So who here is getting the new book. Anyone crazy/devote enough to go get it at midnight?
later,
later,
Got Harry Potter?
- Thread starter epicstruggle
- Start date
I think we've ordered it through amazon.
I'll check on kazaa or whatever for the scanned PDF so I can read it on my PocketPC. (I've gotten addicted to reading that way).
I know its "piracy", but we've bought the paper version. I don't see why I should pay another $30 to buy the digital version one.
I'll check on kazaa or whatever for the scanned PDF so I can read it on my PocketPC. (I've gotten addicted to reading that way).
I know its "piracy", but we've bought the paper version. I don't see why I should pay another $30 to buy the digital version one.
Silent_One
Newcomer
I'll get it for my son (he's 11) tomorrow. We've read all the other ones together, but he older now and wan't to read it by himself.
(I'll read it after he's done ).i think i read the whole serier (up to that point) in like a week or so.However i consider myself a pretty fast reader. Im a big fan of sci-fi/fantasy (brooks, martin, jordan, feist, tolkien) must say that the potter books is like junk food, whereas the others are full course meals.
later,
later,
Looks like I'm the first to have bought it!
I went because I really enjoy the HP books, of course, but more because I'm usually a sucker for opening night festivities: midnight screenings of big movies; midnight releases of albums I'm anticipating (I bought the new Radiohead opening night a couple weeks ago, for example).
Well, not tonight. Too much hoopla and bother for me. First I went to a good local independent book store. The store itself--reasonably big, mind you--was packed to overflowing. Literally: there were about 100 people out on the sidewalk. Many in cheesy witch hats, etc. Plus someone doing Harry Potter magic tricks and asking HP trivia questions and giving away crap.
My friend and I milled around a bit before we realized everyone had a number. So then we spent some time looking for the number lady, only to be asked, when we found her, for our preorder confirmation. Uh. No preorder? No book for us.
At the time we figured they must have sold out, so I apologized again to my friend for being late (we didn't get there until around 11:45) and we headed for Barnes & Noble.
The line didn't stretch outside at Barnes & Noble. But it almost did, and as anyone who has been in one knows, that means a whole whole lot of people. I'd guess 400-500. The line snaked all around the store, including past a corner that had been dedicated to...decorating cheesy witch hats.
On the other hand, there wouldn't be any danger of a sellout--in the front of the store was a huge pile of unopened boxes of Harry Potter V, at least a couple thousand copies worth.
After much difficulty finding the end of the line, I settled in for the wait while my friend got a coffee. I figured I could pass the time by skimming whatever was nearby. So I turned around and found myself staring right at Hitler. The biography section, and for some reason the only ones within reach were of Adolf or of people I had absolutely zero interest in skimming about (e.g. John Paul Jones, Father of the American Navy).
Then the line started moving, and after a few feet I realized that I actually hadn't found the end of the line, and so rather than butting I wound my way even farther into the aisles of bad books. Then I was stuck in the romance section for another 10 minutes, which wouldn't have been so terrible for skimming if the teenaged girls behind me weren't watching.
Anyways, it was a really long line. But finally we get to the front. And the lady in front of the pile of literally thousands of books (and we were among the last 20 people in the line, realize) asks...for our "line ticket". We don't have a line ticket? Oh, just go to the help desk and give them your reservation. We don't have a reservation? Oh, then you're not supposed to get a book.
Ok, so they did finally give me a book. But in doing so they were breaking their policy. And I realized that they weren't sold out at the first book store either; we just weren't allowed in without a reservation.
WTF??!?
All of a sudden I can't decide at the last minute whether I want to buy a book on the night of the release anymore? And I can't decide where I want to buy it--I need to pick the bookstore a week in advance??
Look, folks, the crowds were huge, way bigger than any midnight crowds I've seen before. But they printed 8.5 million copies of this book. It's the biggest printing EVER, of ANY BOOK, EVER. There weren't going to be any stores selling out.
And if there's a danger, then fine, reserve enough copies to cover all the preorders. But why the hell not allow walk-ins to pay you good money for a product??
The only answer I can think of is that they want to force you to preorder everything, so that they lock you into a sale. Well, that's gross.
Now off to read my book.
I went because I really enjoy the HP books, of course, but more because I'm usually a sucker for opening night festivities: midnight screenings of big movies; midnight releases of albums I'm anticipating (I bought the new Radiohead opening night a couple weeks ago, for example).
Well, not tonight. Too much hoopla and bother for me. First I went to a good local independent book store. The store itself--reasonably big, mind you--was packed to overflowing. Literally: there were about 100 people out on the sidewalk. Many in cheesy witch hats, etc. Plus someone doing Harry Potter magic tricks and asking HP trivia questions and giving away crap.
My friend and I milled around a bit before we realized everyone had a number. So then we spent some time looking for the number lady, only to be asked, when we found her, for our preorder confirmation. Uh. No preorder? No book for us.
At the time we figured they must have sold out, so I apologized again to my friend for being late (we didn't get there until around 11:45) and we headed for Barnes & Noble.
The line didn't stretch outside at Barnes & Noble. But it almost did, and as anyone who has been in one knows, that means a whole whole lot of people. I'd guess 400-500. The line snaked all around the store, including past a corner that had been dedicated to...decorating cheesy witch hats.
On the other hand, there wouldn't be any danger of a sellout--in the front of the store was a huge pile of unopened boxes of Harry Potter V, at least a couple thousand copies worth.
After much difficulty finding the end of the line, I settled in for the wait while my friend got a coffee. I figured I could pass the time by skimming whatever was nearby. So I turned around and found myself staring right at Hitler. The biography section, and for some reason the only ones within reach were of Adolf or of people I had absolutely zero interest in skimming about (e.g. John Paul Jones, Father of the American Navy).
Then the line started moving, and after a few feet I realized that I actually hadn't found the end of the line, and so rather than butting I wound my way even farther into the aisles of bad books. Then I was stuck in the romance section for another 10 minutes, which wouldn't have been so terrible for skimming if the teenaged girls behind me weren't watching.
Anyways, it was a really long line. But finally we get to the front. And the lady in front of the pile of literally thousands of books (and we were among the last 20 people in the line, realize) asks...for our "line ticket". We don't have a line ticket? Oh, just go to the help desk and give them your reservation. We don't have a reservation? Oh, then you're not supposed to get a book.
Ok, so they did finally give me a book. But in doing so they were breaking their policy. And I realized that they weren't sold out at the first book store either; we just weren't allowed in without a reservation.
WTF??!?
All of a sudden I can't decide at the last minute whether I want to buy a book on the night of the release anymore? And I can't decide where I want to buy it--I need to pick the bookstore a week in advance??
Look, folks, the crowds were huge, way bigger than any midnight crowds I've seen before. But they printed 8.5 million copies of this book. It's the biggest printing EVER, of ANY BOOK, EVER. There weren't going to be any stores selling out.
And if there's a danger, then fine, reserve enough copies to cover all the preorders. But why the hell not allow walk-ins to pay you good money for a product??
The only answer I can think of is that they want to force you to preorder everything, so that they lock you into a sale. Well, that's gross.
Now off to read my book.
You know what's funny, my wife pre-ordered the book and the Deluxe special super dooper edition from Amazon and both came in today. That was amazing, seeing that she paid for next day air on just the regular book. Another amazing thing is that the special edition was supposed to come out a week after the regular book was released or somthing like that.
If anybody cares, it was widely available on Kazaa last night. I read a few pages and YUP, its Harry Potter.
My wife and I took our 8 year old along at midnight to buy it He really enjoyed the experience, other than the piss-taking drunks wandering past Smiths and Waterstones.
Then Amazon kindly delivered the original pre-order we made.
So 2 copies. I read the others to my boys, but now the eldest is reading it himself, so the wife and I are altenating reading the spare copy.
He really enjoyed the experience, other than the piss-taking drunks wandering past Smiths and Waterstones.Then Amazon kindly delivered the original pre-order we made.
So 2 copies. I read the others to my boys, but now the eldest is reading it himself, so the wife and I are altenating reading the spare copy.
ZenBearClaw!
Newcomer
Hmmm think again if you think that its wierd that a kid can read 800 pages of 4th grade drivel. Remember most young kids dont have a single problem playing video games for 4-5hrs straight and reading a book is nothing because its not as tiring. I agree though with the quality of the literature, i've read a couple of pages and didn't feel like waisting my time reading more but then i also find criton borring too. My GF made it further but she also turned away before the end. Honestly it is a good thing though since so many kids have such an aversion to reading these day and maybe if they start reading lengthy novels they will eventually stumble onto the other kid favorite authors such as Asimov, Heinlien, and Card and maybe in 15-20 years we will start having mass market entertainment thats slightly intersting... of course i could be very wrong.
Asimov, Card, Heinlen are children's favorites!?