Harry Potter Mania

Well, as anyone not living under a rock can attest, Harry Potter mania is firmly underway. With the release of the seventh & final book of the highly popular series mere days away, plot leaks, potential spoilers, pirated copies, and other attempts have run rampant across the internet.

And it's not just fandom sites and forums this time either.

Even the NY Times published an early spoiler filled review to ruin the experience for others. They purchased a copy of the novel that had been accidentally put on the shelf at a local book seller.

Author J.K. Rowling is furious, as she had previously made numerous pleas for early readers/reviewers not to release salient plot points prior to the worldwide release on July 21st.

My personal spin:
In certain situations, I have been known to seek out spoilers. As is the case with my favorite television show Heroes on NBC. The massive first season launch, immediate connection to characters, and the long breaks fueled an intense desire to know where the story was going. With all the wild theories and speculation, gaining a bit of perspective was almost as important as watching the show.

I see the spoilers for a book - especially a series already six volumes deep - and I can't help but think that there is a certain malice to the way many people are attempting to spread spoilers.

For instance, take a look at this video clip occurring during a midnight release for Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.

How incredibly mean is that?

I've tried really hard not to pay attention to the spoilers this go around. Yet, even as I attempt to avoid them, they are still creeping into places that you would think they could be avoided. I'm sure that by the time my copy arrives from Amazon.com on Saturday my brain will be in spoiler overload. It's not much fun when you know which characters die, and which characters turn out to be something you never imagined.

In any case, hopefully I will be able to seclude myself from the world this weekend and enjoy each juicy page of the Potter-verse one last time. Happy reading, Potterheads!