“Deathly Hallows” Shatters Sales Records

Less than 48 hours after the release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, the list of records the book has broken is already starting to pile up. Bloomsbury has said that more than 3 million copies have already been sold in the UK, beating HBP‘s record by 150%. Meanwhile Scholastic says the book sold more than 8.3 million copies in the first 24 hours in the U.S., estimating that Scholastic has broken “all publishing records” by doing so.

“The excitement, anticipation, and just plain hysteria that came over the entire country this weekend was a bit like the BeatlesÂ’ first visit to the U.S.”, stated Lisa Holton, Chief Muggle, Scholastic (aka President, Scholastic Trade and Book Fairs), in a press release. “This weekend kids and adults alike are sitting on buses, in the park, on airplanes and in restaurants reading Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. The conversations the readers have been waiting to have for 10 years have just begun.” Holton continued, “The glowing reviews have been calling this book a classic for all time. Congratulations to J.K. Rowling on her tremendous literary achievement.”