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Hype, and such.
21/7/07 10:49I arrived at the library at 7:30, checked out my copy of HP 7, ran down to the Burger King to get my breakfast--where the cashier said to me, "My wife was up at 4 in the morning reading that book!"
It was a nice little moment, and I think it's the flip side to all the people who are dismayed about the Harry Potter hype, and people who are into it "just because it's popular."
It is a good thing to have things in common with each other. People care about sports or Lost or Brangelina partly because they just do--and also partly because they're what people talk about. And sometimes when a friend recommends a book, you just have to read it--not only because you trust your friend's taste, but so that you'll share that thing.
People who read, we don't get that very much. Even when James Patterson writes a book that sells a couple million copies doesn't enter the pop culture to that extent; you don't strike up conversations about it. (Probably The DaVinci Code was the last novel to do so. And before that....?) And it's fun to experience being part of that. Even if you can objectively admit that the prose could use some tightening.
I probably wouldn't have so much interest in the Harry Potter books if they were just random books on a shelf that nobody else cared about. I'm not falling over myself to read the Pendragon books or anything. And I think that is okay; I don't think there's anything wrong with getting wrapped up in the hype and excited about being a part of that excitement.
On the other hand, it's good to have some skepticism about the marketing efforts of a massive publishing conglomerate that wants to sell a lot of books for $34.99. Still, I'll enjoy my free copy.
It was a nice little moment, and I think it's the flip side to all the people who are dismayed about the Harry Potter hype, and people who are into it "just because it's popular."
It is a good thing to have things in common with each other. People care about sports or Lost or Brangelina partly because they just do--and also partly because they're what people talk about. And sometimes when a friend recommends a book, you just have to read it--not only because you trust your friend's taste, but so that you'll share that thing.
People who read, we don't get that very much. Even when James Patterson writes a book that sells a couple million copies doesn't enter the pop culture to that extent; you don't strike up conversations about it. (Probably The DaVinci Code was the last novel to do so. And before that....?) And it's fun to experience being part of that. Even if you can objectively admit that the prose could use some tightening.
I probably wouldn't have so much interest in the Harry Potter books if they were just random books on a shelf that nobody else cared about. I'm not falling over myself to read the Pendragon books or anything. And I think that is okay; I don't think there's anything wrong with getting wrapped up in the hype and excited about being a part of that excitement.
On the other hand, it's good to have some skepticism about the marketing efforts of a massive publishing conglomerate that wants to sell a lot of books for $34.99. Still, I'll enjoy my free copy.