One year ago today was my first day at the “U”. Wow! Where has the time gone? I have learned so much working in the Bio-Med and met such wonderful people.
It is also the one year anniversary of the 35W bridge collapsing. How wild is that! A bridge collapsing near me on my first day at a new job.
So in honor of my one year I have pre-ordered J.K. Rowling’s new book “The Tales of Beedle the Bard” Haha! Well I would have ordered it anyways, but ordering it as a one year gift sounds better.
Here is what Amazon.com says about this new book due out in December “Offering the trademark wit and imagination familiar to Rowling’s legions of readers–as well as Aesop’s wisdom and the occasional darkness of the Brothers Grimm–each of these five tales reveals a lesson befitting children and parents alike: the strength gained with a trusted friendship, the redemptive power of love, and the true magic that exists in the hearts of all of us. Rowling’s new introduction also comments on the personal lessons she has taken from the Tales, noting that the characters in Beedle’s collection “take their fates into their own hands, rather than taking a prolonged nap or waiting for someone to return a lost shoe,” and “that magic causes as much trouble as it cures.”
But the true jewel of this new edition is the enlightening and comprehensive commentary (including extensive footnotes!) by Professor Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, who brings his unique wizard’s-eye perspective to the collection. Discovered “among the many papers which Dumbledore left in his will to the Hogwarts Archives,” the venerable wizard’s ruminations on the Tales allow today’s readers to place them in the context of 16th century Muggle society, even allowing that “Beedle was somewhat out of step with his times in preaching a message of brotherly love for Muggles” during the era of witch hunts that would eventually drive the wizarding community into self-imposed exile. In fact, versions of the same stories told in wizarding households would shock many for their uncharitable treatment of their Muggle characters.
Professor Dumbledore also includes fascinating historical backstory, including tidbits such as the history and pursuit of magic wands, a brief comment on the Dark Arts and its practitioners, and the struggles with censorship that eventually led “a certain Beatrix Bloxam” to cleanse the Tales of “much of the darker themes that she found distasteful,” forever altering the meaning of the stories for their Muggle audience. Dumbledore also allows us a glimpse of his personal relationship to the Tales, remarking that it was through “Babbity Rabbity and Her Cackling Stump” that “many of us [wizards] first discovered that magic could not bring back the dead.”
Both a wise and delightful addition to the Harry Potter canon, this new translation of The Tales of Beedle the Bard is all that fans could hope for and more–and an essential volume for the libraries of Muggles, wizards, and witches, both young and old.”
Its also a busy day today because its the big season finale of Dr. Who. Yes, I know I could have found it online or had a friend burn it for me from the BBC version, but I want to experience it live. The Doctor and all his friends are getting together. How great is that!
I also saw “The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor” today. It was ok. Not as good as the first one or even the second.
Then tonight at 12:00 midnight the new Stephenie Meyer’s book “Breaking Dawn” is released. Its #4 in the vampire series ‘Twilight’. All the bn.com’s around town are having big parties tonight. I have been debating going at midnight (I know a few people that are going) or waiting until Saturday morning and getting one on my way to work. AHHH tough choices!
With work, packing for Guyana, and doing some last minute research (plus reading a 700+ vampire book) its going to be a very busy weekend!