First Page Of New Harry Potter Book Takes Swipe At Bush

Harry Potter And The Half Blood Prince | 7/16/05

[Williams]

Well the new Harry Potter book has arrived and I can report the first page of the first chapter contains an obvious jab at our president. The book begins with the British Prime Minister awaiting a phone call from the "President" of an unnamed distant country, and wondering when the "wretched man" would call.

As a fan of the books and for that matter of Rowling's personal story and success, I'm saddened that liberal madness had to invade this children's classic. The first chapter was otherwise perfectly enjoyable.

I'm not saying anything else in the chapter was intentionally connected to current events, but I had to draw the comparison with what has ended up in British headlines at the same time as the book release. In the book, the Prime Minister is dealing with unexplained events, at least some of which could be terrorist like. Indeed, they are the work of sinister forces. Whereas I'm sure in this book series, ultimate help will come from the wizarding world, in reality Britain needs the support of the leader J.K. Rowling refers to as that "wretched man." How sadly misguided.

[Williams]

OK, regarding timeline let's use our brains in the other direction. If she wants to take a swipe at the American president on the first page of her book being published in 2005, she has no other way of doing it does she? I've read the books and except for the point she started the first one in 1980, the books never discuss what year it is. Time is measured by Harry's age and the Hogwart's school year and the stories are occurring in the "present" as you read them.

[Oztrich Boy]

There is another fantasy book published in 1959 called the Gammage Cup. One of the main characters is named Muggles

That's only one of many

It pleases me to assume Roiwling was thinking of the Muggletonians when she chose the name.

[Mad Mammoth]

...they encourage sorcery, witchcraft, every sort of demonically-inspired practice...
And yet you don't hear about any uptick in kids trying to hex their teachers or holding seances. Go figure.

Oh really? Have you talked to any of your local law enforcement officials, or perhaps local school staff about the increased interest of children in the occult?

You can construct straw men (kids trying to hex their teachers or holding seances) for the purpose of knocking them down if you wish, but if you actually believe there is NOT an increase in occult activity within our society, INCLUDING our children's interest in it, you've been walking around with some king-sized blinders on my FRiend.

[Tax Government]

awaiting a phone call from the "President" of an unnamed distant country, and wondering when the "wretched man" would call.

Boycott time.

[aShepard]

Oh! What did they do, write in wretched man on all 15 million of the first release copies?

Must'a had an army of staff writers working around the clock on the first page to include such current events!

Get a life!

[Echo Talon]

Oh! What did they do, write in wretched man on all 15 million of the first release copies?

Must'a had an army of staff writers working around the clock on the first page to include such current events!

Get a life!

Learn how to respond the correct person and settle down.

[Mad Mammoth]

Just curious, do you feel the same way about the Oz series? They are full of witches and witchcraft, magical spells and potions.

I feel that way about ANY occult-based practice which purports to elevate mere mortals to supernatural/superhuman status, to grant them god-like powers, insight or knowledge, because THAT is exactly the same sort of lie that has been used by the Devil from the very beginning, from Eve in the Garden ("surely you will not die!" and "you will be as gods, knowing the difference between good and evil" [paraphrased]).

If anyone needs a refresher in WHY we should avoid the occult at all costs, look up the story of Israel's first king, i.e. Saul, and his untimely end after his encounter with the Witch of Endor. Saul violated God's Law, and he paid for it with his life.

It may be wildly unpopular to condemn the Harry Potter Marketing and Merchandising Empire, but the truth is, J.K. Rowling's books plant the seeds of self-elevation within the minds and hearts of children (and gullible adults too), and that is little different from Satan's ultimately fatal aspiration, when he said such things as "I will ascend into Heaven", "I will exalt my throne above the stars of God", "I will ascend above the heights of the clouds", and the most blatant of all, "I will be like the Most High", i.e., he would BE God.

And that all started because Satan allowed himself to be seduced by the limited power that had been granted unto him by God Himself, his pride consumed him, he lusted after unlimited power, and that is the exact same formula that he uses even today to lure humans into the deception that by just indulging themselves with a little bit of sorcery (astrology is the pablum of the occult, as it appears relatively innocuous), a little bit of tarot card reading, a little bit of The Force, a little bit of Harry Potter, the Devil's menu of deception is extensive, potent and always FATAL to the human soul.

And I say this not as a fanatic, but as one who has seen personally and close up the personal destruction that the occult can wreak in someone's life.

And such destruction ALWAYS takes place, either early in the cycle, or late.

Involving oneself in the occult always results in personal disaster, heartbreak and tragedy.

Ask Bishop Pike.

Oops, he's dead. Don't use a Quija Board to contact him.

[longfellow]

Yes but when Willie said kill all the lawyers none of them would defend him in court and he had to pay millions in plagerism fees.

[aShepard]

Sorry. I mashed the wrong button!

[Irish Queen]

The Harry Potter books are not great literature. They are literature for the masses. But the promotion of the books by Scholastic is sheer brilliance. Creating the Harry Potter book as a big book such as 'War and Peace' or 'Gone With the Wind". The big book appearance of the HP books is helped with thick paper, wider margins, and generous spacing in the copy. Plus, Scholastic has mastered the art of using the media to promote their book.

As for actual literary value they are as good as 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory' and somewhat better than the 'Goosebump' series. If books such as 'Treasure Island', 'The Hobbits'and the 'Lord of the Rings can be considered as fine wine, then books such as the Harry Potter series can be thought of as grape soda pop, and series such as "The Babysitters Club' and the 'Goosebump' books as grape flavored Kool-aide.

As an educator, I encourage children to read all sorts of books from the equivalent of fine wine to grape Kool-aide.

[Ciexyz]

oh, man.

[ninenot]

Since the last book was about the between-WW-era, and the PM was Chamberlain at the time, one supposes that the "wretch" was FDR.

There--that's better, right?

OpinionJournal carried the piece which VERY solidly makes the case that the "Phoenix" book was all about Chamberlain, Churchill, and Hitler--with Hitler being the "bad guy" character...

[Sofa King]

Unseen University > Hogwartz

[Sofa King]

Wow. I've seen that happen to you twice within the past hour.

[Larry Lucido]

Of course. I was referring to the somewhat knee-jerk tendency to find an anti-GWB reference in some obscure reference buried in any recently released movie. I'm sure when the movie based on your book is released, someone somewhere will find something in it about which to complain. :-)

[Sofa King]

Simply calling something "obvious" as many times as you can doesn't make a good argument. You've presented no evidence to support your correlation, and have pointedly ignored evidence that goes against it.

[MadIvan]

It won't be made into a film...there's too much thinking going on in it. ;)

Regards, Ivan

[montag813]

Given Chirac's comments insulting the British, how do you know she didn't mean the President of France?

[Echo Talon]

? check your fire?

[Echo Talon]

Wow. I've seen that happen to you twice within the past hour.

Large Target I guess... or a Moron Magnet... :D