I can't seem to get excited about it this time round.

Three years ago I pre-ordered and then raced through the fourth book.

Some things have changed since then though...

Firstly and most obviously, the movies have taken a lot of the fun out of it for me.

Secondly, the long delay. I understood but was miffed by not releasing a book two years ago for fear of spiking the wheels of the first movie but was pretty annoyed that Ms. Rowling couldn't motivate herself sufficiently to get the book out last summer.

Finally, I have since read Philip Pullman's His Dark Material's trilogy which is to Harry Potter as Dostoevsky is to Jeffrey Archer.

Don't get me wrong, I will no doubt read book 5 at some point, but I think I can manage to wait for the paperback this time round.

My sister's ordered mine, which means I won't get it till I go up to see her on Thursday. Which is cool as it's giving me a chance to read Goblet of Fire again beforehand.

Sorry, but I dunno why everyone is mad over harry potter, but then i've only seen the films and not read the books, but the films are just boring, are the books better?

Just gonna wait for the audio-book again

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by SPIKE
Sorry, but I dunno why everyone is mad over harry potter, but then i've only seen the films and not read the books, but the films are just boring, are the books better?

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Films reasonable (I think, I've only seen the first one), but crappy in comparison with the books which are way better!

First movie sucked beyond belief, second movie a moderate improvement, mostly due to Kenneth B.

Neither are a patch on the books from which they derive.

Yup Keeny, the email appeared in my inbox this morning, looks like I'll be getting up early tomorrow to catch the postie (Who will no doubt be nursing a hernia after delivering all these HP books).

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by SPIKE
Sorry, but I dunno why everyone is mad over harry potter,

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should i mention your obsession with the bangles and ask you the same thing? read the books they are much better then the films. i was an avid HP Hater a few years back but that was when i was working for WB and everyone was going on about the books it really wound me up but i sat down one night less then a year a go and read the first one and really enjoyed it i finished all four within two months (okay i know that not long for some people but i was trying to drag it out i was enjoying them too much).

(i am starting on the Terry Pratchett audios now as the books i find i lose interest in too quickly :$)



(Edited by bipolar 20/06/2003 13:38)

Well I was hoping to sneak a copy from Forbidden Planet earlier this week but the shop isn't getting them 'cos they can't compete with the offers from other shops. Instead I shall be waiting for my Amazon copy which has been on order since 17th Jan

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by Incandenza
Secondly, the long delay. I understood but was miffed by not releasing a book two years ago for fear of spiking the wheels of the first movie but was pretty annoyed that Ms. Rowling couldn't motivate herself sufficiently to get the book out last summer.

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Did you catch Jeremy Paxman's BBC2 interview last night? I thought JK Rowling gave a very convincing explanation of why she'd taken a break, and lack of motivation had little to do with it. She felt burnt out after previous editions, and decided to take as long as she needed to write The Order Of The Phoenix. An author should as long as they need over a work: no point in rushing and bringing out an inferior product.

Which is a general comment, I've never really got into Harry Potter.

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by Byron
Did you catch Jeremy Paxman's BBC2 interview last night? I thought JK Rowling gave a very convincing explanation of why she'd taken a break, and lack of motivation had little to do with it. She felt burnt out after previous editions, and decided to take as long as she needed to write The Order Of The Phoenix.

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Not like you to take someone's explanation at face value old chap. You must be slipping.

There have been a bunch of stories about why she took so long, one of which was that she took an obsessive interest in the nitty gritty of the movies and another of which was a lack of hunger brought on by an excess of cash.

If nothing else, the ridiculous length suggests she has reached the Tom Clancy stage of 'never mind the quality, feel the width' where no-one bothers to edit prose anymore.

She's also just had a baby too

Yeah - had my email from Amazon too!

I've read 'Northern Lights' by Phillip Pullman - absolutely excellent, and even though I am a big HP fan - especially of the audio versions - Stephen Fry is absolutely superb, I loved Northern Lights more than HP!

I watched the interview last night - I thought she was a LOT more cheerful than her last interview!

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by Incandenza
(quotes)
Not like you to take someone's explanation at face value old chap. You must be slipping.

There have been a bunch of stories about why she took so long, one of which was that she took an obsessive interest in the nitty gritty of the movies and another of which was a lack of hunger brought on by an excess of cash.

If nothing else, the ridiculous length suggests she has reached the Tom Clancy stage of 'never mind the quality, feel the width' where no-one bothers to edit prose anymore.

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Believing a bunch of wholly unsubstantiated, purient stories by the same sort of people who also took PCC-condemned long-lense pictures of her and her children. Tut tut, you must be slipping.

Taking body language and the overall tenor of the interview into account, I didn't find any reason to doubt what she was saying. It was at least as credible as all the more wild accusations out there. The woman was hardly painting herself as a saint. She came across as a shrewd businesswoman who knows she's got a winning product and isn't willing to let market forces shove her around while she develops it: good on her. (Enginired anticipation is another viable explanation, but I find it hard to believe any company would want to enginire quite that much anticipation!)

And at the least, some major respect to her for laying into all the tacky Harry Potter merchandice.

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by Byron
And at the least, some major respect to her for laying into all the tacky Harry Potter merchandice.

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Indeed!

And as for having to wait three years for a follow up... so what! They are her books and her characters... She would have been perfectly within her rights not to even write a fifth book... lets face it, she doesn't need the money anymore. Whats three years to something that has been in development for nearly 15?

One thing I do hate about the huge poularity of these books is the assumption that people somehow have a right to dictate what happens, how they should be written, when they should be written, and what the author does day in day out.

My copy is on order from Waterstones but I'll not be picking it up on Monday lunchtime, then its coming home and being locked in the safe 'til I go on holiday next week. Pure unadulterated uninturupted Harry Potter reading pleasure

Avoiding Spoilers is gonna be hard tho (I will so kill anyone who posts a topic with the subject line *I can't believe <insert name here> died*)



(Edited by Sydney 20/06/2003 21:56)

yayness I got my email too!

Time: 00:02

Teresa, Yvonne & 2 sleepy kids are in Tescos (Teresa is wearing her PJs)

Time: 00:05

Y's got her greasy mitts on a copy of the book.

Time: 00:15

Home again and Teresa is being ignored 'cos Y has her nose in the book

Firstly, I have my book on order, although I'm off to WH Smith on Sat, just for the Hogwarts thing they are doing, I loved all the HP books, and would highly recommend them to any one child or adult, (reminds me of a little story my bro told me today his son aged 10, has just heard that a main character dies in the new book, So my bro said to him, Oh I know, who dies, it's Harry someone, making my nephew cry! LOL at the git)
However, I have read the Pullman Trilogy, and I have to say they are far far superior, I loved them. If you haven't read them then DO!

well just got back from town,the boyfriend wanted the book so we went for 12.01am.the queue was long,it took us half hour to get the book.i think its the most nightlife that bracknells seen in a while.