the barnes and noble where i'm from didn't even know about the book until i called and ASKED them if they were having a midnight r elease party! i mean, how pathetic is that?! GRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!!!!1

still waiting... grrr how is it that people have no life and can just sit around getting the book... however i deeply envy you

I wish I had it, but again, not complaining (too much). OMG calerwen7, I cannot believe that your Barnes and Noble didn't know about it! Mine's had posters and maybe a cardboard cutout up torturing me for at least a month! At least you let them know, LOL.

I got it in the mail today, but have tonsss to work to do, so hopefully I'll get to read it later! The cover is gorgeous!

Wow I'm so jealous! I want to my copy now! But question please, anyone answer!!!! But I know mrrix32, you said you got both versions of the book, is there any difference between the two? Obviously one has a beautiful cover, but content wise, is there any difference? People who have either book, which version would you recommend? Thanks! Happy reading :)

I think one of my favorite parts was Dumbledore's not so subtle dislike for censorship. The letters with Malfoy were hilarious. It was really fascinating seeing something from Dumbledore's point of view that we aren't seeing through Harry's eyes, for the first time ever. The book itself was great. They are really good morals to teach, magical or not. I'm really glad Jo published it; there was a lot of insight into the wizarding world and even some things about the characters. We learned who the Herbology teacher was in Dumbledore's time, we learned Professor Kettleburn's first name, we learned exactly how many limbs he had left (one and a half, for those interested). I was really pleased. It was worth the wait.

mine isnt here! my preciouse collectors addition never arrived. and on amozon.com it says i never ordered it. but i did! i put my visa through and evethign1!!! help me:(

so my copy sits at this moment, wrapped up in colored paper, under my christmas tree ... and i have to wait until december 24th to read it .... it's rather sad .. but seeing as it's the collectors edition, i know it will be worth the wait!!!

Great Book, I just finished reading it. Way better than Cinderella. (But I'm not the handsome prince type.)

I can't wait to buy this book tomorrow, I've been dying to read it!!!! :)

@ luvsweets247: Collector' s Edition Product Features:

@ luvsweets247: Collector' s Edition Product Features: All five fairy tales from the original The Tales of Beedle the Bard. An outer case disguised as a wizarding textbook from the Hogwarts library. 10 ready-for-framing prints of J.K. Rowling's illustrations. Exclusive reproduction of J.K. Rowling's handwritten introduction. 10 new illustrations by J.K. Rowling not included in the Standard Edition or the original handcrafted edition. Velvet bag embroidered with J.K. Rowling's signature. Metal skull, corners, and clasp. Replica gemstones. Emerald ribbon.

laurenanne - Not only have I read the original tales but part of my degree is in 19th century Children's Literature which I now teach. The Beedle tales are not only immensely complex, but like their Muggle counterparts appear light-hearted in their approach whilst holding deep-seated morals. I personally feel story of the wizard's 'hairy heart' mirrors the coldness of the prince in Anderson's original Little Mermaid, and the mermaid's decision to finally kill herself rather than sacrifice the prince she loves is reversed in the wizard's lust for a human heart, leading him to brutally murder the princess hoping to restore his own humanity. This too echoes the mindset of cannibalism in my opinion, the wish to actually embody the soul of the person you eat. The tale of the cackling stump is clearly reminiscent of many wise old crones and foolish kings in their quest for absolute power, and the fountain of fair fortune brings to my mind the story of the twelve dancing princesses, though in this case the heroines are of braver heart that the knight. The moral is clearly based in the fact that the fountain had no magical properties at all, thus claiming that our fate is governed by our attitudes and outlook, something often reiterated in classics. The Tale of the Three Brothers is the most original in my opinion, and therefore I feel it is the best. It does not remind me of anything, and yet in some ways I feel I can relate it to anything - and that is the makings of a lasting tale. I made my 'hardcore fans' point simply because of Dumbledore's notes, they will make the most sense to those who know and understand the series inside out. Also, it was not I who made the original comparisons with Anderson and the Grimm Brothers, but I agree with it entirely.

omg i dont have any money to buy it!!!!!!!!! i guess ill just have to wait >.< and i totally forgot it was coming out yesterday..life is so hectic right now THANKS JK ILL GET IT SOON ENOUGH

I almost forgot about it too lol with everthing everyone is saying about it, it's just making me more excited :D

i cant wait to read it!!! it looks really good!!! like a fairy tale book! but does anyone know how many pages it is???

i'm waiting till christmas to get the book because then i wouldn't have to pay for it myself!!! so i really, really hope that the time passes by extra quickly!!!

i have read Beedle the bard thought about 10 times and I'm very disappointed with the book and for me to say that is amazing as i'm a big harry potter fan

my very first reaction was absolute excitement. i revelled in the fanatstic detail in all the sketches, then i opened the pages and was met with the familiar sensation of a brand new book, the pages still stuck together until you crisply pull them apart. i read it almost in one go, but it kept running around in my head for hours afterward. i will absolutely read it at least once a day for the next coulple weeks. the stories are so unique and well written. i loved the connections to the world of harry potter, but mostly the stories are enticingly curious, and you want to read them for the stroies they are. my favourite was the fountain of fair fortune, becasue of the payment of proof of their despair, was her tears, and her work her sweat, and her treasures of the past was her memory . I have to say i was quite surprised Dumbledore didn't state the connection between this action with emptying memories into a penseive, but perhaps it was a secret item only a fair few people close to him knew about ( like the marauders map, or invisibility cloak)i also love the solid proof that minerva mcgonnagal is the new and current headmistress right now, i had assumed as much, but it's good that we are now sure. Overall, a very interesting book, worth a look if you are a Harry Potter fan or if you simply ike interesting fairy tales.

Great Book! Tales are really good. My favourite is 'The Tales of the Three Brothers'. Really pleased she wrote it. Also the comments by Albus Dumbledore are great and footnotes are funny and explain well. Like people have said i too wish she would carry on writing more Harry Potter related books. Don't know if she will. I always wanted 'Hogwarts a History' to be written. You should definitely buy this book if you enjoy Harry Potter and especially if you like fairy tales. Daniel