Well, I've finally done it: pre-ordered Deathly Hallows, the final and seventh book of the Harry Potter saga due out July 21. Pre-ordering felt like a bit of a dilemma for me this time around, as I recalled oh so vividly checking and re-checking my mailbox for Half-Blood Prince on the day of its release. I'd pre-ordered from Amazon and the book didn't arrive until 2:00 pm. By then, I could have bought it (without even standing in much of a line) at a local store.
This year I decided to change tactics and pre-order from our local Borders. It's about twenty minutes away, so even if I don't make it to the midnight release party (doubtful if we can get a baby-sitter) I should be able to get it fairly early on Saturday morning. And then I plan to hole up for the rest of the day and read...well, as much as life allows for that. My dear hubby is very understanding, in part because he knows he won't get to read it until I'm finished anyway. I usually read it first and then read it aloud to him...it's sort of our tradition!
With book 7, I am more conscious than ever of wanting to make sure that I read it very early before I have any chance to hear any inkling whatsoever about what happens in the story. I will not go anywhere near the internet until I'm done, because I don't want to see any headlines akin to FRODO LIVES on the subways of old. And it goes without saying that I won't go over to the HogPro boards or any other forum (will there be another B&N reader's group moderated by John Granger, I wonder? It was such an amazing cyber-community last time...)
I had to chuckle when I finally ordered the book. The woman who took my order was effusive in her own anticipation over and delight in the series. I love that Rowling has helped create this kind of climate, where grown-ups can delight (out loud! without embarrassment!) over reading children's literature (or at least stories with young protagonists -- it's getting harder to call HP children's literature as the series progresses.) These are truly books for everyone.
Perhaps the most interesting part of my exchange with the saleslady came after I'd finished placing the order. She brought out the Snape stickers Borders is giving away to everyone who pre-orders: the bright purple flowery-star with "Snape is loyal" printed on it, and the bright orange flowery-star with "Snape will betray." And she told me I could choose. Without a moment's hesitation, I reached for the purple loyalty sticker. "This one," I said. "There's not a doubt in my mind...or, well, hardly any doubt." She smiled and informed me that adults were almost always picking the loyalty sticker, but that children thus far were mostly picking the betray sticker. Fascinating. Either JKR has hoodwinked all us grown-ups good, or else she has done a marvelous job of taking her primary audience of young readers along for the ride with Harry, so that they're fully and completely on his side and into his feelings at the moment. (Which I still argue is right where she wants us...)
I'm still enjoying my re-reading of the books and sharing musings back and forth with my friend Erin, who is also re-reading. I just finished re-reading Order of the Phoenix last week. Erin's in the same place. I find it interesting that both of us feel a bit reluctant to pick up Half-Blood Prince for the final time. We know the finish line is ahead, and while that's exciting, it's also a little sad. I was reflecting just the other day on how much I cried when I first finished Lord of the Rings oh so many years ago now. It wasn't so much that the ending was sad (though there were elements of that) but that I didn't want to leave Tolkien's world and the friends I'd made there. I've got similar feelings about Hogwarts and Harry.
And just this week, I've had two friends I hadn't heard from in a long while get back in touch with me because they're both anticipating HP 7 and knew I would be too. I love how beloved books bring people together!
3 comments:
That's really interesting about the distribution of the stickers! Maybe Snape strikes a bit too close to home for most kids, reminding each of them of the worst teacher they ever had... I'm very anxious to see how this plays out. And yet, as you say, already a bit sad that soon it will be over...
By the way, I put in a request for The Great Snape Debate over at Epinions and they added it, so it is free for the reviewing. I think I'll tackle it once I get my laptop back; it met with an unfortunate accident and is undergoing repairs at the moment, while I am undergoing a costly lesson in the dangers of mixing electronic equipment with open beverages...
If I buy the book in Williamsport, I probably will cave and crack it open. I have a cousin who's a huge Potter fan, and a much faster reader than me, and I'm a little worried that he may have finished the book by the end of the weekend and will be shouting the conclusion to the skies. I'm really hoping he doesn't...
You know, you may be right about Snape tapping kids' feelings about terrible teachers. I keep trying to "get behind" the eyes of kids as I'm reading the stories again, but it's hard when you come to them as an adult. It will be interesting to see how S. responds to them a few years hence. I need to be careful about not "spoiling" them for her in advance. :-)
Oh wow, the Great Snape Debate. Good for you for getting it into the database -- I thought about doing that a while back, but promptly forgot. :-) I actually still have a couple of essays to read in that; I ended up skipping around so much that I'm not sure what I have left really, though I know I'm almost finished with it. I have a handful of other things I'm trying to review right now, so I doubt I will get to it first. :-) Not that it matters much which one of us gets to it first this month anyway, what with the whole "car review" sweepstakes going on. I must confess that I'm actually rather relieved to not feel any sweepstakes pressures to review this month. I needed a break!
Your comment about your cousin potentially ruining the end of HP for you harkens me back to a memory from around the time *Empire Strikes Back* first came out in theaters. I was in junior high at the time, and was a huge Star Wars fan like everyone else. I hadn't seen the movie yet, and a kid at my busstop actually let it drop in conversation that Darth Vader was Luke's father. I think I just kept saying "no, he's not!" in stunned disbelief, and the once I found out he was telling the truth, I was pretty angry!
Anyway, here's to spoil-free reading in the wake of DH's release...
Ack! What a terrible spoiler to let slip! Of course, I couldn't grow up without finding that one out ahead of time, though they did manage to surprise me with the fact that Luke and Leia were siblings. Empire turned me off the series for years because of that Carbonite scene, but once I got over that I became a pretty big fan... ;) Have you seen the new stamps? They're pretty nifty! And I see Disney is releasing a bunch of figures in the fall that are classic Disney characters, and Muppets, dressed as Star Wars characters. Rather interesting...
I won't complain about this month's sweepstakes, though I think it'll be the first since they've had them that I won't enter at all. I did write one review several years back of our van at the time. We have a new one now but it's practically identical, and anyway I can't tell you much about it except that it works and the seats are comfy. :-P Cars are definitely not in my area of expertise...
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