Saturday, July 16, 2005

Hogwarts home for retired wizards

Now why is it that I don't feel even the smallest glimmer of desire to read the new Harry Potter book, The Half Blood Prince? Is it that she (J.K. Rowling) has done the idea to death and we are all bored with it? I expect that is a large part of the problem. For me a trilogy would have been enough - I found the last book one too many and although I read it to N, I felt that it was far too long and far too horrible. That's the other thing each book is longer and nastier than the last. I'm not sure as to the reason for that, maybe it reflects how fed up J.K. is with writing them, or maybe it reflects how happy (or otherwise) she is in her personal life, proving the truth of the old adage money can't buy you happiness.

Personally I think that it is high time Ms Rowling wrote about something else, she must be heartily sick of Harry and friends by now (more sick than we are even). What is she going to do end up writing about Harrys adventures as a wrinkly old man at Hogwarts home for retired (or should that be tired?) wizards, with Harry in a wheel chair replete witrh hearing aid, an incontinent and beligerant Ron and Hermione chasing behind on her zimmer frame.

Even my 12-year-old son has not shown the slightest interest in the new H.P. book. Someone should point out to Ms Rowling and her publishers that quality and quantity are not the same thing!


1 comment:

Miss Templeton said...

Agree with you on this one too. Picked up the first one in early 2001 and was thinking 'well okay! This is living up to my niece's hype.' Second one, fine. Third one, really fine. Fourth one, a bit unwieldy. Fifth one was just too Homeland Security for me. And too much confusion, too many characters, and disappointing plot.

So, while the niece--and the rest of her internet crowd--is busy trying to figure out who the half-blood prince is, I just wait til I'm in the Dublin Airport, go to the bookstore, flip to the last chapter, find out who is killed (still don't know HBP, but yeah...) and say 'Okay, there's $25 saved.'

The fourth movie too. Don't think I'll even catch that on the airline flight.

Just don't tell the niece!