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Lambic wrote:I had a awesome moment on Saturday morning at about 3AM realizing that there were millions of other people (boys and girls), ages 8 - 60 (maybe older and younger) who were also reading the same book at that same moment across the entire world. AWESOME!

Maybe it was a very sneaky way of conducting a ritual... millions of people at once. Think of the power! More than phoning in your choice for American Idol!

Torakhan wrote:I haven't read the book (and I'm 98% sure I never will), but I looked up the Wiki for the plot points.

What do you think about the "she changed the ending" thing.
Who would like to read how the book was originally supposed to end? Should it be made available if it's true? Is it a shame that the artist changed the story for the readers, or should the readers be damned so that the artist can write what they want to write?

I would like to read it because that is the kind of guy I am. I loving seeing the process. (I watch all of the extras on DVDs usually). But I would be hard pressed to except that as the "true" or "correct" ending to the books.

I believe that it is the writes right to control their art. It is also their right to decide to share their process with us or not. However it is my right as a patron to enjoy one more than the other or neither.

I'm curious while you haven't/won't read the books, Art.

Well, for me I've lacked time and money to get a hold of my own copies of the books...hopefully in a month things will die down more so I will have the time by dropping down to 1 job

Lambic wrote:I'm curious while you haven't/won't read the books, Art.

Plenty of my friends read books, but I just can't seem to get into them.
• First of all, I can't concentrate on the book. As I'm reading, my mind wanders and before I know it, I've read two or three pages without absorbing any of it. So I have to go back and read it again, and again... and again. I read the same page about 3 or 5 times before getting the gist of what's going on and moving on.
• I have a visual memory... when I think back to what I read in a book, often I remember what the words and paragraphs looked like on the page more than what was in my head. This even goes to Tabletop RPGs and text-stuff. I recognize player's characters by the players... but NPCs I often have to remember by a voice the GM uses or I might remember a quirk... but I'm usually lost.
• I have so many other creative outlets that books are just so drab and lifeless for me. I could probably read non-fiction alright, but as far as stories go, picking up on character and nuances and plot... not a chance. There's no visuals, there's just words on a page and there's nothing I can do to change the events as they play out. And it takes SOOO long to read and I can't really include it in my "doing many things at once" routine. I'm always multitasking... usually 8 things on the computer and watching TV too. ^.^
• .. which leads me into my short attention span. I grew up on Discover magazine, Popular Science, Popular Mechanics and National Geographic. An article with 8 pages of information with illustrations and captions. Books are like a long movie that may have some interesting parts... but really you're more concerned with how you're going to handle bathroom breaks because you've already put time, effort and money into the movie, so you might as well stay around no matter how boring it might get.

In the whole... I just can't absorb much from books. it juest isn't how my brain works and it's painful to try to push myself through reading one.

Fair enough. I didn't remember that you didn't like to read (I think you've told me this before). Ever listen to books on tape/cd/mp3 ?

Lambic wrote:Fair enough. I didn't remember that you didn't like to read (I think you've told me this before). Ever listen to books on tape/cd/mp3 ?

I don't mind "reading"... just not anything lengthy that isn't straight-forward information, or fairly short.

As for audio? Ummm.. I listened to The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy on MP3.. but the problem again with that is that while it's talking.. my mind wanders and I don't pick up on it. I use the "rewind" on my DVR so often that I REALLY wish radios in cars had the same feature--then I might catch half of what's said on NPR. *chuckles*

That is part of the reason I do podcasts instead of radio anymore.

Cool thanks for answering.

On the subject of authors changing the content of books based on readers… Being something of a writer myself, I have a fair measure of insight on this one, at least form my own experience. To be honest, sometimes the way you originally intend a scene and how it actually ends up are very different things. I have written entire chapters and later realized that they were crap, or that they don’t fit like I had thought that they would. Personally, I don’t always write in order, sometimes writing from upcoming books and chapters long before the preceding content is done. As such, those later bits sometimes just don’t work as you thought that they would.

Fans play a big part but, in the end, I really feel most writers remain true to their vision. You get to writing, and things just happen, as if the characters and story take on a life all their own. You find, at some points, that you don’t really feel like you are in control of the thing anymore, but are simple an instrument for the expression of something that has grown far beyond your original vision.

So, after much rambling… I think the ending she published was the best ending that the book could have had. It felt right, as a reader, and felt fitting from the view point of a fellow writer. Then again, I’m a sap for the books, so my POV is a little, okay a LOT, tilted. ^_^

A really great blog post about Deathly Hallows with alot of good things to say about the Epilog.

Video of Jo talking about to 7th book and a bunch of info not included in the Epilog.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19959323/

Not having read any of the previous books and so having no sort of vested interest in the series whatsoever, I did, however, find myself curious as to how it ended. So, I read the last chapter or so... Before my wife could finish the book, much to her chagrin, as I then went around saying hmmm... when she would give me her theories as to what she thought was going on, and then ask if she wanted me to tell her how things turned out...

I did find that I was pretty well equipped to figure out what was going on despite my not having ever read any other Harry Potter books, but there was one thing I was unsure of... Who was the weird baby thing in the phantom train station when Harry and Dumbledore were talking? What was the significance of it? How did it get there?

I agree with your comment Orien...I, myself, have been working on the same damn stories since I was in High School...many years now. I am constantly going back and rewriting scenes or rephrasing sentences, because I looked back and thought, "Wow...this is total crap!" lol

It's nice to see fan service, especially since fans are what make you or break you, but I do believe that authors should stay true to themselves and their original ideas. Yes, it's great when the hero wins, but honestly, it's always and interesting twist when the villain wins...and is it never forgotten! ^_^ I was kinda hoping that Harry was going to become the new dark lord...I mean, he could have easily been corrupted by his own potential and possibilities....it was said again and again that it would only be too easy for him to fall prey to his own powers. That would have been very interesting, and you can bet that the entire fan world would have been wigging out, especially when it was left up to Harry's old friends to fight against the one person who they hoped would bring peace and hope to the world. Heh. Cool, ne?

Don't get me wrong though, I am fairly satisfied with the ending...but I predicted it from the start, so I kinda ruined it for myself. lol

I forgot to say one thing...when Snape's last request was for Harry to look at him...with Lilly's eyes....

That made me cry sooo hard...


(yes, I know, it's scary...I am such a girl sometimes....grr)

kmeinka wrote:I did find that I was pretty well equipped to figure out what was going on despite my not having ever read any other Harry Potter books, but there was one thing I was unsure of... Who was the weird baby thing in the phantom train station when Harry and Dumbledore were talking? What was the significance of it? How did it get there?

Well it isn't well explained in the book but what my personal idea was (and Rowling's comments seem to agree) that that was Voldemort or at least that was the portion of Voldemort's soul that was attached to (read stored in) Harry's soul. It was explained that Harry was the 7th Horcrux, which Voldemort planned to make with the death of Harry but instead did it with the death of either his body or Harry's mother (Lilly), by accident, when he tried to kill Harry. One assumes that the are certain steps he had to go through to prepare himself to make a horcrux and having completed them before he went to kill Harry. I base this on the fact that it is said to be a complex spell and it then involves killing someone, which to me means you partially cast, it kill someone and complete casting the spell, Rowling doesn't say for sure. I think

It could've been just Voldemort (the conscious part rather the broken off part). I can see and argument for this. Because Voldemort is knocked, at least off his feat and probably, out when he cast Avada Kadavre(SP?) on Harry. He could have been suck into the place (King's Cross) with Harry by the magic that originally protected Harry. That magic is why Harry was able to die and come back (although it never says for sure that he was 100% dead).

more linkage of JK Rowling talking about the 7th book.

Dateline Interview Transcript

Live chat transcript