I just finished reading Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix...

[YellowRubberDuckie]

And I've been crying nonstop for two hours. Oh, I'm so upset. What a great book. Why do we get so caught up in the lives and fall in love with fictional characters?!
Duckie

[Rabrrrrrr]

1. Because when the story telling is done well,

we disocver ourselves in the characters. And good story-telling simply tells the truth, without adding emotional spin to it. (though let me say that it seems that for most writers, telling the truth is not so simple, and they feel the need to overdo it - Spielberg is a good example of that).

Order of the Phoenix is, indeed, very sad, and well-written. I found much with which to identify in it - the Potter books are, after all, about being a human being, warts, pain, failures, successes, and all.

[Big Kahuna]

2. Has anyone read the English version?

The british slang is great!

What the hell does "wotcher" mean? :)

[YellowRubberDuckie]

4. Um, all of them are the English Version.

They don't change a lot of the slang in the books, that I've noticed. The kids still use a lot of weird slang words.
Duckie

[Rabrrrrrr]

6. I'd like to get copies of them, but they are quite pricey

here in the US. Like $40 or $45 last time I saw them at the local children's bookstore.

[Big Kahuna]

7. I'd like to find out

what the hell "wotcher" means!!! :)

[Rabrrrrrr]

8. here ya go:

Normal usage is "wotcha". "Wotcher" is, apparently, the London version.

From http://www.peevish.co.uk/slang/w.htm

Exclam. A greeting. A shortening of what cheer! Also spelt wotcher. (Mainly London use)

[philosophie_en_rose]

10. You can find them cheaper at Amazon.co.uk

http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0747561079/qid=1090213652/ref=sr_8_xs_ap_i1_xgl/026-2327328-5879631

Everything should be as easy to buy and use, except for DVDs and videos of course.

Even with shipping (which isn't much more than Amazon US), both hardcover and paperback books in the UK are much cheaper than the same books in the States.

[Rabrrrrrr]

14. Thanks!

That is cheaper - all I can get here are the hardcovers.

[Greedy Oil Puritan]

13. I'm Canadian...

They don't change the prose or the dialogue to American English at all.

I literally wanted to strangle the American publisher when I heard that "mum" was changed to "mom".

Way to kill a setting, dumb fuck.

*Bets the publisher is a Republican*

[theivoryqueen]

11. is this the last book?

[Rabrrrrrr]

15. Aye

the fifth book.

[realisticphish]

3. I'll give it to Rowlings

no, not THAT way :evilgrin:. I resisted reading them for a long time, since they were popular lol. But when I did, I realized that she had started something that might actually get kids to read again.



:hippie: The Incorrigible Democrat

[russian33]

5. She amazes me...

...she is so great with detail, you can picture everything you read about, to the smallest detail....can't wait for the 6th book! Good site for all things Harry Potter is www.mugglenet.com, and Rowling also has her official site up and running now www.jkrowling.com, in case anyone is interested.

[tigereye]

9. great book

it was very sad and emotional. She is so good at surprising you and intertwining all of the plot elements, plus the characters are wonderful. We have read all of them to my son and recently reread the latest one. Can't wait for another.

[ET Awful]

12. Odd you should mention it. . . I just happen to be re-reading it right now

Read it when it first came out, and I ran out of stuff to read, so I decided to re-read the whole series again.