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Karin K Jensen

New "Sorcerer's Stone" Delights with Stunning Artistry

2021-01-10

Book Review: MinaLima Edition

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Photo by Karin Jensen

All through December, I admired the MinaLima Edition of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone in the book shop window. Our local store has enormous windows that invite the viewer to admire their displays.

One was dedicated to Harry Potter merchandise. The MinaLima book, with its glimmering gold foil work and old-world embossing, was the most intriguing and called out to me.

But I didn’t buy it.

I was determined to stick to my Christmas budget, which didn’t include anything frivolous for myself. I had a perfectly serviceable paperback at home. (Bah humbug!)

However, when one of my lovely ballet students gave me a gift certificate, I knew how I wanted to spend it. I am enjoying the book even more than I expected.

Who is MinaLima?

MinaLima is the English art studio founded by Miraphora Mina and Eduardo Lima, responsible for all the graphic design props in the Harry Potter and the Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them series.

MinaLima designed everything from the Quidditch World Cup poster, the Daily Prophet newspaper, the Marauder’s Map, the Quibbler tabloid, the House of Black family tree, and the hundreds of boxes and labels for items sold at Honeydukes sweet shop in the Harry Potter movies. Their House Of MinaLima in London is a gallery and store which showcases their entire treasury of graphic works.

In 2019, Scholastic asked them to “reimagine what (the Harry Potter) world might be like on the page.” The result is a new collector’s edition of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone with gorgeous illustrations and playful paper pull-outs.

Miraphora and Eduardo have been working together for twenty years and had many years of design experience before working on Harry Potter. It shows in the quality and craftsmanship of this work.

Kindle Reader vs. Legacy Edition

For quite a while, I’ve been enjoying books on Kindle. I love the portability, for there’s always a book in my pocket, so long as I have my phone. I can read in bed without disturbing my husband if he is asleep. My phone is so small and light that it’s easy to find that nirvana of the perfect angle for reading while keeping my entire body warm under the blankets.

Ah, but this. Reading the MinaLima edition is like experiencing couture. There is divinity in the details. The creators describe it as a legacy book because it is the sort of thing you will pass on to your children.

As a dancer, I liken it to the difference between watching a rehearsal with dancers in practice garb, no background, and recorded music versus watching the performance with lighting, orchestra, sets, and costumes.

In both cases, the dancers are extraordinary and beautiful, and they tell a story. However, adding the other elements of the performance creates a more immersive, full-sensory experience.

A Book to Savor

The book has a heft that encourages me to sit upright in the living room to savor it. As I read, my fingertips enjoy the feel of embossing on the cloth-bound cover.

Scrollwork frames each parchment-like page. The colorful illustrations contain delightful easter-egg details. Almost every time I pick up the book, I notice a new design element. There are drawings of characters that I have never seen illustrated before.

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Photo by Karin Jensen

There is interactive paper craftwork throughout. For instance, you can unfold Harry Potter’s letter, open the Diagon Alley shops to inspect their contents or transform the Great Hall from its everyday look to its Christmas trappings.

Finally, the lovingly crafted spine with gold foil and embossing looks beautiful and inviting on the shelf.

Savor is the right word because rather than racing through the story, I pause on each page to examine the minutiae of the scrollwork and illustrations. MinaLima didn’t copy the movie’s look exactly. They instead present an almost fairy-tale style with a Craftsman-era feel that works well with this classic book format. At $37.99, this book is an affordable luxury.

Word of Caution

My only word of caution is that I would not give this particular edition to a young child despite this being children’s literature! It would be easy to tear and damage the papercrafts or smudge the beautiful illustrations with dirty fingers.

I would give a child an inexpensive edition first, and if they become an avid fan, then gift this edition when they can appreciate and value its quality.

MinaLima Chamber of Secrets is Forthcoming!

I hadn’t even finished reading this edition before I was hoping there would be MinaLima editions of other Harry Potter books.

Good news! At the end of October, Miraphora and Eduardo announced that Scholastic would release the MinaLima edition of The Chamber of Secrets in Fall 2021. This is happy news for those who want to find new ways to enjoy the Harry Potter magic.

In these times, when so much of the physical world is restricted, we can still allow stories to carry us to other worlds. Think of this book as a vacation for your mind

References:

About MinaLima

Harry Potter Fandom Wiki: MinaLima Design

MinaLima Announces Special Edition of Chamber of Secrets for Fall 2021 Release

#nbholidaycheer #HarryPotter #HarryPotterandTheSorcerersStone #BookReview #MinaLima

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