Harry Potter and the Juggernaut of Hype

Posted on January 15, 2003

In a development that's sure to thrill booksellers, Scholastic has announced the long-awaited publication date of the next Harry Potter novel, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix: June 21, 2003. To date, the series about the boy wizard and his friends has sold approximately 80 million hardback and paperback copies in the United States and 192 million worldwide since the first book was released in 1998, according to Scholastic.

The book has also been widely ripped off, with bootleg Russian versions entitled Tania Grotter selling quite well in the former USSR. Chinese readers (illegally) can enjoy Harry Potter And Leopard Walk Up To Dragon: a really bizarre book in which Harry Potter has become an obese dwarf with no magical powers. The opening line in that soon-to-be-a-classic is "Harry doesn't know how long it will take to wash the sticky cream cake off his face." Luckily, most countries are signatories to international copyright treaties, and print authorized foreign-language versions of the books.

Here in the U.S., the hype juggernaut is starting up again: journalists' requests for interviews with J.K. Rowling are increasing, bookstores are already planning huge event parties with treats, parties and even sleepovers for fans, and people are pre-ordering the book from amazon.com. Normally, I would eschew any book which has this kind of in your face marketing, but there's a problem: I love the Harry Potter books. There, I've said it. They are funny, witty and wildly entertaining. The films are excellent, as well. Which puts a real damper on my inner curmudgeon, to say the least.

So, there you have it. Time to borrow a friend's children and head to my local Barnes and Noble, carrying: 1) the lightning bolt decal for my forehead, 2) my AMEX gold card and 3) a sleeping bag for the all-night party. I'll be in disguise though, so please don't say hello.