Who's excited about J K Rowling's new book?

[mona amon]

I'm a Harry Potter fan, and I'm starting to get excited about J K Rowling's new book, The Casual Vacancy, which will come out on the 27th. Here's a link to an article about it http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2012...casual-vacancy

I'm a bit aprehensive actually - a non-magical book for adult Muggles? How's that going to work? But I think it's brave of her to write another book when she knows it's not going to be as great as Harry Potter and when she could have just rested on her laurels, and I'm hoping for interesting characters, good plot and humour, and just maybe a little of that quirkiness that made Harry Potter so special.

Good luck to her!

[Charles Darnay]

She sets up a plot that leaves itself open for a series of eccentric characters, and this is where she shines. She does not have much going for her in terms of writing style, but her characters are enjoyable enough that this book may be good.

[Clopin]

"and just maybe a little of that quirkiness that made Harry Potter so special."

Which is present in the first three books (decent books for children) and then fades into the absolute worst four books I've had the displeasure of reading.

[Mutatis-Mutandis]

If books 4 and 5 were so horrible, why'd you continue on?

[Charles Darnay]

Book 5 was horrible. I read book 6 hoping the series would redeem itself: it was slightly better but not by much. I considered not reading book 7, but had to know how it ended - also poorly.

[cafolini]

With H P, K R wrote infinite books. That' how I look at it.

[JBI]

Five says it is a generic romance.

[YesNo]

I didn't read any of the Harry Potter books, but I recently saw all 8 of the movies, in order, one per evening, since my daughters have all the movies (as well as at least one copy of each of the books). I found them entertaining and regretted most of all what happened to Dobby, although it looked like something like that was going to happen to him.

So I hope she is equally successful with her new book. An evening will come when I will want something either good to read or good to watch. I glad there are people eager to fulfill that need.

[Clopin]

If books 4 and 5 were so horrible, why'd you continue on?

I like to finish what I start. And the books take one to two days to read so it's not as though I wasted a big chunk of time.

[mona amon]

Five says it is a generic romance.

What is the meaning of generic romance? If it's like Harlequin romances, then no, I'm willing to bet anything she wouldn't try that.

She sets up a plot that leaves itself open for a series of eccentric characters, and this is where she shines. She does not have much going for her in terms of writing style, but her characters are enjoyable enough that this book may be good.

I agree with you about her writing style. But since she has almost everything else going for her (wonderful characters, realistic character interaction, great story telling, humour ranging from childish scatalogical to sophisticated dark humour), I still have hopes for this book.

Book 5 was horrible. I read book 6 hoping the series would redeem itself: it was slightly better but not by much. I considered not reading book 7, but had to know how it ended - also poorly.

For me, I liked books 1 and 2, loved 3 and 4, was a bit disappointed with 5 because the dark evil-ness of Voldemort seemed to be replaced by the unpleasantness of Umbridge's Orwellian regime and I didn't like that at the time. Then came book 6. Its unexpected and horrific ending gave me such a shock that I became an instant Harry Potter fan. You can't be that moved by something and not be a fan!

[JBI]

I mean one of those generic ripoffs of Jane Austen that centre around a plot concerning a heterosexual romance that ultimately culminates in marriage.

[Lokasenna]

It is certainly a brave thing to do - let's face it, the chances are it will not match up to the success of the HP books, if only because almost nothing ever could. Even if her new book is merely 'good', people will be disappointed. It's a hell of a lot to re-deliver.

That said, I'm sure her bank account is stable enough! That'll never come under threat. And kudos to her for trying something different - it would have been very easy to write a whole new set of novels based around the universe already created.

[Alexander III]

I mean one of those generic ripoffs of Jane Austen that centre around a plot concerning a heterosexual romance that ultimately culminates in marriage.

You mean a love story?

[hallaig]

Who's excited about J K Rowling's new book?


No me.

[JBI]

You mean a love story?

Yes, but one without anything fresh to offer. And nothing but the love story.