Harry Potter

is coming out today. i'll be getting it, but i sure as hell ain't waiting an hour in line just to do it, i think i'll wait a few hours to let the people who want to be first to read all that stuff die down, then i'll go get it.

anyone else planning on getting it?

Aw, hellz no!

Aw, hellz no!
+ 15,000,000

I couldn't care less, but my GF is a big fan. But the movie is pretty good.

Stupid book.

You could've read it a week ago online. :uhoh:

meh, i'll admit that they aren't awesome books. in fact some were pretty terrible, i just want to get to the end because i started reading them. the movies are pretty bad.

i just enjoy reading, and have so many books i have yet to read, i just don't have time anymore. i've been trying to get through war and peace for a long time now, i just have no time with work, school, labs, and training for the fall season.

meh, i'll admit that they aren't awesome books. in fact some were pretty terrible, i just want to get to the end because i started reading them. the movies are pretty bad.

i just enjoy reading, and have so many books i have yet to read, i just don't have time anymore. i've been trying to get through war and peace for a long time now, i just have no time with work, school, labs, and training for the fall season.

Im the same way, I started reading them when I was younger and now I just want to get through it to know the end.

Ive been reading a lot of Tom Clancy lately, just finished up Teeth of the Tiger but I wanna finish the Net Force series also.

i've read a few clancy's, they're not bad stories, but there's not a whole lot of character development or plot. they're fun light reading.

i got a whole list of books from my high school english teacher (which i promptly lost) last year. i still see him around university (he's the fencing coach) so every once in a while i ask about books and stuff. after war and peace i'm gonna go for The Brothers Karamazov. there are so many books to read and so little time.

You're not reading them right then. There's a lot of character development. You can't just read them in any order. They're actually a series man. Some...

true, i only read rainbow six, a few books out of some series (can't remember which, it's been a while), and i think i read executive decision or something of the sort.

i heard on the radio some woman read the new book in 46 minutes.

that's just sad.

Its been to long since i last read.

For anyone seeing the movie or going to....BORING!!!

i heard on the radio some woman read the new book in 46 minutes.

that's just sad.

Don't talk about me like that.

The girlfriend bought it yesterday.

Naturally, I get kicked out of bed this morning so she can read.

Yeah i just found out my girlfriend got it too

My wife reserved TWO copies from our local library about 18 months ago, so we got our copies on the day of release......FOR FREE!!!!!:runaround:

Normally this may be thrilling, but I wonder why the hell I am reading kid's books at my age (42)??? :uhoh:

My sis got it and finished it yeasterday. I have no interest in it but there's plenty of stuff I'm fanatic about that I'm sure she could care less about.

I found them to be pretty good, the movies suck compared to the books. My copy is on it's way. Don't be haters. :)

i ended up buying it on saturday. i walked in, there was still a big pile, no lineup or anything (it was 7pm) and on top of that i got it for 20% off. they were on sale for some reason. anyways i haven't had much time to read it, i only read like 70 pages up at the cottage so it'll probably take me a while to finish. i'm so busy with school and work that i barely have time to eat dinner.

Oh so that means you don't wanna see this...

My sis told me the ending but I won't be the dick that ruins it :wink:

:evillol:

I just saw the film with my sister and I was talking to my sister who's reading the last book right now, I asked if she noticed that the special effects from the new movie were fundamentally different from Goblet of Fire, the 4th one. She tells me that everyone of these films have had a different director...well that's really stupid if you ask me. Now, these movies are all major blockbusters with a good story, but in the 5th, a lot from the book got left out, so much that I got lost with the whole HP love triangle thing (that really wasn't explained at all this time).

But since I want to know what happens next, and the next movie will probably take 2 more years, I'm gonna start reading The Half Blood Prince, even though I'm well aware of some serious spoilers thanks to Opie and Anthony's show and the internet.

Btw, did you know JK Rowling is changing her name because she doesn't want to write HP anymore? She says she doesn't want to get stuck with a genre...to me that's even more stupid then a different director for all the movies.

+ 15,000,000

x Pi.


I hate Harry Potter, I wonder if J K Rowling realises how much she has been used by the publishers because she happens to have a writing style that is totally un-imaginative and very, very simple?
More importantly I wonder if she is aware of what that says about our society, and the change it has had on how our society views literature?

I will agree that she got more kids into reading, which is a good thing, unfortunately she has done it at great profit to companies that don't care, and more importantly she has done it not by raising the reading standard of children, but by lowering the standards of literature.

I've never read the books, they're THAT readable?

Well if people are flying through the 600 page book in 5-7 hours then it can't be too difficult of a read

x Pi.


I hate Harry Potter, I wonder if J K Rowling realises how much she has been used by the publishers because she happens to have a writing style that is totally un-imaginative and very, very simple?
More importantly I wonder if she is aware of what that says about our society, and the change it has had on how our society views literature?

I will agree that she got more kids into reading, which is a good thing, unfortunately she has done it at great profit to companies that don't care, and more importantly she has done it not by raising the reading standard of children, but by lowering the standards of literature.

How very elitist.:grinno:

it's a childrens' book, not War and Peace. There is enough great literature already out there to satisfy the hungriest 10 year old.....but they're not interested in it.

I'm sure that Moppie is familiar with the term 'Tall Poppy Syndrome'. Whenever someone achieves significant results in any given field, they always seem to attract a batterry of armchair critics who want to drag the achievers back down to their own level of mediocrity.

J.K. Rowling O.B.E. has made a fantastic life for herself out of nothing more than her imagination. She has given the youth publishing sector an enormous boost at a time when it is under siege from the film and gaming, and has become a household name with a personal fortune estimated at around 550,000,000 pounds. The first script was rejected no less than 12 times. The first print run of Harry Potter And The Philosopher's Stone was 1000 copies, of which half were distributed to public libraries. These first editions now change hands for tens of thousands of dollars.

My kids love the Harry Potter series. Perhaps if Moppie had kids he would understand why, instead of bashing away at their author for being successful with her target audience. Nobody's getting ripped off or short changed, and the books are helping to open the door to reading for children who might otherwise never bother.

Some good stuff here. I too have never read the HP books, because I am not the "targetted audience"... basically, I read books for adult audiences. And I read a lot (not just AF :lol:). The fact that J.K. Rowling has gotten more kids into reading is a milestone in itself. The fact that she has gotten more adults into reading, albeit youth novels, is commendable as well. It saddens me a little though that adults get excited about HP books yet have no desire to read other types of literature that is more in touch with reality even if it is fiction...

As for J.K. Rowling becoming successful for all of her writing efforts, I think it's great. The life she has made for herself is every writer's dream come true. And if she wants to change her name to persue other writing endeavors then that is fine too. Stephen King wrote under the name Richard Bachman to get some of his other work out to the public. Although, a lot of his writing under that name was somewhat bizarre as well. It would seem an arduous task to totally remove oneself from one's own writing style/genre to start on a completely different style/genre. To be able to do that shows great literary skill.

I started to read the first book, but realized I can't get into them....

I read the first 3 books when I was younger, but couldn't make it through the 4th before I lost interest. So who dies in the end?

Who the F***K cares!

Who the F***K cares!

if you don't care, why bother posting? We don't care whether you care or not.:grinno:

How very elitist.:grinno:

it's a childrens' book, not War and Peace. There is enough great literature already out there to satisfy the hungriest 10 year old.....but they're not interested in it.



You may be missing the point, in fact I think you are, it's perhaps an indication of your reading level, something that is common enough that it has allowed Miss Rowling to be considered imaginative and creative.

Sadly there is nothing new in any of her stories. The themes, plots, wonderful creatures, magic etc, are all taken from a whole genre of fiction that has been around much longer than Miss Rowling. She is also not alone in having written in this genre in a simplified manner targeted at a youth audience.
She personally has achieved nothing. She was however lucky enough to get picked up at a time when Fantasy work is becoming popular again, and she was even luckier to get picked up a publishing company prepared to put a lot of money behind marketing her simple little stories to a naive audience ignorant enough to believe they are something new and special.

You may be missing the point, in fact I think you are, it's perhaps an indication of your reading level,

It would be easy to level the same fatuous observations against you, but I'll pass thanks. Nowhere have I said that the Harry Potter genre is anything original, but to its target audience it was a fresh approach to childrens' literature. There's nothing wrong with providing entry-level material that will appeal to a wide audience - to argue such would be akin to complaining that the Toyota Corolla is depriving motorists of the chance to own a Lotus.

For many, a Toyota Corolla is a satisfactory means of transport. Undemanding, easily available,and predictable, it will get you from A to B. JK Rowling writes books in much the same way that mass-market cars are produced, keeping things simple and accessible.

It is as patently ridiculous to expect scholars of literature to enjoy the Potter series as it would be to expect Jeremy Clarkson to enjoy driving an Astra diesel. These are not books to be studied as part of a degree course,they are light reading for children. To review them as anything else would be as foolish as the critic who reviewed Lady Chatterley's Lover thus - "Has some generally useful descriptions of wildlife, botany, and hunting practices at a typical Edwardian English estate, but --- unfortunately --- the noisome activities of a certain gamekeeper and the lady of the house keep getting in the way of these otherwise excellent passages."

you've missed the point, Moppie. There's very that is little new and inventive in contemporary literature. What is remarkable about the Harry Potter series is that a print run of 1000 books aimed at kids can be parlayed into a multi-million dollar franchise.

Taranaki, I respect JK Rowling for one reason, that she put together a new genre, it may not be original but it's by far the most successful Witch/Wizardy school genre. I can enjoy it to the point that I don't feel like it's copying star wars or other successful fantasies anymore, even if I think it does, she put it together well enough and blended magic with it that her audience enjoys the whole Harry potter and Hogwarts universe, not a copycat from the past. Everything's been done before, but it can be done fresh too, and that's all I have to say about that.

How is Harry Potter a new genre?

Anyway, all I have to say is that I find the fad of Harry Potter more annoying than the thing that is Harry Potter. To me, it is just one of those things that along with Pokemon, Beyblade, Naruto, etc, will be replaced by something else down the line.

What is remarkable about the Harry Potter series is that a print run of 1000 books aimed at kids can be parlayed into a multi-million dollar franchise.


That is precisely my point.
That is the only thing remarkable about the series, and it is something that Rowling had no input into.
Its the work and role of the publisher, and the publisher did a bloody good job.

How is Harry Potter a new genre?

Anyway, all I have to say is that I find the fad of Harry Potter more annoying than the thing that is Harry Potter. To me, it is just one of those things that along with Pokemon, Beyblade, Naruto, etc, will be replaced by something else down the line.



Exactly, Harry Potter is nothing more than another marketing fad.
The core product has no value in itself, it only has a perceived value added to it by a clever, misleading and deceptive advertising and marketing compaign.

Exactly, Harry Potter is nothing more than another marketing fad.
The core product has no value in itself, it only has a perceived value added to it by a clever, misleading and deceptive advertising and marketing compaign.
Perfect example of "the american dream". You can make it big with any nondescript, run of the mill product as long as you have the right ad campaign and marketing scheme behind you. The general public is fairly easily manipulated and what is perceived to be the hot item of the moment will build momentum as long as it has a minimal amount of credibility to keep the masses satisfied (pokemon, digipets, tickle me elmo, barbie dolls etc) The american economy has taken on the philosophy of "If you can get it, take it", eg major league baseball players get $28 million contracts for one year to throw a ball every 5 days while the majority has to work 40+ hours a week to scrape up $40,000. I blame no one in this scenario. JK Rowling was able to capitalize on the opportunities presented to her and the publishers did the same. The american public continues to gobble up Harry Potter books and after they (we) are finished obsessing over this final installment, we will move on to the next fad.

Exactly, Harry Potter is nothing more than another marketing fad.

So what?
When Erno Rubik invented the Rubik's cube as a way of teaching his university students to think in three dimensions, was his achievement lessened by the fact that the marketing people picked it up and ran with it,and reduced it to a plaything for bored kids?

Writing books is not easy. Certainly, the publishing houses have a big say in what gets promoted and what doesn't, but there is ample product submitted that would not fly regardless of how much it was pushed. If publishing houses could create the raw material themselves, they probably would. The fact is, the author/publisher relationship remains essential to the process. The publishers have done a great job of advertising the product, but they have created nothing. If the first novel had been crap, no amount of hype would have seen it published beyond a trilogy. The fact that the target audience is still there for the seventh volume speaks volumes. Forget the sad bunch of misfit adults who have bought into the hype and are prepared to camp outside the stores in order to claim bragging rights to being among the first to own a copy - the fact that kids will take it home as their own choice from the library, along with all the previous episodes,marks JK Rowling as a successful author. The first book was released 10 years ago,and every year, children who reach that particular level of reading are stillpicking up the first titles. This is not a fad, it's a franchise.

Perfect example of "the american dream". You can make it big with any nondescript, run of the mill product as long as you have the right ad campaign and marketing scheme behind you.


Its a dream that goes back well beyond American history, in fact its goes well back beyond western history.
It all started thousands of years ago when an Indian, an Arab and Chinese all meet and discovered they each had something the other wanted.
They learned how to trade, and from there it was only a short cultural step into learning the arts of sales and marketing.

Of course given that American culture is based around capitalism, it only figures that Americans would take great interest in trade, and of course anything that makes trade more profitable, like the arts of Sales and Marketing. While they didn't invent them, they have certainly learned to take them to a whole new level.
The best examples would have to be the Cola Wars of the 80s, marketing battles where 90% of the retail cost of the product was attributed directly to getting people to buy it. These marketing wars were not just confined to America ether, or even western society, they permeated the whole globe.
Even today the manufacturing and distribution costs of a bottle of coke make up less than 10% of its value. The rest is sales and marketing costs.


Harry Potter is simply the coke of the next generation. :evillol: :evillol:

So what?
When Erno Rubik invented the Rubik's cube as a way of teaching his university students to think in three dimensions, was his achievement lessened by the fact that the marketing people picked it up and ran with it,and reduced it to a plaything for bored kids?

I fail to see the analogy.

Erno Rubik invented something new, the fact it was then well marketed and mass produced takes nothing away from that.
J K Rowling has not created something new. She has simply done what hundreds of others have done before her. She is not unique in writing fantasy books for young readers.

it's a franchise.

And behind every good franchise is lots of marketing :)