Next week, for the first time in almost nine and a half years, Harry Potter will not appear on the New York Times bestseller list.. The New York Times’s article reminds readers that it first appeared on December 27, 1998, and that after a year and a half with the books clogging the top spots, the paper split its list into children’s and adults versions. The article notes that the books are probably going to re-emerge on the list when the movie of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is released in November.
Just for fun, and in remembrance of a great 10 years, here’s a little extra Harry history for you, which is not in the article: The first book appeared at number 16, and didn’t reach number one until the release of Chamber of Secrets in the U.S. in June of 1999. Sorcerer’s Stone first hit number one on the list in August of 1999. The split of the Times’ list happened right before the release of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, and after a nearly solid year and a half of the three released Potter books cycling through the top handful of spots on the list.
Though I live in Denmark (and could have chosen to buy the books in Danish), I’ve chosen to buy the English versions instead. I preferred to read HP in the language it was born in. When my daughter will be old enough, I ‘ll “re-discover” HP with her – in Danish! She’ll have her own set of HP books.
It might be gone from the bestseller list, I doubt it will be gone from the bookshelves of future generations.
Its sorta weird that the books have been on the list for 10 years and tomorrow is the 10th anniversary of the Battle of Hogwarts.Sorta interesting co-winky dink
i’m with you chikit only my extra sets are going to be for my grandchildren i wish this set was out when my boys were young one of their favorite things was having really good stories read to them stories that could really spark thier imagination!!!
Well when my neices and nephews are old enough they will have their own copies, there is five of them and they are all under the age of 4 right now, so I willl have to wait awhile before making sure they get introduced to the series. I can’t afford to by them the “trunk” right now or I would, and put it up for them.
If only I had money, stupid economy! I personally want to have fancy leatherbound editions in British English, if they make them (I am sure they do, they make them in American English), and then a set (paper back/ hardback don’t care) in German, that will help me with me German, I can read German slightly and speak very little-its more like Eddie Izzard’s skit about his knowledge of french “the cat is next the the chair, the monkey is in the tree” type knowledge of German nothing that you could actually use in normal conversations. So I think strengthening my German would be a good thing, and if I can do it in a fun way, like reading Harry Potter, than hey why not.
Harry Potter may be gone from the NYTimes Bestseller list, but it has joined the ranks of classic children’s novels. Harry will stand along side Willy Wonka, Olvier Twist, Jo March, etc. as those other great literary heroes do. Children will soon find HP on assigned reading lists and discuss them in length in English class. Thank you JK for making it fun for children to “read” again.
Okay, so this is my request for movie theaters, when you give the Deathly Hallows movie tickets to the costumer, make sure to give a box of tissue with it cos if this is getting people depressed, imagine the book that we love so dearly in 2D. LOL
But, it’s true… At the end of the day, it doesn’t really matter. The only way it would matter is if it never had happened.
So, be happy, people. This is the happy ending authors write about….
What?!? I just bought 10 copies for my classroom! Am I the only one stocking up on the books still?