Harry Potter at midnight?

theCzar

Fishie wrote:

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=2911934&postcount=191

That's what happened last time

haha

thing is, there was no fear of there not being enough books, some places hyped it better, and sold out but i remember bringing my sister to Reads, it was about 2pm, and the place was full of copies, you could actually buy a 3-pack!

So the only reason to queue is for the sake of queuing, a practice i detest.

banquo

Ok new plan: having spent all my money on booze I've revised the part about 'queueing up to buy a copy' to 'lurking outside until after midnight to steals some kids copy'. Or else just borrowing another person's copy.

Gone West

The bookstores here (san fran) had pictures of their last midnight party thing.
There was mostly adults there. One guy had dressed up as Robbie Coltraines character in the Film. He was about 7' tall and 3' wide. (Harrard? is is?) He was holding a pink umberella(reckon thats in the book somewhere). And had a massive fake beard, etc.
There was also an adult women who brought along a black cat and dressed in hat and capes. They were mostly all holding wands and crap.
madness, I tells ya.

passive

So... is it tonight or tomorrow night? i'm confused...

Scarinae

It's tonight. They can't start selling it until 12.01am on Saturday, which obviously is tonight, so everyone is queueing up this evening

passive

I see.. anyone know good places to go for this? I was told Eason's go all out for it.

Now... to convince some friends to join me.

Trojan

Personally I won't be buying the book, although I might borrow and read it.

I think the publishers actions have been a disgrace - denying people's right to read a book they've bought and threatening people with legal action if they do so.

I won't be buying another page by JKR.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2-1691805,00.html

herobear

Trojan wrote:

I think the publishers actions have been a disgrace - denying people's right to read a book they've bought and threatening people with legal action if they do so.

they're doing their best to protect the books plot so as not to ruin the surprise for hardcore fans who've waited years for this book to come out. They're not doing anything to people who have already bought the book early, other than requesting it back on the promise they'll receive it back on the saturday with a few other gifts(several people have refused and are reading it anyway).
the publishers have only been harsh against websites and other medias, because so many people invest faith in these and they get ALOT of traffic(especially AICN) so even if these sites post up fake spoilers(unknowningly or otherwise), alot of people automatically take it as fact.
ive read so many conflicting spoilers on this new book its frightening, and although i agree with the publishers intentions, i cant agree that they've been doing a very good job of it either.

for something that ive been looking forward to for 2 years already, ive given even bothering to care about what happens in this book right now, im just going to start reading it tomorrow hopefully with an open mind

Trojan

herobear wrote:

they're doing their best to protect the books plot so as not to ruin the surprise for hardcore fans who've waited years for this book to come out.

This is a laudable goal, however...

herobear wrote:

They're not doing anything to people who have already bought the book early, other than requesting it back on the promise they'll receive it back on the saturday with a few other gifts

Yes, they are. They are forcing them not to read something they've bought in the bookshop, with threat of legal action if they do not comply.

herobear wrote:

(several people have refused and are reading it anyway).

And they're breaking the law (even though they legally purchased the book) as a result of the publishers heavy handed injunctions.

Why didn't they just request that people not publish details, or make publishing the details illegal? Why did they make reading a legally purchased book illegal?

The precedent this sets is astonishing, it has the potential to help usher in an Orwellian 1984 era (and we have enough of that already with America's DMCA and Patriot Act, the UK and now Ireland's ID programmes - but that's a topic for another thread). Denying someone the right to read something they've bought is just plain wrong.

punka

When I went into work this morning (I work in a bookshop) there were already 4 teenage girls queuing, at 9am! When I left at 6 there were still only about 10-15 people queuing outside the shop. Managed to get out of working the midnight opening (did that last time - never again) but I'm going to be in at 9am tomorrow morning, and I have a feeling that's going to be pretty damn hectic too...

Scarinae

Trojan wrote:

Why didn't they just request that people not publish details, or make publishing the details illegal? Why did they make reading a legally purchased book illegal?

Yeah, that is a bit ridiculous, but I'd say the people who haven't returned their copies will probably read it anyway. What are the publishers gonna do, post secret agents outside their houses to spy on them?

monkeyfudge

Well I'm just back from the midnight opening.

I didn't bother with the local one that the radio station I work with was covering.

Instead I took my nephew into town to Nassau street as I thought it would be the best place for a bit of atmosphere as there are 4 bookshops all very close to each other. Reeds, Easons, Waterstones and Hogis Figus. We speant about 2 hours going around the lot of them getting all the free gifts... lots of free books and sweets and drinks. Waterstones had a band playing out on the street and a balloon magician but I think Easons did the best job and at €12 they had the best price.

At Easons they had a really good Hagrid and an excellent Malfoy walking about. And when entering the shop you were assigned to a particular house and the whole interior of the shop was all kitted out nicely. Again lots of free drinks and sweets... and coffee and tea too. There was a great countdown at midnight and the atmosphere was amazing... it felt like new years eve except I wasn't drunk.

I don't like the Harry Potter books myself, and my nephew isn't a huge fan.. but it was still alot of good fun.

D-Generate

Anyone know the various prices at which the book is selling at in shops?

Easons is €12 or so he says
Smyths is €12.99
Waterstones is ?
Reads is ?
Virgin is ?
HMV is ?

Mimikyu

This post has been deleted.

D-Generate

Tesco are also 10 i think.

monkeyfudge

Reads was actually €16.99... but they gave free goody bag and a voucher for Reads printing bureau worth €5... wow...

Easons' may have been €12.99... I forget what Hagrid said to me...

Gone West

spotted a spellimng mistake on page 10.

banquo

FuzzyLogic wrote:

spellimng

ironic.

what's the mistake?

Rew

D-Generate wrote:

Tesco are also 10 i think.

Tesco are €12.99

banquo

Hodges Figgis is 17:99 AND you get a very nice free bag. You also get a free copy of some book called 'Lionboy'.

'Lionboy' didn't look so promising; the bins in Dawson street were stuffed up with copies of it.

monkeyfudge

I don't understand what people's obsession is with finding the absolutely lowest price and going out of there way to get to a bookshop that sells it at that price.

€12.99 is a very fair price for Hardback book with over 600 pages.

The RRP is marked as £16.99 on the book jacket.

D-Generate

Well Waterstones were selling it for €18 which is a hell of a lot more than any other place. Its kind of odd considering that in England they were selling it for £8.99 which is roughly €13. So a €5 increase for selling Ireland. I didn't think that books got taxed like magazines do so I don't knwo where Waterstones discrepincy in pricing is coming from.
I got mine from Easons for €13, was easiest to locate in town.

Cathy

I got it in Tesco last night - there was a huge queue in front of me, and quite a few behind. There were loads of kids with broomsticks and cloaks and magic wands
I finished it at about half four this morning. It's really good, but still not as good as Goblet of Fire, I think. I really wasn't expecting some parts!

*Page*

i havent picked up my copy yet but was told a bit about the first chapter can someone confrim it for me.

Rew

*Page* wrote:

i havent picked up my copy yet but was told a bit about the first chapter can someone confrim it for me.

What do you want to know? First chapter is noting special very good second last line of it though.

banquo

Rew wrote:

What do you want to know? First chapter is noting special very good second last line of it though.

agreed on both counts; underwhelming chapter, but good finish.

but apart from the first chapter,

things are gettin' HOT in Gryffindor!

Rew

I don't get the hype about that chapter being in her mind since she began, I was expecting major revaltions.

banquo

No no no, the chapter you're thinking of is the final chapter of the 7th [and last] book in the series. She already has it written. She showed it to jeremy Paxman on BBC Newsnight.

*Page*

whats the name of the first chapter

Rew

*Page* wrote:

whats the name of the first chapter

"The Other Minister"