Harry Potter and The Half-Milked Tear (spoiler-free!)

[Jeff]

Which is carnie for "I want more cash, please" right...

[Jonno]

I recall the actor who plays Draco saying much the same thing after the second one IIRC. Perhaps he got his pay rise then?!

It's one thing when soaps recast characters, but it just wouldn't work for me with this series of films.

[Jeff]

I hate to be negative, but I fear it would ruin the series for me if they recast all of them...

[Dirk Gently]

The covers are out.

Adult version.


Kids version.



The UK editions have summaries; the inside flap reads:
"Harry has been burdened with a dark, dangerous and seemingly impossible task: that of locating and destroying Voldemorts remaining Horcruxes. Never has Harry felt so alone, or faced a future so full of shadows. But Harry must somehow find within himself the strength to complete the task he has been given. He must leave the warmth, safety , and companionship of The Burrow and follow without fear or hesitation the inexorable path laid out for him

In this final, seventh installment of the Harry Potter series, J.K. Rowling unveils in spectactular fashion the answers to the many questions that have been so eagerly awaited. The spellbinding, richly woven narrative, which plunges, twists and turns at a breathtaking pace, confirms the author as a mistress of storytelling, whose books will be read, reread and read again."


And on the back of the adult edition:
"Harry is waiting in Privet Drive. The Order of the Phoenix is coming to escort him safely away without Voldemort and his supporters knowing if they can. But what will Harry do then? How can he fulfil the momentous and seemingly impossible task that Professor Dumbledore has left him with?"

[Rob McCow]

"Harry is waiting in Privet Drive. The Order of the Phoenix is coming to escort him safely away without Voldemort and his supporters knowing – if they can. But what will Harry do then? How can he fulfil the momentous and seemingly impossible task that Professor Dumbledore has left him with?"

By not being a thoroughly useless whinging brat, perhaps?

[Martin Penny]

By not being a thoroughly useless whinging brat, perhaps?

Indeed!

[Dave Lewis]

Who buys these "adult" versions? And what is the point of them?

[Dirk Gently]

Who buys these "adult" versions? And what is the point of them?

Erm, I don't know. Some sad gits I'd imagine.

[Andrew Curnow]

There isn't any difference to the text, is there? Just the covers I think. It does seem a bit odd, because I think everybody knows that they're, in theory, children's books - so although the cover may be more 'adult' the title kinda (sorry, kind of) gives the game away.

[Dave Lewis]

It's the same text - I imagine it's so that Tim... sorry, the people who buy them... have a less childish cover picture on the children's books they're reading.

[Dave Lewis]

To be fair, the adult pic on Deathly Hallows does seem to indicate that Slytherin's locket, which ended up with Voldemort via Voldemort's mum, will be the pivotal horcrux in the tale. If the children's cover is to be belived, Harry, Ron and Hermione will burst at the reader spewing magic from their wands.

[Dirk Gently]

It's the same text - I imagine it's so that Tim... sorry, the people who buy them... have a less childish cover picture on the children's books they're reading.

Damn straight! I don't like garish covers.

The Childish...I mean children's cover looks like Ron, Harry & Hermione are falling in or out of a Gringotts vault.

As for the Locket on the cover, I think it's there because the locket was the Horcrux that caused Dumbledore's death (well the potion) & it's the Horcrux that they were supposed to have found in the cave but wasn't there.
(Incidental I think that the real locket (which is on the cover) is either in Grimmauld Place or with Mundungus who stole loads of black heirlooms or possibly with the Bar man of the Hog's Head who seemed to be buying stuff from Mundungus).

Oh my God, I'm a Harry Potter anorak!

[Rob McCow]

Harry Potter Theme Park to open -

Die-hard Harry Potter fans are in for a spellbinding treat in 2009 when a theme park based on the schoolboy wizard's adventures opens at the Universal Orlando Resort in Florida. The Wizarding World Of Harry Potter will feature famous locations from the books such as the snow-covered village of Hogsmeade, complete with shops selling cauldrons, brooms and wands, as well as a life-size Hogwarts Castle. And it has the seal of approval from Harry's creator herself, author JK Rowling. "The plans I've seen look incredibly exciting, and I don't think fans of the books or films will be disappointed," she says.

There will even be a Hogwarts Express train and Forbidden Forest. Visitors will also be able to encounter some of the characters and see magic displays.

The billion dollar project, which starts construction within weeks, is headed up by Oscar-nominated production designer Stuart Craig who has worked on the Harry Potter movies. "Our primary goal is to make sure this experience is an authentic extension of Harry Potter's world as it is portrayed in the books and films."

While fans await the park's completion there's plenty to look forward to in the meantime. The last book in the series, Harry Potter And The Deadly Hallows is being launched at midnight on July 21. The author will do a special reading at the Natural History Museum in London and will then take part in a marathon book signing session until dawn. The book's action includes the death of two characters - but JK has not revealed whether Harry is one of them.

The fifth film, Harry Potter And The Order Of The Phoenix, is due to hit UK screens on July 3.

I love the idea of JK doing a special reading. She could sit in front of the Diplodocus skeleton with a crowd of kids and read Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows to herself.
"Haha. That was a good joke I wrote there."
"Spelling mistake, dear me."
"Hagrid's death* is so moving."

*based on supposition.

[Dirk Gently]

Don't you just love it when facts are accurate?

It's Deathly Hallows & the film Order of the Phoenix is due on 13th July.

[Dave Lewis]

Speaking of facts, has anybody seen the "spoilers" that the hacker who allegedly hacked Bloomsbury Publishing has revealed? They're not even remotely convincing.

[Rob McCow]

They're not even remotely convincing.

Just like the last two books!

[Dirk Gently]

I did read that e-mail & it didn't even make any sense within itself, let alone with regard to the books.

[Dirk Gently]

Well, I've checked my account @ Play & they've posted my copy. Hopefully it'll be here on Saturday morning at the latest.

[Andrew Curnow]

Ours is flagged as 'being prepared for despatch' - and they've taken the money out of the bank, so it'd better be!!

[Rob McCow]

I hope you didn't order yours from Asda, Andrew.

[Dirk Gently]

I heard about that, Asda hadn't paid Bloomsbury for their order so Bloomsbury withdrew all copies & are not supplying Asda. I'd hate to be one of those who preordered from them.

[Andrew Curnow]

Amazon, not Asda. Thankfully.

[Jonno]

I applaud Asda - 17.99 is a shocking RRP for a children's book, no matter if it is 600 pages. I'll be getting the paperback for what I would hope will be 10-11 less.

But then, I'm in no hurry as I've yet to start reading book 6.

[Dirk Gently]

Mine is the Hardback, RRP 17.99,for 9.99 posted. Apparently Tesco are doing it for 8.97 or something.

[Paul Monk]

Give it a couple of months and Charity Shops will be full of copies going for about 3. 17.99 is madness!