The Hindu : Kerala News : D-day nears for Potter fans

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Jun 30, 2005

Kerala

Kerala

D-day nears for Potter fans

POTTER MANIA: All eyes on Harry Potter. A scene at a bookshop in Kozhikode

Do you like Half-Blood Prince?

"I like it better than `Goblet,' `Phoenix' and `Chambers' when I finished them. Book six does what I wanted it to do and even if nobody else likes it, I know it will remain one of my favourites of the series. Ultimately you will have to please yourself before you please anyone else," says J.K. Rowling, author of popular Harry Potter series, answering one of the frequently asked questions on her official website.

As the deadline (July 16) for the release of the sixth Harry Porter series `Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince' draws near, children in Kozhikode city have on their lips similar questions ranging from how is `Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince' related to Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets to confusing ones as who does Hermione love - Ron or Harry?

But it is mostly the bookstores that would have to face the challenge of youngsters and adults alike in answering them. Ever since the Harry Potter series became popular, even adults are enthusiastic over some of the wizardry at Hogwarts. "Not all, I would say.... but definitely it is the English reading population going gaga over the media-hype," says N.E. Manohar of T.B.S. Book Stall.

Responses to the advance bookings have been tremendous at several outlets in the city. The TBS has already ordered 400 copies initially for its four branches from two sources in Bangalore and New Delhi.

Unlike last time, the Half-Blood Prince will be released in Kozhikode exactly when J.K. Rowling starts her reading session at the Edinburgh Castle in Scotland at the stroke of midnight on July 16. "This time we have plans to conduct some celebrations on the day of release, apart from giving prizes and discounts to buyers," Mr. Manohar adds. M. Sidharathan, manager of DC English Books Shop, feels the advance booking for the sixth Harry Potter would help children get the book on the day of international release. "Last time we sold out all the books on the single day. We did not expect such a fan crowd for Harry Potter in Kozhikode when the fifth edition (`Order of Phoenix') priced Rs.795 was released two years ago,'' he said.

His outlet on Mavoor Road has given orders for 100 copies, priced at Rs.895 each, for the first week. "Some of the advance bookings have come from Malappuram district also," Sidharthan said. Likewise, Paico Books here has placed orders for 50 copies. "Already 30 of them have been booked," says K.V. Vipin, sales staff at the shop.

One of the bookings is from M. Sarada, a first-year MBBS student at the Kozhikode Medical College. She was the first one to get a copy last time in Kozhikode city. "It has been a long two-year wait. Some of the riddles mentioned in the second book, I hope will be answered in the new one. But I am still confused about the Half-Blood Prince," Sarada says.

But is the Half-Blood Prince going to be bigger than the previous one? "It will be quite a bit shorter than `Order of Phoenix,' Rowling replies.

Biju Govind

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