The Harry Truth

Original My Space post date: July 20, 2007

As you may have heard, the newest Harry Potter book (officially) arrives on shelves tomorrow. Actually midnight tonight it you want to be precise about it. I have read news stories that people have already lined up in malls and bookstores across the country to ensure that come midnight, they are the proud owner of a copy of JK Rowling's story of Harry's last adventure. Kudos to them for commiting to something with such enthusiasim.It was about 2 years ago that I waited in line at the Robinson Wal-Mart, a few minutes short of midnight, awaiting the arrival of Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince. Secretly I drove to the Wal-Mart, ready to join the throng of Harry fans like myself. When I got there, not surprisingly, there was a line running from the front of the store, winding to and fro, all the way to the back in the frozen foods. Was I really up for this? A palette filled with the books sat at the entrance, with a giant bow on top, and a nervous looking manager guarding the stack. A Harry Potter cake was being divyed up among customers who wanted a piece. Adult men roamed the store in wizard robes and hats, carrying wands. It was quite a celebration.I drug myself to the back of the line and stood there, not having any idea how this book purchasing transaction was going to go down. A countdown soon began, as though we were ushering in a new year and simply not the arrival of a book. The line moved quickly. I mean, VERY quickly. I was literally walking the whole way up the line, no STOP, move, STOP, move was going on here. As people received copies of the book, some cheered triumphantly. Some annoyed looking parents simply walked to the registers, breathing a sigh of relief that when their child awoke in the morning, he of she would have the latest and greatest story in the Harry Potter series. I neared the pile of books and grabbed the first one my hand came upon. But after a quick look at the cover, I noticed a small tear in the paper sleeve. That simply wouldn't do! So I grabbed another book, but saw a black smudge on the back cover. What was going on here? I needed an UNBLEMISHED, practically perfect copy of The Half Blood Prince! On my third try, I was successful. A beautiful copy, unscratched and perfect. I walked to the register to pay and noticed that behind me there was something to be seen. That something was the end of the line, maybe 40 total copies of the book sold, and an entire palette still of the book. The excitement of the coutdown gone, wizards and witches home for the night, their newest acqusition nestled with them in bed.I felt ridiculous. I could have come tomorrow morning at 10 am, and still had my treasured copy of The Prince. As the next week went on, I spotted many copies of the book at Sam's Club, Borders, Target, all on "sale" and stocked to the brim. The frenzy that the media had created ("Get them early, they're going to sell out quick quick quick!") seemed so silly. And I was reminded of this today as I read news articles about the fans lining the bookstore sidewalks.Needless to say, I WON'T be at Wal-Mart tonight at midnight, or tommow, or even the next day. (Actually, tomorrow I will hopefully be going to see the movie, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.) Sometime next week, I will walk into some purveyor of books and purchase the coveted reading. Until then, I will go on with my life, hoping I don't hear details of the story. I want to enjoy my reading of the last and final chapter in this wonderful series , like a delicious steak dinner. Not to be rushed, but enjoyed and savored. I just hope the story lives up to all the hype.