What's Up with Harry Potter?

Posted by Maryan Pelland Mar 12, 2007

Here's what's being rumored around the book and film industry about Harry Potter and company:

There's a new book, written by some teenagers, called What Will Happen in Harry Potter. It's full size, some 200 pages, outed last November by Ulysses Press. It's gone into seven printings with almost 200K copies sold. Hardly the official word, but there are some pretty gutsy predictions.

News from Warner Brothers is that Daniel Radcliffe has, for sure, signed to continue as Harry in the last two films. Chapter 5 is due out this summer, with filming of The Half-Blood Prince to begin in the fall. By the way, Radcliffe is doing a stage version of Equus in England. His role is serious and adult-oriented, of course, sinc ethe whole play is characterized by those adjectives. Some people are all a tizzy because he does a nude or semi-nude scene. The fear is that teen girls will run amock over that idea, or at least be confused about Harry's personality. My opinion--if teen age girls don't understand that Radcliffe is an actor and an adult, and if they will run amok over a stage role, we're in real serious trouble.

If you're looking for e-books of Harry - it won't happen, says J.K. Rowling. She doesn't want wholesale stealing of her prose. And stolen it has been. Rowling, according to news services has sued a concern in India for unauthorized e-books, and it's being reported that she's suing EBAY for allowing unauthorized copies of Harry Potteer to be auctioned. What a world - technology is the blessing and blight of our existance, no?

Here's a quote from Mugglenet..."A new survey, asking 4,000 UK residents which book they couldn't finish found Goblet of Fire at #2 - just under a third admitted to leaving some of the book unread."

I concur - it was draggy, and I'm worried about the final tome. I have been reading these aloud to my spouse, and it gets a bit more difficult with each volume. Consider, though, that you're talking thousands of pages of a single story - tough at best. Jean Auel carrie dher tale Clan of the Cave Bear pretty well till the last volume - here's hoping Rawling can sustain us through that final book.

The final Harry Potter book, Deathly Hallows, is due out July 21 -- you can pre-order it now form various booksellers. Better go out and get one for each of your grand kids...and one for yourself, as well.