Harry Potter is going to die! Says author J.K. Rowling: "I’m mourning."
Now, relax: It’s not what you think. There’s still no word on what will become of our favorite wiz kid in his series’ final installment, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, which goes on sale July 21. But his creator did announce on her website today that she has finally finished writing, thus ending what the AP described as "one of the great phenomena of literary history." The books, after all, have sold in excess of 325 million copies. So it’s no wonder that Rowling added, "I feel an incredible sense of achievement." (The fact that she’s said to be the first person in history to earn $1 billion writing books may also have something to do with it.)
Anyway, Rowling called Deathly Hallows her favorite Harry book, which is dandy. But it only shines a brighter spotlight on the elephant in her castle: Where does a 41-year-old former blockbuster writer and future dame go from here? Will this really be the end of Harry? Will she try something new? Has Rowling set the bar too high for herself and will she ever be able to live up to the hype again? Can she cast the same kind of spell over readers if she, say, goes in a more adult direction with her first non-Harry book? Will there even be a non-Harry book, or will she retire a la Harper Lee? I dunno, maybe that’s a good thing. But what do you think about all that’s brewing in Rowling’s very own Chamber of Secrets?
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JK Rowling’s future = Royalty checks and tequila slammers with Lemony Snicket.
Josh you need to check your facts she actually finished writing it on the 11th of january and it was announced on her website on the 1st of the month that she was done and it would be published on the 21st of july
She should probably spend the next year rolling around in a pile of money.
Whatever she decides, I wish her well. She provided much enjoyment to millions of people. She also provided a positive example, never giving up: from being on the dole to being the richest woman in England. Thanks, J.K., for all the fun.
Two words: Money bin…(Scrooge McDuck style)
She certainly shouldn’t write anything new within the Harry Potter world (i.e. 30 years later, Harry is headmaster of Hogwarts and Hermione is an evil witch…and their illegitimate daughter must save the magic world with two new wacky sidekicks). The seven books are (assuming Hallows is good and completes the story) a nearly-perfect closed system, which should not be re-opened.
Seven books is quite an achievement for any published author; and, in Rowling’s case, it doesn’t seem that there are deep emotional or intellectual things she feels the need to express. So, I would think she should just quit while she’s (obscenely) ahead.
Though I wish JK the best, it will be difficult to re-create the Harry series. I think she’ll probably retire. That said, I also think she’ll be thrilled watching each new generation discover her books. I’ve read them all and can’t wait to read them to my own children!
I say she plays Kirsten/Kelly Rowan in the made-for-tv behind the scenes movie about The O.C.
Jo Rowling has said herself that she’s already writing (written?) another book, a children’s story. She’s also said, albeit in a joking manner, that she’d probably release anything non-HP under a pseudonym.
Also, she’s stated that she would not do another Harry Potter novel. However, she has acknowledged the possibility doing something along the lines of a HP encyclopedia of things she didn’t include in the books.
You can go to leaky news . com for more, or to Jo’s website at www . jkrowling . com for more info.
As previously stated, she has already said she’s written another book for much younger kids, so she is likely to release that under her own name, but I don’t think it would be a bad idea for her to release future books under pseudonyms. Sure, make the publishing comp. happy and throw them a little bone every now and then (like a possible HP encyclopedia, or “Hogwarts, a History” for the HP fans) that will sell immeasurable copies, but wouldn’t it be fun for her and for readers to know there are JKR books out there residing quietly on the shelves in disguise? I’m weird, but I love the idea.
I think she should go fishing. And perhaps marry me.
Rowling said in some interview a while ago that she may write an “adult crime novel”, and she also has written or planned a kids book (for younger readers than the HP books) about a monster.. or something like that. I think she’s alsot thinking about doing a Harry Potter Encyclopedia or something to that effect. personally, I love the idea of the crime novel and the encyclopedia/companion novel. can’t wait to see what she does
As she’s stated on her website, this series of books has been 17 years in the making. So I think she’ll probably want to take a little breather. These books, which were aimed primarily toward children, are so rich and complex that I would love to see what she’d do with a novel geared toward adults. Whatever she decides to write next (if she decides to continue), I’m there.
I think she’s said that she has other ideas for books, and given the inventiveness and great writing that typifies the Harry Potter books, I’m sure she’d do fine if she continues to write. Or she can retire to her castle and live out her days as one of the wealthiest people on the planet. Whatev.
I think she should go after the photographer who took this picture — her neck is seriously creeping me out, what’s going on with that hollowed out wishbone thing?
I wish she would write a prequel to Harry Potter. I think lots of people would be interested on a prequel even if the subject has been touched by several HP books.
Well, now that she has soaked the world’s children in witchcraft like a teabag in water-they were ripe for the pickin’, weren’t they–I hope she goes into deep prayer and fasting and sees what’s she’s REALLY “accomplished”! (Scaaaaarey, scaaaaaaarey)
I think she should retire, because she’s not a very good writer. Being 16, I had the books forced on me when I was younger, and since then, I’ve felt obligated to read them. I think it’s time for her to put the pen down, and retreat to her castle.
run for prime minister? she’d totally win…how bizarro world cool would it be to wake up and hear “today, president arnold schwarzenegger and prime minister jk rowling will meet in london to discuss changes to the nato alliance…”
You PopWatch bloggers drive me bonkers!
First, Harper Lee comparisons??? Seriously? Rowling wrote a seven-volume British fantasy series about a wizard, and Harper Lee wrote a bildungsroman set in a small-town in the racist South. (Although they both did fine in the Hollywood department; Lee from Gregory Peck to Catherine Keener).
Okay, so there ARE some pertinent similarities, such as: why must we as a society seethe for the next big payoff? You know what, as far as I’m concerned, Rowling can take to writing verse, win the Booker prize, or hole up in her flat and eat Jaffa cakes for the next few decades. Nothing should take away from this accomplishment.
More power to her if she wants to write again, especially something completely different from HP. If she doesn’t, we should appreciate what she’s given us and stop calling it an inability to live up to her HP success. I think hundreds of millions of books sold is accomplishment enough. Leave off it already!
I am so honored to have grown up in the Harry Potter age. I remember reading the first book in the 7th grade, and now that I am a freshman at college I look forward to reading and enjoying and mourning over the last installment.
It baffles me to this day. How one woman, with one brain can come up with this. I mean who does things like this. These books have been so amazing. So well written and complex. I look forward to reading the last book and enjoying all that JK rowling has allowed us to share with her.
THANK YOU JK ROWLING FOR CREATING A BOOK THAT NEVER EVER DISAPPOINTED!!!!!!!!!
As for what to do next… Write more and more books, different genres, different age groups. Continue to share your talent with all the world.
Maybe now that she has enough money, she can try to write a book thats actually original and good, something that is up to par with real classics and not some overhyped junk.
J.K.Rowling is a extremely gifted person. I would love to see what she can do with new material,and characters. I wish her luck on her next Adventure.
The comments posted here are an example of why the moron who came up with doing all of these blogs here should be fired. Entertainment Weekly is supposed to be for entertainment news. The Internet is already filled with thousands of personal blogs and websites where people cram their opinions. Get rid of these idiotic blogs NOW!
Once a writer, always a writer. It may seem sensible to retire, but what would you do with your time to keep busy when you’ve spent about ten years writing? I’m sure it would get boring really fast. I wish her well in whatever she decides to do – hopefully she’ll do something charitable with the rest of her money to help out those less fortunate – especially since she came from dire straits herself.
Better Harper Lee than Arthur Conan Doyle
I would love it if she used some of that monstrous pile of money she has to help nurture and kick-start the careers of other struggling authors in and outside of children’s/sci-fi fiction. It would show that she’s not only committed to getting children to read, but she’s also serious about helping get good books into the world. Plus, she has enough money to start her own publishing wing so joining an already established publisher (like Scholastic or Random House) to finance a few books a year shouldn’t be that hard.
Continue with the surgical enhancement plan of action?
She should retire from being a novelist, because no matter what she does after this last Harry Potter book, everyone will be comparing her future work to it. And if her future work sucks, she’s in for a lot of heat from the book world. Maybe she should do some freelance writing, start a magazine, volunteer for children who can’t read, or soemthing. She should stop writing books and let Harry Potter be her legacy, kind of like the thing George Lucas had going with the Star Wars trilogy until he jacked up and made 3 movies afterwards that everyone hated.
I think she should use a different name after HP to disguise herself.