And THIS time, unlike the last one, I'll be getting it the day it comes out and reading it and not talking to anybody else. Or, for that matter, looking at MeCha.

(oh good, it's a Saturday)

I always get it the first day- I like to go to the midnight parties, too! The one in Union Square last time was AWESOME! I'm tempted to pre-order from Amazon; but I'm also scared they won't get it ot me on time....

Isn't "hallow" a verb?

agropyron - not according to trusty old OED.

"Do not put all your goods in hallow ships; leave the greater part behind, and put the lesser part on board; for it is a bad business to meet with disaster among the waves of the sea, as it is bad if you put too great a load on your waggon and break the axle, and your goods are spoiled. Observe due measure: and proportion is best in all things."
The Works of Hessiod, (ll. 678-694) - Homer

I rest my case

Wow, the last one. I've never read them, actually, but they seem fun. My brother (a sixty-something-year-old doctor, mind you) is a big fan. It's one of those cultural phenomenas that's passed me by. I wish I had more interest.

Upon rereading that quote, that may have been a mistype for "shallow". However, my first point still stands. Online dictionaries list only the verb and transitive verb definitions, but OED lists 2 noun definitions as well.

Thanks, muddgirl. I hadn't heard the noun definitions.

This is a made up world where people can fly on broomsticks and disappear/appear at will, and y'all are arguing whether hallow is a verb? CRUCIO!!!

There are several thoughts in the Potter world about what Rowling is referring to as the Deathly Hallows. Read about it here.

I'm excited but I know too, that I'll be sad when I flip to the last page because the series will be over - no more HP books to look forward to.

I'm excited but I know too, that I'll be sad when I flip to the last page because the series will be over - no more HP books to look forward to.

that's why we have fan-fic.

I had already pre-ordered from Amazon before reading your post, TPS. Considering we had to wait two weeks because we did not pre-order the last one, a day or two difference won't make much, um, difference.

BTW, I still say Harry and Voldemort are the same person.

Pips, I do know where you're coming from, tho here's a thought. I myself long resisted the whole HP craze, thinking it was just another exercise in rampant commercialism and that there was no way it could possibly be as good as the 'classics' of my own youth. However, I've read tons of 'youth' and 'young adult' kinds of fiction, both as a kid and as an adult -- Tolkein, Ursula Le Guin, L. Frank Baum, and so on. I do have to say this series easily holds its own in that company as a modern 'classic' and I think that if you're in any way a fan of fantastical fun literature, it'd be a shame to miss out on it.

I especially like the way the HP books incorporates, frames and explains our modern day world of technology, sociology, media and politics in such a transparent manner. Most 'fantasy' stuff tends to cop out by ignoring / glossing over 'science' and/or setting the characters in some artificially rusticated universe. Rowling doesn't use that crutch - her characters are able to pretty much seamlessly interact with the 'Muggle' world; one simply gets the idea they'd prefer not to. It sort of reminds me of my folks in their 'hippie' days when we lived in a primitive cabin in the early 70s, and I don't mean that in a bad way.

SPOILER









He has sex with a horse or something.

I've never read a Harry Potter book, or seen any of the movies.

Ditto LOTR.

And you call yourself a Brit!!!!!

You're not missing anything from LOTR.

No, I call myself an Australian!

Nobody got my CRUCIO! joke :-(

I've never read a Harry Potter book, or seen any of the movies.


I've only read the first book, but I've seen all four movies, under circumstances ranging from cajoling to duress.

Though films 1, 2, and 4 range from mediocre to horrible, the third, directed by Alfonso Cuaron, was one of the best films to come out that year.

No, I call myself an Australian!
Fine! Got watch "Road Warrior" 40 or 50 times!

TPS, I got t3h joke

The place where I work is buzzing with midnight party plans. The price is probably going to hurt independents though. *sigh*

The price is probably going to hurt independents though. *sigh*

Indeed, PW's daily bulletin today mentioned that some independents are saying they're not going to carry it at all. They're saying tehy can't compete on the deep discount it's going to get from Amazon and other retailers who can afford to make pennies of profit per unit (or even sell it as a loss leader for a non-book business).

I want to like them. I've tried. I just find them unreadable. I don't really mean that in a critical way. The prose just doesn't click with me for some reason--and if I can't get drawn into a story pretty much instantly, I'm out. (I think that's why I'm always so vigilant about writing good ledes/leads.)

Two Points:


1) Yesterday during the whole naked Harry in the horse fucking play flap the Daily News said "Potter Makes Clothes Disappear" and I gave one of those really loud single laughs "HA!"


2) This one is being released on my first wedding anniversary, so the wife and I are psyched that we're going to be in line with a bunch of sticky little shits for that, oh well, children are precious and all.

Non listed points:

Harry Potter is pretty damn good for children's lit, really. I borrowed them from my step-daughter, hid them in the dust jacket for Gibbon's Decline and Fall and read them on the subway. It strongly reminded me of my favorite childhood books, whereas most modern kids lit makes me faintly sad and annoyed with vampires who have blogs and whatnot.

(I got the "Crucio!" joke.)

I read the first one. I haven't read the rest and I am guessing there is no way I will read them between now and then so I doubt if I ever will. Within an hour of the release I'll know how the whole thing concluded and will lose any interest I have in it.

(I also got TPS's "Crucio!" joke)
I have all of the "Harry Potter" books. I even bought two of them when number 4 came out so I wouldn't have to compete with my son to read it. (Ever since, he can wait until I'm done, as I'm a fast reader). I think they're well written and I love them.