My daughter doesn’t know how to read yet, but even she knows who Harry Potter is. Not because we have any of the books. (We don’t.) Not because we’ve seen any of the movies (We haven’t.) It’s simply because it is virtually impossible to go anywhere these days without running into the boy wizard’s mug.
Commercials for the latest Harry Potter movie are constantly on TV. Photos of the final book are all over the Internet. And stories regarding “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows” leaks and lawsuits are saturating the evening news.
Copies of the seventh and likely final installment of J.K. Rowling’s wildly successful series don’t go on sale until 12:01 a.m. Saturday, but some say that more than 1,200 fans already have a copy of the book in their hot little hands. The hubbub has forced Rowling (and thousands of Potter fans) to plea for silence.
Today Rowling posted this message on her website:
“I’d like to ask everyone who calls themselves a Potter fan to help preserve the secrecy of the plot for all those who are looking forward to reading the book at the same time on publication day. In a very short time you will know EVERYTHING!”
Also today, The New York Times published the first review of the most eagerly anticipated book of the year, but naturally did not reveal whether the boy wizard lives or dies in the end. News agencies are also reporting that as of today the $34.99 yet-to-be-released book was being offered on eBay, for $250.
The eBay posting reads:
“That’s right – I’ve got one copy of Harry Potter 7, on July 17, and it can be yours as soon as July 19. Hurry! Confirmed payment by 6:30PM on July 18 will ensure delivery on July 19 by FedEx Priority Overnight!”
As for the lawsuits I mentioned earlier, Rowling’s American publisher, Scholastic, Inc., has confirmed it is taking legal action against two distributors, Levy Home Entertainment and DeepDiscount.com, for shipping the book ahead of schedule.
And last night, our local news station showed video of digital photographs of what looks like the full text of “Deathly Hallows.” (It was reportedly leaked on the Internet).
The book reportedly contains 759 pages. Enough to keep Potter fans busy (and allow the hype to die down)… at least for a little while.
Are you hankering for the latest Harry Potter book?
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