“Go Set a Watchman” gathers as many pre-orders as “Deathly Hallows”

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows set numerous records–fastest selling book, most anticipated novel, and most pre-ordered on Amazon. Harper Lee’s new novel, Go Set a Watchman, seems to be garnering almost as much attention as Deathly Hallows. Amazon didn’t specify the number of books preordered, but HarperCollins has 2 million set for the first run. BBC News reports: 

Harper Lee’s Go Set a Watchman has become the most pre-ordered title on Amazon since the final Harry Potter book, the online retailer has said.

The novel, which is currently the number one best-seller on Amazon.com, is due to be published on 14 July.

Amazon did not give any figures for pre-orders, but publisher HarperCollins said it had ordered an initial US print run of two million.

Reuters adds:

“Go Set a Watchman,” the much-anticipated second novel by “To Kill a Mockingbird” author Harper Lee, is the most pre-ordered print title on Amazon.com since the last book in the “Harry Potter” series, Amazon said on Thursday.

The online retailer said the novel, to be published on July 14, 55 years after Lee’s classic “To Kill a Mockingbird,” was already the No. 1 best-selling book on the website.

It is the most pre-ordered book on Amazon.comsince J.K. Rowling’s “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows” in 2007 – the seventh and final novel about the British teenage boy wizard.

Amazon did not provide figures for either book but publisher Harper, an imprint of HarperCollins, said it had ordered an initial U.S. print run of 2 million for “Go Set a Watchman.”