And its....[drum roll]....HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF BLOOD PRINCE? Ehhh....I dunno about that one, JKR. Then again, who am I kidding, I'm going to nitpick any sort of news I hear about the book.
The title was released after a hoaxer declared the book would be titled HARRY POTTER AND THE PILLAR OF STORGE, which is rather stupid for a hoax title (although plenty of folks believed it.) In other news, Robert Gottlieb, fresh from wrestling with Bill Clinton's MY LIFE, has taken over as Rowling's new editor for Book Six.
What a relief - it still has "Harry Potter" in the title. On a serious note, I'm surprised that JKR has a turnover in the editor department. I know it's something most writers are used to - in the US, I've had five editors over the course of two books - but I would have thought, given the power of the HP franchise, the same editor would be kept in place.
Posted by: Kevin Wignall | June 29, 2004 at 10:55 AM
Actually Kevin....there's a reason I included that editor bit in the same paragraph as the hoax titles.
Posted by: Sarah | June 29, 2004 at 11:08 AM
I won't be able to leave any more comments for a while - I'll be outside having some sense beaten into me!
P.S. Can I rest easy then? Has she had the same editor for all the books?
P.P.S. I can't BELIEVE my detector didn't go off with the mention of Bill Clinton!
Posted by: Kevin Wignall | June 29, 2004 at 11:19 AM
The Hoax title would have been funny if it had been rendered Harry Potter and the Pillar of Storage, with a plot about data backup and disaster recovery.
Posted by: michael | June 29, 2004 at 11:33 AM
Maybe I'm the only one, but I have no problem with the Harry Potter series. First off, it gets kids to read, and read books that are huge, giving them confidence in their readings. Plus, Rowling's writing makes it clear she cares about her characters, puts them through situations that doesn't allow them to be stagnant, she knows her characters are going to grow up and the stories grow darker as well. Plus Potter has changed so much that he's hardly even likable anymore, he's an honest to God teenager. Rowling is a good writer, and while she may not deserve to sell out the world and top the bestseller lists, she's also certainly not worthy of all the hell she's goes though in terms of criticism.
Posted by: Dave White | June 29, 2004 at 11:55 AM
Dave, I don't think you're the only one at all. I haven't read the books but I agree totally that she's a great force for good in the world. And let's remember something else, unlike a lot of hyped authors, her books are actually read.
Posted by: Kevin Wignall | June 29, 2004 at 02:53 PM
Speaking of Clinton.....I spent 4 hours in line with my three boys to meet the President. This was really a once in a lifetime opportunity for my boys to meet a living President. Since we live in Simi, they also got to see the funeral and memorial up close, thus their interest in meeting a living President. It will be awhile to read the book and understand his presidency.
It was a real circus...Secret Service, LAPD, and an unruly crowd that wanted to buy tickets to get books signed. Check eBay to see what a signed copy goes for, wow!
Posted by: Aldo | June 29, 2004 at 05:05 PM