Posted on 07/15/2005 10:25:17 PM PDT by 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.
Ever read Terry Brooks?
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I read one of his books in the late 70s. I was coming right off my first read of LotR, and it suffered a bit in the comparison.
Great book!
My first thought was Mugabe...
The only thing more enjoyable than a new Harry Potter book is the fervor of the anti-Potters.
My favorite was when they mistook a story from the Onion as truth rather than satire about kids forming covens after reading Harry Potter books.
yep, It was a good book. Did you also read Black Unicorn? :D
Are you kidding?
Quit using an ambigious statement in a book as a template statement on policy. Could it be the persident of Romania? How about the president of South Africa?
Nah - the evil schoolmarm in the pink sweater plotting to take over Hogwarts is Hillary.
Here's the timeline of the Potter books:
Book 1, 1991
Book 2, 1992
Book 3, 1993
Book 4, 1994
Book 5, 1995
Book 6, 1996
Book 7, 1997
Well said.
ping
Yes, his name is Mad Ivan :)
It's not hysteria and it's not a battle. I like the books, I even generally like J K Rowling. And yes she left it vague enough that some of you can say it's South Africa. But when one speaks of a British Prime Minister awaiting a call from a "president" of a "far distant country" one does not think of South Africa. One thinks of the U.S. And the reference to the call is totally gratuitous, it is merely what the Prime Minister is waiting for when something else happens. Making the reference to the president as a "wretched man" even more gratuitous. Reality is it is a veiled jab at our president on the first page, and the liberal elite will love her for it.
Yup. I actually started it first then quickly realized it was a sequel and had to go track down Magic Kingdom. I haven't read the next three though. My fiction reading dropped off sharply about 15 years ago too.
Comic fantasy & sci-fi is a great way to waste time though! =)
Howlin, we agree! Good, pithy comment.
Yes the timeline is facinating, but I do not think she was referencing Bill Clinton in a book she knew she was publishing in July, 2005. If I discover she's a conservative and wanted to unleash her feelings about Clinton 5 years after the fact, I'll apologize in due course. But if you think she randomly decided to refer to the "president" of a "far distant country" as a "wretched man" on the first page, that's as big a fairy tale as Harry Potter. By the way, I enjoyed the chapter anyway. I am not on a jihad against Harry Potter, but her reference was deliberate. Even obvious.
And FYI, she was concerned about having an American director, because her books are VERY British and she wants top keep the movies the same as the books. Obviously, she was correct in thinking that perhaps an American ( YOU ! ), would see an English concept through American eyes and get it all bollixed up.
Those books are crap..
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