Dumbledore: The Life and Lies of Hogwarts's Renowned Headmaster: An Unofficial Exploration (The Unofficial Harry Potter Character Series)

Yes, this is more of a thesis character study on Dumbledore than a fanfic story about him, and I LOVE that! Absolutely enjoyable to read thanks to the author's conversational writing style (don't miss his hilarious commentary in the footnotes!) and a very thorough examination of Dumbledore's character, actions, plots, and redemption. Do I agree with all the arguments he presented? Of course not! But I still wholeheartedly recommend this book because of its thorough research and thought-provoking ideas. Would make a great Harry Potter book club read as there's so much to discuss regarding the author's theories and the other theories he includes. Love that it's a gorgeous cover design to book! Will absolutely have this on display in my home and wish all the Harry Potter books were this aesthetic. 10/10 recommend.

Such an interesting take on Dumbledore and what he was doing all along behind the scenes during the Harry Potter Saga. I wanted to read this before the Secrets of Dumbledore movie made it to the big screen, so I read a few chapters each morning while on vacation. I could barely put it down. It opens up some areas that you didn't think had much weight. The author really brings you into that world, and the references are superb. A must read to any Potterhead! Read this and rewatch the movies, you won't be disappointed!

My daughter was so excited to get this. Super informative. Great book

I've been reading the Harry Potter series to my daughter over the past year and she's loving it. This book is a great supplement to the series, particularly if you like solving puzzles and theorizing about what's happening between the lines. This book is a great analysis of what Dumbledore was up to when he was "off camera." It's hard to imagine what it takes to dig this deep into a character's hidden history, but certainly fun to read. Highly recommended for lovers of HP.

First off, be aware that this book is not a story in any shape of the word. This is an in depth character evaluation of the Harry Potter franchise's beloved character Dumbledore. It's not a short read either. It references many other articles, that it gives short synopses of, but occasional are worth skimming if you want a clearer picture. I feel the book was well put together. The author does a good job getting his picture across and explaining his thoughts. It does drag on a little bit towards the end, but that could be because I read it all at once. I also disagree with some of the authors argument, but more on that later. I have the hardback copy, and this book is lovely. It's got a nice weight, and the paper feels quality. I'm displaying it on my shelf with my licensed Wizarding World books and it fits right in. For looks alone, it's just fun to have. On to the bad. There's no denying it, the author is a huge Dumbledore fan, and sympathizer. While he does try to discuss some of headmaster's less favorable actions in both lights, he obviously has a strong pro-Dumbledore leaning. The author favors the argument that the story doesn't explicitly say that Dumbledore knew about something so we can assume that he didn't. This excuse is used time and time again, and it does get frustrating. It makes the book kind of one sided. While the author does occasionally bring up the opposing view point, it's often quickly brushed aside. The book also barely touches on and even completely ignores some of Dumbledore misdeeds. The abuse Harry faces at the hands of the Dursley's? Barely talked about. When it does come up, the author claims Dumbledore didn't know, and completely ignores the whole Mrs. Figg spying on Harry bit. Everything from the 5th book on? He was doing his best or didn't know! There's very little judgment against Dumbledore in this, and it starts to really feel one sided. I'm not a fan of Dumbledore. I think he is a very interesting character, but I think the fandom often forgets that he was a seriously flawed man who made some terribly horrendous mistakes. I don't think he deserves the pedestal we've placed him on. It's undeniable that he knew about the abuse, and even if he was truly innocent of everything else, that alone is enough to condemn him in my book. On possitive side, the author's insights into Snape and Dumbledore's relationship is extremely interesting. It gave me a whole other perspective on those two, and honestly it was my favorite part of the entire book. I would have liked to have seen more about Dumbledore's relationships with the other characters from this. If you're a fan of the series, get it. It's not pricey, it looks cool, and it is an interesting read. If you hate Dumbledore, just skip it unless you don't plan on reading it. It'll just piss you off.

This book is wonderful. Easy to read if you devour HP voraciously. Khaytman covers all the bases and brings both an analytical and human perspective to his analyses. What was a surprise for me was all the articles and essays written by HP lorists through the years that he cited. I found those branch-offs also enlightening. A great book for those who struggle with their love of Dumbledore.

Good read

Interesting thoughts about what Dumbledore knew and when based on the books and others who have posted their options online. I recommend this book to all Harry Potter series lovers. You'll enjoy it.

The book was very good and readable

Great read and addition to any Harry Potter collection.

unlike others that didn't like the '' schoolpaper form'' i really liked this more academic approach and in depth research with fitting quotations from the book. yes sometimes i disagreed with some of the author's views, but thinking about it while reading was really entertaining and in some way philosophical. Definitely for hardcore fans ready to dig deeper into one of the main characters :)

An interesting take and read about the most charismatic and magical wizard, Albus Dumbledore.

Amazing