Potterdammerung: Prepared?

[Elf Witch]

I went to the local bookstore's Harry Potter party. It is always fun to watch the kids and grown ups in costume. I get a kick out of seeing the excitement on the kids faces over a book. I think it is great that these little kids are going to read a book over 700 pages long.


My roommate and I were talking on our way home last night and we wondered if there would ever be another book that will be so popular that people will line up to buy as soon as it goes on sale.

 

[Kahuna Burger]

Other - no plans to read it.

 

[Ankh-Morpork Guard]

I went to the local bookstore's Harry Potter party. It is always fun to watch the kids and grown ups in costume. I get a kick out of seeing the excitement on the kids faces over a book. I think it is great that these little kids are going to read a book over 700 pages long.


My roommate and I were talking on our way home last night and we wondered if there would ever be another book that will be so popular that people will line up to buy as soon as it goes on sale.

While I'm not a fan of the Potter books, I've been interested in how its gotten kids to read since the beginning. But as the series has gone on, I've started to wonder something.

Is it really getting kids to read more, or are kids JUST reading these books? From my experience, which is, of course, limited, it seems to only be the latter. Its great that kids are reading, but if it only extends to one book series and then just stops well...I dunno. That's just a depressing thought.

 

[mhacdebhandia]

My wife and I ended up simply going to the Borders in Macquarie Centre around 3:30. A staff member was restocking the big Harry Potter display table when we walked in, and pointed me at the box containing the adult editions he hadn't gotten to unpacking yet:

Actually, I also got The Conan Chronicles Volume 2: The Hour of the Dragon, which must have looked to the woman who served us as if my wife were getting Harry Potter and I was buying something more "manly".

 

[trancejeremy]

While I'm not a fan of the Potter books, I've been interested in how its gotten kids to read since the beginning. But as the series has gone on, I've started to wonder something.

Is it really getting kids to read more, or are kids JUST reading these books? From my experience, which is, of course, limited, it seems to only be the latter. Its great that kids are reading, but if it only extends to one book series and then just stops well...I dunno. That's just a depressing thought.

Well, I'm sure most of them don't read anything else, but a small percentage stop. Still, what kinda irks me is how there is an end to the series.

I mean, and this actually kind put me off the series, for the last couple books you often heard Rowling whine about how she's tired of Harry Potter and happy to be done writing them (same with the actors in the movie). It would be nice (IMHO) if she were more like Terry Pratchett and Discworld. I mean, he's still going and going and going. Sure, he writes other stuff, but the world is so big, he can write about various other characters. Same with say, Mike Resnick. Most of his sci-fi is in the same universe, but it's all vastly different.

Though then again, maybe she will set future books in the Potter-verse

 

[Relique du Madde]

Well, I'm sure most of them don't read anything else, but a small percentage stop. Still, what kinda irks me is how there is an end to the series.

I mean, and this actually kind put me off the series, for the last couple books you often heard Rowling whine about how she's tired of Harry Potter and happy to be done writing them (same with the actors in the movie). It would be nice (IMHO) if she were more like Terry Pratchett and Discworld. I mean, he's still going and going and going. Sure, he writes other stuff, but the world is so big, he can write about various other characters. Same with say, Mike Resnick. Most of his sci-fi is in the same universe, but it's all vastly different.

Though then again, maybe she will set future books in the Potter-verse

Personally speaking, her complaining and whinning made me wonder if Rowling was a victem of her own success. I mean that sort of complaining makes me think that she resented stating that she set out to write 7 books about Harry Potter and that somewhere during book 4 or 5 she actually got tired of him and wanted to write something else but couldn't due to her contractual obligations.

 

[Ranger REG]

Personally speaking, her complaining and whinning made me wonder if Rowling was a victem of her own success. I mean that sort of complaining makes me think that she resented stating that she set out to write 7 books about Harry Potter and that somewhere during book 4 or 5 she actually got tired of him and wanted to write something else but couldn't due to her contractual obligations.

Kinda like how George Lucas won't do Star Wars Episodes 7, 8, and 9?

She's got a castle, a new husband, and billions of (US) dollars coming her way -- don't know how that will translate into British pounds, but it is safe to say she's living well beyond her means.

And if she's smart about licensing her brand -- don't go RPG, you and the RPG publisher will lose money easily -- she can just become a humanitarian like Diana and champion a cause.

 

[Mouseferatu]

Still, what kinda irks me is how there is an end to the series.

Bwah?!

She's said from almost day one that her plan was to write seven books and bring it to an end. This is hardly a surprise.

But more to the point, I personally prefer that the series--and that most series--have some closure. Very few completely open-ended series (not counting licensed settings, where people are telling different stories in different areas with different characters) are worth it, IMO. I prefer an author go into it with a plan, and a story arc. Beginning, middle, and end.

 

[Ace32]

The whole preorder buzz seems rather anticlimactic considering I was able to pick up a copy of the book from the grocery store on my street for $25.

But then again, they did print a dozen million of the bloody things.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I've only seen the movies so far. I am planning on getting and reading the books but I am waiting for a boxed set of the entire series to be released.

They're available as of Saturday.