But ultimately this should be a happy day, and yet I am feeling frustrated.
Why?
I'm glad you asked!
What is really getting to me is all the spoilers and stuff that is out there on the net, even early reviews with spoilers in them published in major papers. I understand it is all very exciting and everything, but do we need this sort of instant gratification? Can't we just be patient? Wasn't it always, "the longer you wait the sweeter it will be" and isn't there something really special about sharing a particular experience with people all over the world at the same time?
It makes me sad that people have turned this event into a selfish race to the finish line.
Another thing that upsets me is that there is bound to be some jerk out there who will find it just oh so amusing to ruin the ending or something. I remember when I was in England when the sixth one came out and someone hung out over an overpass of the motorway a large poster that read (spoiler - highlight to read):
Dumbledore Dies
I never quite understand these people. Well I sort of do. They see a large mass of people going crazy over a kids' book, dressing up in costume and being, what they consider, stupid, and so they decide they are going to mess with them.
What they don't appreciate is that despite all the adults who love the book, it is still a series for CHILDREN. In ruining the ending or whathaveyou in your selfish attempt at a good time (for only them, but that's all that matters right?) they are ruining the moment for KIDS.
Why can't others can't let other people be? If a group of people are having a harmless good time, and you think it's stupid, what does it matter? They don't care what you think. Or is it that? Are you feeling left out, and therefore want to exert your personality by ruining the fun for everyone else?
So a plea, but honestly I just don't think it makes much sense as the people reading this blog aren't really the type of people to do this sort of thing, but nonetheless:
Please don't ruin it. If you don't like the Harry Potter craziness, stay home. If you are jealous of not being able to join in, don't take it out on those who can.
Or you know what? Maybe join in on the festivities! Who knows, instead of being a miserable sod, you might find a little participation could be enjoyable. Heck - dare I say it? - fun!
10 comments:
I'm going to write about this today too!
I've beenthinking about it all week. I'm not even getting a copy of the book this weekend. Like how's that for delaying gratification???
I"ll be walking around with my eyes closed and my hands over my ears for the next few months to avoid spoilers. I hate spoilers.
Adrienne, if you want to come to a huge party, google "New Hamburg" or "New Hogsmeade" or "Harry Potter Festival" and come out to New Hamburg for a huge party. It's taking over the whole town and the town next to it. It's only a little over an hour's drive from Toronto!
Amen.
I never understood that, either. People just want to enjoy themselves, but for some folks the only enjoyment they get is being mean. Must be a pretty shallow life they have.
I will be in a car at midnight tonight, driving from Tennessee to maine for my vacation (no, the drive isn't the vacation...being in maine is the vacation, silly). However, my wife has informed me in no uncertain terms that we are stopping at the first Wal Mart we come to on the interstate and getting HP7. So I guess she'll get to read some of it.
Well said, Adrienne!
And while we're having a gripe in the neighbourhood of Harry Potter, may I add, what is with these people who knock the writing, the plot, the - every damn thing they can find! Sure there has been some very clever marketing - that's not a crime. Books do not take off the way Harry Potter has unless they connects with the reader. And isn't that what good writing is all about - connecting with the reader?
Reminds me of the time back in the 70's that I bought Robin Cook's book COMA and the clerk (as he bagged it) said "oh yeah that's the one where they're using all the bodies for organ transplants."
Ya gotta wonder.
I see kind of the same thing when I read reviews of LOTTERY and too much detail is given.
Ah well.
What can you do?
Right on! I'm avoiding all mention of Harry Potter 7. Even seemingly harmless comments like "I loved it!" tell me way more than I wanted to know, by way of inference.
And because I live in the sticks, amazon.ca (or, rather, Canada Post) can't deliver the book until some time later in the coming week. Have pity!
And the rest of us can simply avoid the spoilers. See the headline, don't read the article.
There will always be mean, small-minded people. YOu can choose to step back when they fling dog poo at you, and it hits the ground instead of you.
And laugh at them. Pity them for being so small, narrow, and miserly, incapable of enjoyment, hating themselves so much they have to try to hurt others.
You don't have to buy into it. You can rise above it.
I hope you enjoyed the book as much as I did -- I'm not going into detail on my blog about it yet until I'm sure more people have read it!
I think in the case of the Rowling books, it's gotten very competitive in terms of who gets, who reads it first. Adults or kids? Since most kids these days do not read 750 tomes (and are instead on youtube, what you get are adults behaving as very bad kids.
They don't do this with the other YA books my daughter reads (note: she doesn't read the Harry Potter books), such as Rick Riordan, Lemony Snicket, or Miranda Jones.
No, adults want nothing to do with those.
Now that it's been out for almost 48 hours ... much every post I've seen has been sure to make it clear up front if it includes spoilers.
Of course, I'm reading mostly kidlit blogs, and kidlit writers, agents and editors tend to be exceptionally nice people!
Sorry for not responding sooner, I have been MIA while reading said book, and was too scared of going onto the internet for fear of the spoilers I detest so much!
heidi - how cool that the whole town got involved! I went to the party in downtown toronto (the one they kept showing clips of in the news), it was AMAZING
david - have you started to read it yet, have you have you?
dawn - sigh I'm with you. People are allowed their opinion, but surely there is a reason that so many people love this book!
snarkfodder - aw man! How can you stand waiting so long!!!
devon - true true. But there is nothing you can do if someone yells out "Harry is a purple plongwinker!" Or like that banner I cited as an example, that was hung over the motorway. You can't avoid those. I am amazing at avoiding spoilers, heck I avoid all trailers for the movies! But there are still those jerks out there who take it one step too far.
kanani - oh most definitely it's a competition! But I would say that thanks to HP many kids these days do read 750 paged tomes. If you look in the MG section you'll see how the books have grown in length since her books made it big (heck mine is twice as long as the 'accepted' size)
linda - yeah, I usually like to savour the books, but this time I really read to finish it because of all the spoilers out there. Thank goodness for kidlit respect! And yay for "spoiler alert"!
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