In wishing that JKRowling would shut the fuck about her new novel?

[ExitPursuedByABear]

For days now the media has been awash with interviews about her new 'adult' book. Every time I turn on the radio or the tv, there she is, giving another bloody interview. She has said she thought about publishing it under a pseudonym but decided to go public. You know what JKR, anonymous would have been a good idea.

I mean, the Harry Potter books are a good yarn but hardly great literature so I am not exactly champing at the bit to get my teeth into her 'adult' offering.

And apparently it contains swearing .

She has called her fictional middle class village with the adjacent sink estate Pagford.

[McHappyPants2012]

i want to read it, but i have a 5 other books to get through 1st.

[OrangeImperialGoldBlether]

Karlos, actually the magic parts of the books are the least important parts so she can't be compared to Jill Murphy (can't believe anyone actually wanted to compare.)

JKR's books involve huge themes such as death and sacrifice, friendship and love. She writes a lot about family (even though they are in boarding school) and the impact of a family on a child. Think of Draco, influenced by a whole band of dangerous family members, who's offered the chance to be good and refuses it. Think of the Weasley family and the love that's there and the way the children and their friends can depend on them whenever, wherever. And then Harry, of course, who has the trace memory of loving parents - one of the most poignant moments in the first book, I think, is when he sees a photograph of them for the first time. And then Hermione, with her busy working parents who trust her and give her the freedom to make her own decisions. There are a lot of lessons for any parent to learn there.

I've just read a description of the Worst Witch:

"Mildred Hubble is the worst student at Miss Cackle's Academy for Witches. She is well-meaning but does things without thinking. The benevolent headmistress, Miss Cackle, is generally understanding, whereas Mildred's form teacher, the virago Miss Hardbroom thinks she just isn't trying hard enough."

Why would anyone think JKR had stolen that idea, ffs? You really have to stop comparing in that way, Karlos - it makes you sound really stupid!

As for the films - I've never known anyone who preferred to films to the books. There's no way the films can even begin to show the subtlety of the books.

[HoldMeCloserTonyDanza]

I got it today and I'm only a few chapters in but it's very good. Better than I expected.

[McHappyPants2012]

the HP books are amazing, the films have never di them justice.

[McHappyPants2012]

also the ending on HP7+2 is diffrent, in the film harry tells ron and hermione how the elder wand was his...but in the book he tells voldemort how the wand was his. Also dumbledore talks to harry after defeating voldemort the film missed that part out completly

[Ullena]

I still feel that both Murphy and Rowling relied on the same archetypes - scary potions teacher (Snape/Hardbroom), clever friend (Hermione/Ethel), snooty bully/nemesis type and well meaning but imperfect protaganist. All set in a magical boarding school. There are only so many ideas to go around. I do not class this as deliberate plagiarism, but as two authors expanding on the same theme. Of course there is some cross over!

Orange, maybe you should try reading the Murphy books as opposed to just the description. They are very short children's novellas. Of course they don't have the same degree of depth - there are not enough pages available But they do share very common ancestry; namely magical realism combined with the boarding school adventure.

Although Snape will never be able to equal Miss Hardbroom...

[ExitPursuingDameAbsy]

No, I am not a disgruntled author. And no I am not jealous. And no, I don't have any issues personally with JKR. I just thought the publicity surrounding her new 'adult' novel was a bit OTT.

And yes, I think someone in her position could control the publicity.

Which I think is what I said originally.

[OrangeImperialGoldBlether]

Do you remember "The Secret History", Exit? The book was sealed - you couldn't have a read beforehand. I thought that was a great marketing ploy and yes, I bought the book and loved it. Do you think that was the work of an over controlling author, too?

[OrangeImperialGoldBlether]

Do you remember "The Secret History", Exit? The book was sealed - you couldn't have a read beforehand. I thought that was a great marketing ploy and yes, I bought the book and loved it. Do you think that was the work of an over controlling author, too?

[ExitPursuingDameAbsy]

Oh it wasn't about it being secret, it was just about her being everywhere like a rash, going on about it like it was going to be the new, the new, the new, Pride and Prejudice.

Shit, wish I had never started this now.

[McHappyPants2012]

there are bazillions of books and people are going to have thier own views. I would bet my husband and kids that there will ever be a book that everyone likes. It is an impossible goal.

[Tryingtothinkofnewsnazzyname]

It's the start of the run-up-to-Christmas book season. All authors with books out ill be doing the round and JKR will be the one everyone wants to get. Not her fault she's successful. Frankly, I would rather see her interviewed than half the no-marks they have on BBC Breakfast, and certainly more so than yet another TV/radio/online item about Corrie, the X Factor or TOWIE.

[NetworkGuy]

Well, of course there will be people lining up to interview her.

Guy from Front Row had a 'sneak peek' at her home, but let's face it, how much attention will have been her doing, and how much from the publishers, making sure the launch gets coverage.

I've never seen/ read any of the Harry Potter books, and not likely to take any interest in this one, but from time to time catch Saturday Review, etc, and hear about things in the creative arts world that I would need to be paid to visit.

Most of the guests on radio and TV are there because of their latest / forthcoming 'project' whatever it may be, and anyone watching/ listening, whether it be breakfast TV, Steve Wright, or some TV/ radio 'chat show', knows they are there to sell, sell, sell.

YABU - it's a 5 second wonder in the greater scheme of things, and she'll be off the TV and radio in a week or two (perhaps longer if there are record sales), and someone else will fill the gap!

[NetworkGuy]

gimmecakeandcandy wrote "Her self-important attitude with her blanket bam on those who have read the book reviewing it before it goes to press or saying anything about it and her 'carefully' controlled interviews and readings of the book"

I think there are parallels to be drawn - the launch of a new Apple 'version' (not even a new product, but the latest, with tiny adjustments) gets more hype, TV stories world wide (not helped by a massive goof over their maps being poor), and everything shrouded in secrecy with some journalists forbidden from even attending press launches (because they've made critical comments in the past at ww.TheRegister.co.uk)...

It's a PR job to add intrigue / hype and the plebs public lap it up, mostly if they are bothered enough to follow that company / hobby / interest

[BeanieStats]

Her writing is by any standard, terrible. She writes by adverb and her prose is so clunky to be unreadable. Her stories are hugely derivative, her characters are paper thin and her pacing is terrible. She also badly needs a editor willing to stand up to her as evidenced by the later books. Her only strength is plotting. As someone else stated up thread there's a good reason why she was rejected so often.

Having said all that, she's obviously been in the right place at the right time and done very well out of that. I do wonder if things would be quite the same and if we'd see the same amount of fuss if she'd had the courage to release her new book under a pseudonym though

[McHappyPants2012]

I am welcoming this boring news, after months of doom and gloom it's refreshing change

[GranToAirMissiles]

She's successful, she's rich, she's good-looking, and she's even nice! No wonder lots of people don't like her. FFS have a bit of humanity, OP.

[MrsFionaCharming]

Was that someone insulting JKR? I couldn't quite hear over the sound of the THEME PARK BASED ON HER INCREDIBLY SUCCESSFUL BOOK SERIES...

(Because all 'terrible' authors get one of those...)

[ICutMyFootOnOccamsRazor]

YABU. Lumos is just one of her brilliant charities that gets almost no publicity. I think she's a Good Thing.

[Lifeispainless]

'Her writing is by any standard, terrible. She writes by adverb and her prose is so clunky to be unreadable'

It's better than mine, and how can her prose be unreadable?

She's sold 450 million books, have they not been read?

[MadameCastafiore]

I just wish she would look bloody happy. Her interview on BBC news yesterday was dire.

[nooka]

Is there actually any evidence that JK Rowling/Harry Potter got children reading? Beyond the phenomenal sales of her books that is (I'd put this down to clever marketing and somehow catching the right vibe for the time). I do find all the 'isn't her writing so wonderful and imaginative' irritating because as an avid reader of just this genre of children's fiction I have to agree with Beaniestats I find her writing derivative, clunky and in the later books very poorly edited, and the end of the series was frankly awful.

But hey if her success was what got all the Diana Wynne Jones books reprinted then who cares really. I've absolutely no problem with her promoting her new book and am curious to see if it is reviewed well, although having read too many really fawning reviews of HP I'm quite cynical.

[Farewelltoarms]

I was not criticising her appearance, I was commenting on the amount of work she has done which helps promote the image that women in their forties have no wrinkles. While I understand why an actress might feel this sort of pressure, I don't understand why someone who has made such a successful living with words needs to. I think it does us all a disservice.

[Merrylegs]

I still agree with your original premise, Exit.

FWIW I think JKR has done authors a great service.

In the run up to Harry Potter, children's book publishing had gone the way of the series. It was all Animal Ark and Goosebumps.

Publishers had lost their faith in stand alone authors.

Bookshops shelved under series name.

CS Lewis wasn't under 'L' for eg, but 'N' for Narnia.

Where were the books of our childhood - Tom's Midnight Garden? Ballet Shoes?

The author had literally lost their voice.

Then Bloomsbury - traditionally an adult publisher - took a risk with HP and lo, all the parents cried 'hurrah. A good old-fashioned yarn. About boarding school! And magic! By a writer! Not a committee!'

And suddenly authors were back on the shelves. And new ones too. Filed under last name. not series.

(It has now come full circle again with Rainbow faireis and beast quest, but for a time....)

JK is v savvy - she is so mind-bustingly rich not, initially through the books, but through the merchandising. Right from the start she kept copyright on ANYTHING HP related - I wouldn't be surprised if somehow she is earning something from this thread right now!

[twoGoldfingerstoGideon]

I'm older than her. I have no wrinkles. I've had no work done. Where is the evidence that JK has had work done? Her forehead seems to work like a normal un-botoxed forehead if you watch the interviews, so I just don't get this assumption that because she looks good, she's 'had work done' and is letting the side down. Sorry farewell, but it now sounds you are judging her not for her appearance but for the possibility that she is 'doing us all a disservice' because you think she may have had cosmetic surgery. Maybe I'm doing womankind a disservice by dying my grey hair. I hope no-one's judging me for letting the side down.

I prefer to see her as an inspirational, self-made successful single parent, who has chosen not to piss off and live in a tax haven - something which would be doing the whole bloody country a disservice IMO.