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

[Milky Tears]

I was gutted when Thingy was thingied during The Thingy of Whatsitsname!

I'm now looking forward to Hogwarts:The Next Generation.

[Anthony Williams]

I've finished!

Enjoyed it for the most part, too... not sure of what I thought of the epilogue, though.

Ant x

[WhiteCrow]

I rushed out to get the book then found out my Star Fleet DVDs had arrived so could not be arsed.

[Rob McCow]

I suggest starting a new thread for people who have finished the damn book!

[Dirk Gently]

I don't understand those people who speed read through books to get to the end...

SPEED READ! You are kidding, right?
I spent the whole weekend reading it, not speed reading just journeying through the story as I found it such a page turner. This is exactly the kind of story that I'm likely to re-read many times.
I get them on CD so I can listen to Stephen Fry bring the characters to life while I'm mowing the lawn, doing jobs or tying to go off to sleep. I've heard the first 6 books at least 9-10 time each & I still love to hear them, even OotP which is still my least favourite.

I'm glad I never missed out on Harry Potter. I was not interested in these books until after the Prisoner of Azkaban movie was out & I found myself watching the first 3 movies every time I saw them on Sky while flicking through the channels, it was then that I thought I should get the first three books & they were better than the movies suggested.
That was it, I got the other two books & then joined the wait for book 6 which I never got until it was out for a while because it wasn't vital I get it but this one was 'needed' in order to finish the story of the Horcruxes that started in book 6, it was part two to me.

[Pip Madeley]

The seventh and final Harry Potter book has broken sales records on both sides of the Atlantic, selling 11 million copies in its first 24 hours. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows sold 2.7 million copies in the UK and 8.3 million in the US. It was published simultaneously in more than 90 countries.

The previous record for the fastest-selling book was held by the sixth Harry Potter novel, which sold nine million in its first day in 2005. UK publisher Bloomsbury said: "The response of the first readers to the seventh and final Harry Potter book has been wonderful. We're grateful to all our printers, distributors and retailers worldwide for the most astoundingly successful book launch ever, and to JK Rowling for the most triumphant close to a magnificent series."

A decade after the first instalment, the running total for Harry Potter book sales was already at 325 million even before the seventh novel came out. Tens of thousands of devotees - many dressed as wizards and witches - turned up to midnight launch parties at 280 branches of book chain Waterstone's, while many more took part in release parties all over the world.

UK supermarket Asda said The Deathly Hallows sold twice as quickly as its predecessor. The store, which discounted the book from 17.99 to 5, said it shifted 97% of its 500,000 copies in the first 24 hours. "The nation really has gone Potter potty," said spokesman Ed Watson.

Impressive. Though when you consider Doctor Who pulls in seven million regular, it's no contest.

[Si Hunt]

How happy must JK Rowling be - she's talented, popular, richer than the Queen and glamorous too. If I couldn't be me any more, I think I'd want to be her instead.

Si.

[Lord President]

How happy must JK Rowling be - she's talented, popular, richer than the Queen and glamorous too. If I couldn't be me any more, I think I'd want to be her instead.

Si.

She's dull in interviews though! Money and Fame? Hah!

[WhiteCrow]

She's dull in interviews though! Money and Fame? Hah!

I do sometimes get the feeling that her ego knows no bounds (2005 she said she'd "reinvented fantasy"). But it must be hard being behind such a popular success story and keep your feet on the ground.

I do think she is a good writer, although as I said the later books haven't been quite as good. I feel she writes very good characters, but plotting wise and in terms of the epic nature of her stories, it's always felt a bit like something you've seen done elsewhere.

Heck the teen boy discovering his powers to go to war against an ancient all powerful evil in several volumes is a practical staple of the Fantasy bookshelves. If there was niche for fantasy writing these days it's to write a one book story which avoids the "Part One of the Xariavanian Series", and tries to avoid the cliches. There are some librarians here - prove me wrong (please).

The only one I can think of is Terry Pratchett a very tallented author, who although writes a huge series of books, each one stands very much on it's own. Shame he'll never be as popular as JK Rowling.

[Jonno]

It's amusing to me to see just how many people have been reading this on the Tube/trains this week - mainly adults as they're the ones doing the daily commute! I've also seen people reading books 5 and 6!

And watching the cricket highlights on Monday night, the camera picked up a spectator who was reading book 7 and then looked up almost guiltily!

[Dave Lewis]

Impressive. Though when you consider Doctor Who pulls in seven million regular, it's no contest.

Exactly - Harry Potter doesn't bear comparison with Doctor Who. One is a piss-poor excuse for entertainment for children that's badly written, patronising, and only enjoyed by the under fives and saddo geeky single adults who live with their mum, and the other is a series of seven books about a boy called Harry Potter.

[Dave Lewis]

It's amusing to me to see just how many people have been reading this on the Tube/trains this week - mainly adults as they're the ones doing the daily commute! I've also seen people reading books 5 and 6!

And watching the cricket highlights on Monday night, the camera picked up a spectator who was reading book 7 and then looked up almost guiltily!

Was it Daniel Radcliffe?

[Andrew Curnow]

Little Miss and I did chapters 12 & 13 tonight. In the words of dotty scientist Dr Who, "Most exciting!"