded the publishing of this encyclopedia. When I noticed that several characters who died in the Battle of Hogwarts did not have their death dates listed, I assumed that the author was not allowed to share this information, for fear of spoiling the last book for readers. And yet, other death dates for characters who perished in the final Harry Potter book are listed. There is no reasoning provided for inconsistencies like this.Finally, the book has several factual, grammatical, and spelling errors. The biggest one I have noticed so far (I am not quite finished reading the book) is that Fred and George Weasley are listed as being born eight months before Charlie Weasley. We all know Charlie is older- and it seems unlikely that Mrs. Weasley would have been able to give birth again that soon, anyway. This is a mistake that a fan should have caught and corrected easily. Alas, here it is, in this book.The only true benefit I have been able to find so far is that so much extra information (from interviews, chats, etc.) is listed in the books. Information is culled from a variety of canon and non-canon sources, including the Famous Wizard cards, the Daily Prophet newsletters, Rowling herself, interviews, etc. This was most appreciated.All in all, I'd say that you're either better off sifting through information on the website or getting this book from your local library rather than buying it. Most of the information is available for free online, from the author of this book, and I think that might be preferable to having a disorganized, sometimes sloppily written, unattractive book on my bookshelf.
review 2: I "read" this book, but it's really not a book. It's more like an encyclopedia of HP terms. I skimmed this controversial book that is based on his popular website, thinking it would offer insights into the world of HP. Instead, it's intended for people who might be reading HP for the first time and needs help with the terminology and the names. However, the best part of reading HP is trying to figure out the relationships yourself. Though, he does offer some interesting tidbits throughout the guide that I didn't know before i.e Characters that got cut from J.K Rowling's original idea, etc. He has done his research, and it shows throughout the book. less

Download links for: Het lexicon

Advertising