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AUGUST 27, 2003 at 9:53 PM
Posted by JAMES
Source: Nashua Telegraph via iharrypotter.net
Lemen criticizes advertisers
for simply giving away too much information about much of the entertainment they promote, and believes that they should leave it to the intelligent consumer to figure the product out alone.
I was looking forward to reading it after the three-year wait since “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire,” but I made myself put it on the shelf for a couple of weeks until I had the time to savor it. Things here were hectic as usual, and I knew once I started to read the book, I would not want to put it down.
So I resolutely put it on the shelf and waited until I had a block of time in which to read it.
That required some self-discipline on my part but not much. What was harder by far was trying to avoid hearing the entire plot of the book before I even opened it.
...With “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix,” I had to be super vigilant. It seemed as if every single newspaper, periodical, online magazine and television program had information about the book in it, and I had to avoid reading the headlines, because they would sometimes give away the plot.
I did manage to read the book before anyone told me about it. I read it during the big heat wave in July. After Lucy went to bed, I would take a cold shower, park myself in front of a fan and read until I fell asleep. It took me three or four nights to finish, and I enjoyed myself thoroughly.
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Order of Merlin, 4th Class
Points: 1227
Prongs150 says:
I agree with her that advertisers do a horrible job on getting the idea of books and movies out there, but that's only weeks after the first sale. By then, most people who were die-hard fans would have read or seen it by then. Most teaser trailers are just that, they show seconds of footage then blank screen and maybe some more footage, but nothing to give the plot away.
Posted Aug 27, 2003 at 10:03 PM EST
Witch
Points: 917
Slytherin_Punk says:
Nobody really gives the plot away. They talk about it but not go crazy and say who dies and stuff like that.
Posted Aug 27, 2003 at 10:09 PM EST
Order of Merlin, 1st Class
Points: 1856
Rupert Baby says:
That is very True although i finished the book on the 22 i still made sure i didnt say anything to my friends cause i didnt want to ruin it for them i think the press should do us the honor of not publishing spoiling articles like the day after the book comes out that is absolutely horrible well i guess its just the way the world works!
Posted Aug 27, 2003 at 10:54 PM EST
Witch
Points: 750
siriusgurl says:
he he on the first day it was out I had to work hard not to find out what happens luckily I finished it quickly before someone tolled me the plot. But I understand her frustration.
Posted Aug 27, 2003 at 11:35 PM EST
Auror
Points: 2391
HPN4eveRon says:
They dont give much of it away. But the fact that they told me someone dies before i got the chance to read it, kinda stank. I didnt wanna know that someone died. But at least they didn't say who.
Posted Aug 27, 2003 at 11:52 PM EST
Professor
Points: 1092
Lord Grindelwald says:
On the news before the book came out it said that hermione was going to die.That shows how wrong they are.
Posted Aug 28, 2003 at 12:24 AM EST
Witch
Points: 611
Mdm Rosmerta says:
Some of my friends aren't finished yet (they are so slow) but it would be so cruel if I told them what happened.
I actually read the book so quickly, starting Saturday so that there would be no chance that someone could tell me what would happen. It was just a precaution.
Posted Aug 28, 2003 at 4:56 AM EST
Order of Merlin, 1st Class
Points: 1826
snapelupinfan says:
I bought the book in London and on my way back to Germany I read the first 70 pages. Of course I did not want to know who is going to die. But the very first thing I saw in the Internet when I wanted to read my Emails was something like "Harry lost his godfather". Thanks very much!
A lot of my friends haven't read the book until now, but they all know who is going to die as the press and TV were reporting about it. Here in Germany you had no chance to avoid hearing who died in the book.
Posted Aug 28, 2003 at 5:20 AM EST
Transfiguration Professor
Points: 2990
Choralee says:
While the media coverage does seem a bit frenzied, think about how much this kind of hype helps in selling the books. If an HP book did not break a record, or did not produce so much anticipation in the readers, would JKR continue to write him? In retrospect, though, for those who did not read the book cover to cover in 2 days after receiving it, spoilers were everywhere.
It's a give and take thing with media. The when book 6 releases, just turn off your computer, take a day or two off, and read it before anyone can spoil it for you!
Posted Aug 28, 2003 at 6:53 AM EST
Witch
Points: 645
trezmcgonagall says:
I remember that I went to get some soymilk on the morning it was due to arrive at my house and the Globe and Mail announced that they had the obituary for the dead character. I put my head down and ran home and didn't look at the internet or TV until I had finished early the next morning.
Posted Aug 28, 2003 at 7:59 AM EST
Healer for all Occasions
Points: 3570
Madam Malkin says:
I think it is true that some headlines or whatever give the plot away. But if it the people around you, that is a completely different issue.
But as for the media that makes the hype, the like to give little clues here and there to tease you, then you want to find out what they are talking about, so you get the book and read. I haven't ever seen them truly give away major plot details. I'm sure that some do, but I've never seen them, and I look for every possible HP story anywhere. :)
Posted Aug 28, 2003 at 8:22 AM EST
Animagus
Points: 19544
Sirius-Ella says:
trezmcgonagall
I didn't hear about someone dying until
I was a chapter before the M.o.M scene
and at ONCE I knew it was Sirius cause
Harry just had his dream of him being
tortured and I was on my way home when
reading, and mom said someone is suppose to
day, I almost started crying and just stopped
reading till I got home and didn't put the book
down until fineshed, I wasn't THAT surprised but
I was really shocked and depressed for about 3 days
now that you mention it I'm still kinda sad :(
-sirius-ella-
Posted Aug 28, 2003 at 9:28 AM EST
Metamorphmagus
Points: 37946
tonks black says:
I had no problem with people spoiling it for me and thats probably because i was one of the first people to finish it among most of my friends. and it took them 3 or 4 nights? it took me like two.
Posted Aug 28, 2003 at 12:59 PM EST
Professor
Points: 1155
MissMaryPotter says:
Man I don't think I could of put it on a shelf for a month. It would of drove me crazy. I'm currently "savoring" it at the moment. I rushed through it just to kill the 'need to know.' But now I'm glad I'm savoring it slowly. I'm picking up on a great many things. Like did anyone catch that Lucius Malfoy was 41. There are a great many tid bits I missed. And I can see how the Hype could distroy the purity of it. But somehow I managed to ignore it. I don't know how. But man that guy has a lot of patience, to of put it off for so long after it's release. **Claps hands, looking impressed.
Posted Aug 28, 2003 at 6:33 PM EST
Witch
Points: 742
TigerEyez says:
I agree with this article a lot. I got my fifth book delivered to my house and i was in Dallas with my mom and a bunch of friends. My dad met us in Dallas and we drove to Las Vegas. I didnt hear a lot about it because I only had one friend who had started to read it and she promised not to tell me anything. So i read the book on the drive to Vegas. Reading it took me 14 hours, and by the time we got there I had beat my friend to finishing. So, I didn't hear much about it.
Posted Aug 28, 2003 at 9:25 PM EST
Chief Brain Washer
Points: 2881
Chogiiiirl says:
I received the book a day early (my mailcarrier is a little goofy), but with two kids and a hubby, it took me about 1 week to finish. I don't remember the articles and spoilers about the book, I guess I just didn't pay attention. I did skip to the end of the book to make sure that Hermoine and Ron were still alive, but that was all the "spoiling" I had. My husband is a slower reader than me, so I had to keep from telling him what would happen before he read it.
Posted Aug 28, 2003 at 10:48 PM EST
Professor
Points: 1194
Godric11 says:
I hate how much is given away, i was so ticked off because somone ruined GoF for me...i was so mad, but i read OotP as fast as possible to avoid hearing anything...i think people ruin things for others and that really ruins the story.
Posted Aug 28, 2003 at 10:49 PM EST
Prefect
Points: 333
HarryPotterNutcase says:
Arghh I hate when people or news gives away the endings and plot....so irratating...i wouldnt have been able to resist reading it if it was right in front of me though :-P
Posted Aug 29, 2003 at 12:15 AM EST
Student
Points: 204
Bryak says:
When the book came out I made sure I stopped looking at all things Potter on the internet until I had finished because I did not want anything ruined for me. After I was done though, I returned to find that most of the internet community was very good about reporting on the book. For most posters, if there was anything that remotely resembled a spoiler there was a disclaimer.Now that it has been a few months, everyone is assuming everyone else has read it and is becoming a little more lax in their warnings.
Posted Aug 29, 2003 at 10:27 AM EST
Student
Points: 237
Ellia Black says:
I really had to read the book as soon as I got it so I wouldnt hear or find out who died and why i wanted to find out on my own.I keep my mouth shut to those who havent read it yet also.It kindof takes the fun out of reading it .I mean there is still so much to learn even if you hear stuff but it is much nicer to find it out on your own!
Posted Aug 29, 2003 at 11:17 AM EST
Madam Librarian
Points: 13642
I-Pie says:
I read the book in 9 hours and it took my friends longer. It drove me crazy not being able to talk to anybody about it for days. Most of the news stories always seem to get things wrong. They always drive me crazy.
Posted Aug 29, 2003 at 12:56 PM EST
Witch
Points: 712
harryroxmysocks says:
I read it quickly but after that I reread it to pick up stuff I missed.
Posted Aug 29, 2003 at 10:10 PM EST
Order of Merlin, 1st Class
Points: 1990
HarrysGran says:
Before the book was released there were many rumours about who dies. And you could vote on various sites who you think is the most likely to die. I voted rightly.
I got the book on Saturday, avoided all newspapers and - ruined it for myself. Because I opened the book at the end and the very first lines I read was the death. What an idiot I am, spoiling all the tension... But I was relieved too, that it wasn't Hermione, Ron or Hagrid...
Posted Sep 2, 2003 at 1:38 PM EST
Points: 7828
Rococoed says:
Before the fifth book came out, I was spoiled the plot, who dies, the prophecy, and an entire page of the book at websites. When the sixth book is a week from release, I'm staying off fan sites for my own reading pleasure.
Posted Sep 2, 2003 at 6:49 PM EST
Professor
Points: 1191
mrsmad says:
Well you just have to not read anything {other than Harry Potter of course}Don't watch tv and stay off the internet and do not talk to any body until you have read it.It can be done. There is absolutely no way I could of put the book on a shelf for a few weeks . ABSOLUTELY NO WAY! That woman has a lot of self control.Alot more tha me any way He He!
Posted Sep 3, 2003 at 5:47 PM EST
Witch
Points: 684
Malakite says:
Personally, I had to plug my ears and leave the room every time somebody started talking about Phoenix - I barely managed to keep from learning which character dies. And this was weeks before it was released. Honestly, I was mad they even mentioned a character DID die - I'd rather have just not known a thing.
I am not sure which articles y'all read, but I had a friend avidly following all news, and he warned me not to read the articles he was sending me links to because they gave too much of the plot away. That was kind of him, since after I read the book (I received it at noon on Saturday, made myself wait until 2 pm before I started, and finished it by Sunday evening, heh), I went to all the links he sent me, and they DID give the plot away. I would have been very, very disappointed if I knew before hand.
Like I said, I was pretty upset they said anything at all. It was very, very difficult to avoid all that hype....
Posted Sep 4, 2003 at 11:14 AM EST
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