Posted on 03/08/2005 8:35:28 AM PST by Grendel9
Harry Potter uncovered By Simon Freeman, Times Online
Four months before its release, the latest instalment in the adventures of Harry Potter is already the fastest-selling book in British history.
Today, the frenzy of anticipation among young old fans alike was cranked up a notch with the publication of the front covers of J K Rowling's Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.
The cover illustration, by Jason Cockcroft, for the children’s edition, which is due to be published on July 16, shows Harry and Professor Dumbedore, the headteacher of Hogwart's wizarding college, surrounded by a circle of flames
Dumbledore has already been tipped as one of the favourites to die in the sixth book after Rowling said one of the lead characters would be killed off.
(Excerpt) Read more at timesonline.co.uk ...
I don't know nothing about this Harry Potter stuff. I did walk in on my Uncle Junior on the toilet once. That was an education!
Hack indeed.
And I suppose you don't like Halloween or Santa Claus either. Lighten up.
If some kid wants to go around waving a stick and trying to change the dog into a dragon, after a lot of waving and gibberish, the dog is still.... a dog and always will be.
Fantasy is just that. It makes for entertaining stories and hurts no one. And when the kid gets older, they chuckle and shrug.
Personally I have read the books, although I won't buy them. I think they are poorly written (especially the current last one). The movies are actually better and with great effects. But I will get the new book from the library and read it when it comes out. And I will let my sons read it too and watch the movies. It certainly is better than "Murder in LA", a variation of which is on TV constantly. The constant fight between good and evil is always worth showing to your kids, even in a fantasy world. That's what makes the Lord of the Rings so enjoyable, and it is better written. But the LOTR will never get to the level of classical great writing either.
People that catch chicken blood and poke needles into dolls will never do much except make a mess. For those who are really evil, they don't need fantasy to make them that way.
I don't probably need to be on the list... I am only a very casual HP fan, but thanks anyway :~D
I seriously doubt that Dumbledore kicks the bucket this time around. If I had to guess, it would probably be Snape, because Voldemort hates him for leaving the dark side - and is quite unforgiving.
No problem. You're removed.
Rowling is not a great prose stylist, and I think she is sometimes careless with details, but hacks do not invent interesting alternative universes, nor do they work out the details of a 2500 page story before publishing.
Accio ping list!
Include me please.
I hear Mickey Spillane had lots of dough. A real Steinbeck!
But some levels of controversy can be just too much. Especially since Dumbledore has been one of the people insisting that Voldie was going to come back. In theory the DATDA class exists to teach students to defend themselves against Voldie and his cronies as well as other nasty things, putting one of Voldie's cronies in there could just be too much, bad enough he's in charge of Slytherin dealing with the cronies' kids. Too much controversy could cost even Albus his job, thus taking him out of a position to accomplish his goals on Voldie's return.
What's your opinion of the Redwall series? My grandson loves those. How about the Unfortunate Events series? My other grandson likes those. I tried reading one a year or so ago but about a third of the way through, I felt like pulling the big Ace. If you ever read Mario Puzo, you know what that means.
Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live.
Isn't harry Potter, the cliff notes version of LOTR?
Isn't harry Potter the cliff notes version of LOTR?
I agree to an extent, but he didn't have any problem putting Lupin as DADA teacher and he was a controversial pick. Things are never as they seem at Hogwarts so I guess we just have to wait and see.
I don't remember who said it, but I agree with whoever said that the bartender at the Hogshead is Abeforth, Dumbledores brother.
I am afraid my tastes are classical literature. I like science based fiction for entertainment. I read the Potter books because my sons read them. If they took and interest Redwall or the Unfortunate Events books I would read them too (but so far they have not). After some Hornblower movies I got my older son to read those. They are good yarns for adolescent boys. I am waiting for him to discover the Greeks and the I will let him read my much treasured Iliad.
Puzo belongs in the trash where it came from (IMHO).
Already done ;-)
May all your Everyflavor beans be sweet.... :)
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