Fifteen-year-old Greg Coppolo of Cincinnati, Ohio, is another Potter veteran
and speed reader, needing just 10 hours to polish off "Half-Blood Prince." He's
been reading Potter since he was 11 and believes Rowling has adopted a more
adult tone to appeal to fans, such as himself, who are growing u
Another thing you can bank on is, well, the bank. Scholastic, Rowling's
American publisher, is issuing a first printing of 10.8 million copies, by far
a record. By comparison, the last Harry Potter novel, 2003's "Harry Potter and
the Order of the Phoenix," was issued with 8.5 million copies, the
Potter fans, of course, face a far darker prospect than the departure of a
single character. The series itself must end -- Rowling expects to start
working on the seventh Potter book at the end of the year.
Indeed, a couple characters were knocked off in previous books, and ugly
politics hung heavy over "Order of the Phoenix."
"Even if you're an adult, it doesn't change the fact that it's a really great
story that people get hooked on."
What is known is that Rowling has said the books would get progressively darker
as Harry -- now entering his sixth year at the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft
and Wizardry -- gets older and closer to his ultimate battle with Lord
Voldemort, the series' personification of evil.
Indeed, a couple characters were knocked off in previous books, and ugly
politics hung heavy over "Order of the Phoenix."
"Even if you're an adult, it doesn't change the fact that it's a really great
story that people get hooked on."
But here are a few things you can bank on: Harry is another year older, his
life gets more complicated, Voldemort draws closer and the tale is a little
darker.
"The Historian" (Little, Brown), the debut novel by Elizabeth Kostova, concerns
a teenage American girl who stumbles on an old book in her father's library.
Scholastic probably won't have to worry about many returns, however. "Phoenix"
sold more than 12 million copies, and "Half-Blood Prince" has been No. 1 on
Amazon.com's sales list since the book was announced several months ago. Attachment:
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