 J. K. Rowling may be the number four author on the banned book list, but her release of 10.8 million copies of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is clearly number one on the must-have list.
Muggles--also known as mere mortalsof all ages eagerly snapped up copies of the book just after the stroke of midnight on Friday. This means that millions of kids, young and old alike, will be reading at least one book this summer. And it's no lightweight. Coming in at 652 pages, it looks to be quite a read. I can attest to its size because the day after Potter madness struck I went to purchase my copy. Thankfully, book six in the series is about 200 pages smaller, which will make bedtime reading a bit more comfortable. The last book weighed in at 870 pages, necessitating an advance workout with the Nautilus equipment in the gym just to keep my hands and arms from cramping.
I don't quite know what the allure of these books are. But it's definitely there. The cover illustrations have a parchment-like feel, which creates the impression of peeking into a mystical world. Then there is the anticipation of what lies between the covers. And finally the excitement of turning the page and entering year six with Harry and the gang at Hogwarts. It's all magical if you've read the series from the start.
In our home we have read them all, some more than once. This makes the two-year gap between books a big moment for Potter fans.
Around the globe televisions, computers and video games are about to drop in usage, as readers find out what is happening to Harry.
It's all part of the Harry Potter mystique, a genuine phenomenon. Even R. L. Stine's Goosebumps series, a mega-hit in its own right, can't hold a candle to the Potter books. In fact, nothing ever written has generated such a continuous furor.
Perhaps our planet is in dire need of the magical and the mystical, an escape from the chaos that bombards us daily.
Yet the books break all the marketing rules for success. Its length isn't a turnoff, and it should be, especially with children barely big or strong enough to carry the tome. Sizable gaps between writings haven't diluted readership interest. A plot that grows darker and more adult-oriented has not reduced the audience. Even the death of beloved characters has not pushed fans away. Six books later, readers are still as eager to discover Potter as when book one first arrived on American soil in 1998.
It's the Star Wars of literature. The book sold 6.9 million copies in the United States within the first 24 hours, bringing in $100 million in revenue.
Like the movie theaters, bookstores stayed open past midnight to release the book. There were even scheduled events like magic shows and contests for character look-alikes. Aside from the movies, there hasn't been any other time that customers ranging from baby boomers to kindergartners donned costumes to emulate a book's characters while awaiting its arrival.
Of course it's all extremely commercial. There's no denying that people are trying to make a buck from the Potter craze. But if it gets more people to read, if it has folks turning off their computers, email and video games for a couple of hours; if kids curl up with a book instead of their PlayStations and Nintendos, and if the world, at least temporarily, becomes a bit more literate by 652 pages. Well then, Harry Potter is truly magical. I hope we don't have to wait another two years for Rowling's book seven.
Moryt Milo is the editor of The Willow Glen Resident. She can be contacted at 400.200.1051 or mmilo@community-newspapers.com.
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