Fan-Lit: Review of Quidditch Through the Ages

Review of “Quidditch Through the Ages” by J.K. Rowling

Like “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them,” this book is written by a fictional character from the wizarding world, Kennilworthy Whisp. Whisp is an expert on quidditch and broomsticks. “Quidditch Through the Ages” is a history of how the sport was created and evolved over the centuries into the modern version of quidditch. When I went into reading “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them,” I thought it was going to be a book solely focused on descriptions of the beasts and was pleasantly surprised that there was more history to the study, regulation, and definitions of beasts.

So, I went into this book thinking that maybe it would be more than just a quidditch sports book. But unlike “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them,” “Quidditch Through the Ages” is purely about quidditch. I was hoping for more connection to the Harry Potter books, not just a history of quidditch. The book references the teams playing at the Quidditch World Cup in “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire,” but it does not reference Viktor Krum. The book briefly mentions the Nimbus broomstick but not the Nimbus 2000 or the Firebolt. The companion novel also does not mention the sport being played at Hogwarts and whether or not the rules could be different for students.

These were just my expectations, but it's not the fault of the book for not including the Harry Potter movie references; because the book was designed only to be about the history of quidditch. My expectations set aside, this is still an exciting read for anyone that wants to read more about the wizarding world and how quidditch works. There were a few things that I did enjoy learning about. One is that quidditch is played on all continents, not just Europe. I think quidditch is the wizarding world's version of soccer or football (fútball). The book mentions that in the United States, there is another magical game, quodpot, that rivals quidditch. I think a reference to American Football is more popular than soccer in the U.S. and Canada.

Another thing that I liked was the history and introduction to the Golden Snitch. Originally the only balls in the game were the bludgers and the quaffle. A creature known as the golden snidgett that moved similar to the snitch was hunted for sport. During a quidditch game, a wealthy man offered money to the first person to catch a golden snidgett. It was an interesting idea, but instead of money, the team would receive 150 points for catching the golden snidgett. Over the years, the hunting of golden snidgett drew the species to the brink of extinction. A wizard then created the golden snitch to replicate the movements and speed of the snidgett but confined it to the quidditch pitch. It's an interesting piece of history to the most prominent quidditch ball in the Harry Potter series. We know the significance of the snitch in the books, so it was fun to learn that it was created and inspired by a real creature. Even though I just read “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them,” I don't remember reading about the Golden Snidgett. Maybe they did go extinct.

“Quidditch Through the Ages” also talks about how racing broomsticks became popular. The one thing I've always wanted to know is how wizard magic is imbued into objects. Because the book says that the type of wood, size, and details of the broom affects how it operates. My question can't magic just overcome that? Like why can't you use magic to just make every broomstick super fast and with excellent handling? If anyone has answers to my questions, I would love to know. The use of magic in any piece of literature comes with some problems. I think J.K. Rowling has done a great job of realizing the applications and rules of magic, but some things don't make sense every now and then.

So, if you're a Potter head and want to know more about the wizarding world of Harry Potter, then give this book a read. It's interesting enough but not necessary reading for casual fans. If given a choice, I would choose to read “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” because I think the creatures are more interesting than quidditch. If you love quidditch, then read this book.

Thank you for reading, and be sure to check back every week as I continue to dive into the wizarding world. Next up is “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire” as well as “Short Stories from Hogwarts of Heroism, Hardship, and Dangerous Hobbies.” So stay tuned to the blog for new posts every week until Christmas! Be sure to leave a comment or feedback to help improve the blog. Thanks for reading, and be sure to follow the blog on social media for all the updates.