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Original poster

how come nobody has bought Rowling's new book?

111 replies

notactuallyme · 27/09/2012 21:46

went into town at 4pm after work, thinking 'shame, they'll all be gone' only to find that every shop had them discounted - a tenner in Waterstones! HMV had piles of them and I gave in and bought one in Tescos for £9 - what happened there then?

OP posts:
GrimmaTheNome · 27/09/2012 23:55

Whoever buys hardbacks - even 'discounted' to £9? I've not even read a review of JKs latest, but if I do get it, it'll be a paperback and probably not till they're discounted too.

I don't even buy Pratchett in hardback, though waiting for the paperback to come out later bugs me a bit.

Corygal · 27/09/2012 23:40

Anticipating an irresistible read in the vein of Harry-heroin, I snatched my copy at 5pm from the panting Amazon man as he came up the path. I am now on Mumsnet.

That is my review.

FreddieMercurysBolero · 27/09/2012 23:30

That's fine, each to their own. I just think it was unnesscessary to make assumptions and be condescending to another poster on the basis of that.

imperialstateknickers · 27/09/2012 23:29

The first three HP books were excellent, I demolished them and couldn't wait for ddtwins to be old enough to enjoy them. The Goblet of Fire was unreadable. I mean that.... I tried three times and couldn't get past page 100. Turgid, uninterested in characters - it was like trying to get through Women In Love (when it was a set text) all over again. YY to whoever said she needed serious editing, me and our local vicar (!) agreed this one about five years ago.

LemarchandsBox · 27/09/2012 23:21

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

FreddieMercurysBolero · 27/09/2012 23:20

Hmmm I'll disagree with you on the film thing Coco, but wholeheartedly agree with you on the Mr. Men books. What a pile of wank they are, luckily DS is too young to realise that I'm making them up as I read them to him:)

LemarchandsBox · 27/09/2012 23:18

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

cocolepew · 27/09/2012 23:18

No, I'm right Grin

livealoha · 27/09/2012 23:16

No Coco, the films were a hit because the books were so popular

FreddieMercurysBolero · 27/09/2012 23:16

Jesus LeMarchand, bitchy and snobbish much? I won't be buying the book but will probably get it off my sister when she's finished it. I liked Harry Potter, I also liked DWJ. Each to their own I suppose.

AppleCrumbleAndFish · 27/09/2012 23:14

Again, you must be exhausted with all that research.

BigWhoop · 27/09/2012 23:13

Sorry - extra full stop added itself, and I meant 'are' rather than 'ate'.

BigWhoop · 27/09/2012 23:11

I've just started a degree module on Children's Literature - first set text is a choice between HP and Northern Lights. I've read both - and think Northern Lights better written, but there is a lot of interesting discussion already on what makes good children's literature. It also raises the point - who are we to decide? Surely that is up to children. (unless of course you ate reading it as adult literature - in which case it is entirely up to you to decide if it is any good or not).
She obviously has a lot of appeal to children, and a rare gift to get inside their heads without being patronising or judgemental. She has the ability to write as a child, not for children.
Who cares if some of her writing is a bit off track.

As for the new JK Rowling novel... I'll wait for the paperback thanks Smile

JollyToddler · 27/09/2012 23:11

Again, not their political views, their political donations.

AppleCrumbleAndFish · 27/09/2012 23:08

Jollytoddler, it must be exhausting checking the political views of everyone before choosing how to spend your money.

KeemaNaanAndCurryOn · 27/09/2012 23:02

I loved Harry Potter and I'm not ashamed about it. Lets face it, it was one of the most successful series of books ever and I would love to have written it, no matter how many people thought it was badly written.

I'll prob get her new one on Kindle once the price comes down.

JollyToddler · 27/09/2012 22:57

AppleCrumble, I am happy enough to get her book from the library or second hand, I am just not comfortable giving her money because she might then give it to the labour party. Just because I disagree with her politics doesn't mean I dislike the HP books or anything else she may write - I just don't want to give her money.

LemarchandsBox · 27/09/2012 22:54

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

TheOneWithTheHair · 27/09/2012 22:49

Dh bought one for me. I'll let you know how it is if you like?

cocolepew · 27/09/2012 22:46

The books would never have been so popular if it wasn't for the films

You know what else is badly written? The bloody Mr Men books and look how popular they are. Absolute nightmare to read out loud.

HardHittingLeafletCampaign · 27/09/2012 22:46

Perhaps any woman could have written them, but they didn't, she did.

AppleCrumbleAndFish · 27/09/2012 22:44

I don't really understand the OP. It's normal for books to be piled high in supermarkets at a discounted price. Of course they have some left. They wouldn't have expected to sell out on day 1.
Jollytoddler, I really doubt that JKR is crying into her millions tonight at the lack of your tenner. She has a different political opinion from you. That doesn't mean you can't enjoy her book.

KrispyCakehead · 27/09/2012 22:42

Ha ha.. if JKR wrote HP "weakly", I wish I could write such weak stuff.... Grin

cocolepew · 27/09/2012 22:41

DD1loved HP she was obsessed. I banned her from reading them in the end because I didn't think they were very well written, and I thought she should broaden her reading. Admittedly I had only glanced through one but I though it wasn't great.DD was still arguing that they were wonderful up until the summer. She's 14 and I said she could re read them in the summer. She gave up halfway through the first one and admitted it was because of her writing style. Score one to mum.

parques · 27/09/2012 22:38

Rather like Kate Atkinson's Jackson Brodie books. Not keen on the others though.
Never read Harry Potter.

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