The Amazing Compendium of Edward Magorium
by N.E. Bode


I liked the movie Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium, but not well enough to endure the junior novelization of it. I haven't read one of those since E.T., which came out when I was about 10. Movie novelizations, I find, tend to fall into two categories: the "twice-boiled cabbage" type, in which you read pretty much exactly what was in the movie only with 50% of the color and excitement blanched out of it; or the "habanero chile" type, which digresses into flights of creativity so impressive that they leave the film in the dust. Neither is ever quite satisfying to a film fan; and if I'm going to enjoy a book strictly on its merits as a book, I would rather pick the book the movie was based on than vice versa.

On the bookstore display next to the novelization of Magorium's Emporium, however, I found this charming little piece by an author (or rather, pseudonym) whose other works I have already enjoyed. Bode, the alter ego of Julianna Baggott, relates the backstory of Mr. Magorium, hinting sideways at elements of the story familiar to fans of the movie, but otherwise inventing fresh material. It is the name-dropping story of a toy inventor who lived for 243 years, traveled all over the world, rubbed elbows with all kinds of amazing people (real, historical ones), and emerged from the scratchy, stinky, fresh-fruit-deprived 19th century to inspire your favorite alumnus of the "Alton School for the Remarkably Giftless" to follow his own dreams and find his own gifts.

This not-quite-movie-novelization advances the character of N. E. Bode almost as much as that of Edward Magorium. It will be interesting to see what further adventures Baggott - I mean Bode - has in store. The story itself is a bit disorganized, or rather arbitrarily organized (A to Z), so that after some initial chapters of consecutive narrative it lapses into a loose collection of anecdotes. Nevertheless, it brings a hopeful, encouraging philosophy of life to the level of kids who would just as soon visit a toy store as a book store.

Robbie Fischer
USA

Recommended Age: 10+

If you would like to contact Robbie, you may do so here.


 
Which MuggleNet specialty site is your favorite?

 

MNI
MNFF
CoS Forums
MuggleSpace

 

July 29, 2005 - J.K. Rowling noted as most powerful British woman.
 
 

Question : Which of the following actors played the voice of The Sorting Hat during Sorcerer's Stone?
 
Timothy Bateson
Leslie Phillips
Toby Jones
 

Harry looked up, diverted. The circumstance of Ron having read a book that Hermione had not was unprecedented.

JK Rowling
Deathly Hallows
A picture of Gandalf the Grey (from The Lord of the Rings) can be seen in the collection of great wizards in Professor Dumbledore's study in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.
 
 
Int'l Harry Potter Day - 15th Anniversary of Battle of Hogwarts
May 2nd, 2013


Victoire Weasley B-day
May 2nd, 2013


MISTI-Con Convention
May 9-13, 2013


Pomona Sprout B-day
May 15th, 2013


Username :
Password :
 Sign Up
 Forgot Password ?
 
 
V-Day2013 Option II   VDay2013   holidays2012   MuggleNet OWL Exams  
April Fool's Day 2012   GilderoyVDay   Happy Holidays 2011   Pottermore: Slytherin  
Pottermore: Hufflepuff   Pottermore: Ravenclaw   Pottermore: Gryffindor   Quidditch World Cup  
Halloween 2011   DHnagini   DHelderwand   DH2cast  
DH1Trio   DH Voldemort   DH_Trio   Deathly Hallows - Hermione  
Burning Hogwarts   Wizarding World   Draco   Half-Blood Prince Trio  
Harry   Hermione   LEGO Harry Potter  
 
 
  Twitter   Facebook   RSS   Tumblr