Written by: Michael Hickerson (SoSF Staff Journalist)
Perhaps all those people who weren’t going to see “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix” were curled up in a comfy chair or sitting by the pool reading the latest and last tome in the series “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.”
Whether people were reading it or not, the novel set sales records over the weekend. The last novel in J.K. Rowling’s series sold 8.3 million copies in the first 24 hours it was on the shelves. (To put that in perspective, that is 5000 copies of the novel sold a minute for the first 24 hour period.)
Bookstores across the nation stayed open late Friday night to begin selling the novel at 12:01 a.m. on Saturday, July 21 . Eager fans lined up for hours, many in costume, ready to get the final fix in the “Harry Potter” saga. Rowling had hinted that two major characters pass away in the final installment, leading to a lot of speculation on just who those two might be. And the big question–would the title character survive the series?
The novel weighs in at 759 pages, the second longest in the series.
Reviews were glowing, from USA TODAY’s to The Washington Post’s, which called it “miraculous.” The Associated Press said Hallows “definitely packs the most punch” of the Potter books.
The record-setting day for the final “Harry Potter” novel shattered the record set by the last “Harry Potter” book, which sold 6.9 million copies in 24 hours.
me and my dad went to the store here in the historic part of st charles to get the book. it was so cool with all the old buildings and cobbledtone streets and people dressed like from the books. was just like daggon alley.
the book is really really good! im only on chapter five, and alreaddy stuff happening i cant say here. the movies are good and i like them alot, but the books are better i think. sad its got to end, but maybe there will be others like it someday.
my best friend is from russia, she just got here like five years ago, and shes been learning english reading harry potter!!! i think that so rawks.
see you laters. thanks sam fr your storys. always cool stuff.
Darcy