The latest, and last, Harry Potter book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, sold 8.3 million copies (worth around $250 million) in its first 24 hours - the fastest selling book of all time.
I went to Borders on the day it was released to pick up the copy that I had pre-ordered months ago. They opened at midnight as they did for the last book, and the store was packed. I got there at 12:10 and found it to be a weird cross between an after-hours party, a comic/fantasy convention, and the Christmas shopping season. There were glo-sticks and goth chicks, people dressed in character, and young kids that you don't expect to see out after midnight standing in lines that snaked through the whole store. I gave my name to a girl sitting at a table by the door. Once she confirmed my order, she gave me a purple wrist-band, a glow-stick and a poster of the book's cover art featuring the "soft geometry" pastels of illustrator Mary GrandPré. Then she pointed to the end of the long line of other nerds who had reserved copies. There were a lot of people in a separate line who hadn't reserved a copy; they were the "blue" line, and had to stand off to the side. I pulled up behind a kind of plump and disinterested-looking goth chick and a younger guy came up behind me. He had brought some reading material for the line. We chatted a little, comparing this year with last year's turn out, which I had missed. We talked about HP somewhat. I chatted with another guy a little about comics, and I was out of there 30 minutes later. By that time, the place had the feel of a club that was winding down, thinning out, people looking tired.
How cool is Joanne 'Jo' Rowling (aka J.K. Rowling), the author, for inspiring this massive book-release frenzy? Ten years ago, she developed the story of the boy wizard and his years at the school of wizardry after the idea fell into her head while waiting out a train delay. Since then, the last 4 of her 7 books have set records for the number of first print copies as well as for the record time in which they've sold.
There are a lot of records and firsts and milestones, but my favorite accomplishment is making the list of "Banned Books" repeatedly. The Harry Potter series tops lists such as "favorite challenged books" and "most frequently challenged books of the 21st century". What makes this even more lovable is that if you look at the lists of banned or challenged books, the most recurrent themes are sex, homosexuality, or offensive language, none of which can be found in any of the Harry Potter books. There are some G-rated 'sex' references, like teenagers making out, (or is that PG?) There's not a hint of gay activity, and the strongest example of profanity is the word "effing". Rowling's comments about the 2006 decision: "Once again, the Harry Potter books feature on this year's list of most-banned books. As this puts me in the company of Harper Lee, Mark Twain, J. D. Salinger, William Golding, John Steinbeck and other writers I revere, I have always taken my annual inclusion on the list as a great honour. 'Every burned book enlightens the world.' - Ralph Waldo Emerson"
The banning or challenging of Harry Potter books for their references to witchcraft is a blatant example of something ridiculous, I'm just not sure what. Close-mindedness? Fear? Paranoia? Is it because they're scared of some of the real things that imagination has brought into being? That we live in a world where fantasy novels can be feared and banned doesn't surprise me. We live in a world where the truth is more terrible than the lies that we eagerly swallow. No wonder some people take Harry and his world a little more seriously than they're meant to. A friend of mine who is an evangelical Christian argues that while the Lord of the Rings series, for example, is ok, the world of Harry Potter is strictly prohibited because, apparently, anything having to do with the world of witchcraft originates from Satan. As a secular, progressive-minded gay man who enjoys good escapist fantasy, I see this as an actual handicap on his part. I've tried to convince my friend that if he would read the books, he'd find a general theme of good vs. evil (just like Lord of the Rings) and that the protagonist is as fine a role model, if not better, than most of what you find in modern entertainment.
Anyway, other than being banned, Harry Potter books are just great reads. J. K. Rowling is a beautiful writer; she has a knack for pacing, for detail, for characterization and has a fun sense of humor. Her writing flows over you like a warm blanket on a cold night and it appeals to young and old readers alike. Whether it's because you like fantasy, or stories about finding your place in the world; challenging what you know to be wrong; standing up for what you feel is right; the power of love; the arrogance of power; struggling against oppression, racism, and slavery; denouncing torture and murder; and many other themes unworthy of banishment, you'll find yourself staying up way past your bedtime with Harry and his world.
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