Harry Potter says good-bye...and not a moment too soon

Thankfully we are reaching the 7th and last installment of Harry Potter. I'm sick of the whole Lord-of-the-Rings-wannabe phenomena. It's just an competent story from an competent writer who was damn lucky to find herself in a slump in the 11-13 yr old book market. I must admit J. K. Rowling did everything right: she made it a long series; she made likeable little characters (mostly stolen from other greater works); and wrote in a language that neither talked down to, nor over shot, the intelligence of young adults. It was a great run but now it's over -- please let it be over!

As a bookseller, this whole thing has been utterly frustrating. The books never arrived at my store until midnight-madness was over. Only the large chain store's got their books on time. It was never intended for small independents. We just got the shaft.

So, yes, I am a bit bitter about the whole thing. I've opted out of it a long time ago. But, of course, I've read them all. They are enjoyable, but they are also forgettable. I don't think that the Harry Potter books will be timeless classics. Sure people will read them but they don't really have the cultural significance that a true classic provides. Good thing J. K. Rowling got her checks in advance.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows goes on sale July 21, 2007