The Sheila Variations

I never really got into the HP books - love the movies, love the sweet story, all that - but I have really enjoyed watching the people who have go into a frenzy over it. I was in Barnes and Noble on Thursday and *everybody* was talking about it. They were outright giddy going apecrazy over the "Harry Potter Madness" night they were going to have the following day. Every customer service clerk in the store was on the phone taking pre-orders. I practically considered showing up myself just to watch all the kiddies having a blast over it. That's why all the spoilers I keep hearing about in reviews - spoilers with no warnings that you're about to have the ending ruined for you - really piss me off. What are people like that thinking? It's the reader fan equivalent of taking pleasure in torturing small animals. I cannot understand it.

I remember when The Empire Strikes Back first came out. There was an enormous buzz about the big "secret" in the movie. Nobody told you what it was. They were bursting with excitement over it, but they would not dare give it away. We all know it now. It's a part of pop culture folklore, but at the time? You just did not tell anyone that didn't know. I can't imagine what it's like for young fans now who go into that movie knowing the "secret." It was such an incredible part of seeing that movie for the first time.

Anyway, I hope you and all the other HP fans enjoy the book, especially since it's the last.

Just what is it with Dean Stockwell's below the horizon fame with a certain group of afficinado's that are supposedly the cool ones in the know? The best I can come up with is one quasi-cult B&W hard to finance movie with Barbra Stanwick, some loose association with the Dennis Hopper crowd around that chopper movie with Fonda, Nicholoson, et al., and the psychedelic era, and I think Blue Velvet with its dark themes. I think I get his appeal to the hip crowd who themselves with all their intelligence and priveledge are equally caught in personally tragic situations overflowing with angst and self repproach while still somehow managing to look good most of the time. But is that all his body of work is?

I completely agree with the "get off the internet to avoid spoilers" attitude. This is my first time on since Thursday (quite an amazing feat, I must admit, requiring large amounts of origami paper and chewing gum) and it was well worth it. The book was ten THOUSAND times better when I was reading it with virgin eyes, the twisting plot unbeknownst to me. I can't help but feel remorse now that it's over, though... It's the end of an era.

PS - I love Dean's muscular thigh in that photo :P
and you MUST to an HP post, I want to know what you think!

Brian - Wow, that's quite a chip you've got on your shoulder there, pal. Privilege? Affianados? WTF?

I think he's a wonderful character actor - with an incredible trajectory of a career. I admire it.

Britt - I'm more than halfway thru it! I am afraid to say more. I seriously don't even want to know what happens in the next chapter let alone the end of the book!

I won't even look at the pages of chapter headings in the beginning, for fear that something will be given away!

I'll finish it today I imagine.

I have a bit of sadness too - about it ending.

I managed to avoid the spoilers, got it Saturday morning (thanks, UPS Easter Bunny!), and finished it at 2 am Sunday. Also managed to take my sons to our town's Summerfest all afternoon and to the fireworks Saturday night. For one brief shining moment, I approached red's activity level. :-)

I enjoyed the book. Rowling really tried to go somewhere important with it, and at least partially succeeded.

Aside about the Summerfest: there was one ride my 8-year-old really wanted to ride, but after the third time they shut it down to clean the yack out of it, I finally said nuh-uh. We all rode the centrifuge four times, though. One or two more and we'd qualify for long-duration spaceflight. :-)

Closing comments. I don't want to hear any more about the book until I finish it!