May 25, 2004

J.K. Rowling on the Web

Posted by Ed

A small bit of news for the Harry Potter fans among you: J.K. Rowling now has a website. (The Guardian describes the launch of the website and the world premiere of the third Harry Potter movie here.)

I wish I could tell you that the site is amazingly exciting, but it's not. It's a little busy for my tastes, but given that I'm at least 15 years older than the site's target audience, I don't really mind; I've learned a handful of things from the site so far, namely, that Ginnie's full name is Ginevra, that there was originally going to be an unpleasant Weasley cousin in the fourth book, and that Crookshanks is half Kneazle. (No, I have no idea what that means, though I'm sure that a quick websearch would enlighten me.) The most interesting parts of the site include some of Rowling's notes on the book, as well as her discussion of scenes she cut from her novels. (Nearly Headless Nick was originally going to sing a song about how he died, for example.)

Overall, then, I'd be really intrigued with this site if I were a kid. Given that I'm a doddering old history grad student, I think it's kind of cute.

Update: The Telegraph features an interview with another children's writer from the British isles, Eoin Colfer. I was never very impressed by Colfer's Artemis Fowl (and not just because I consider it sacrilegious to name a male character Artemis); it's the sort of book that I'd have enjoyed as a kid, but which isn't very appealling to anyone over the age of 14. (It also reads suspisciously like the novelization of a movie, so I guess we shouldn't be surprised that a film version of Artemis Fowl is coming soon to a theater near you...) The interview, though, is kind of entertaining. (via Bookslut)

Posted by Ed at May 25, 2004 11:58 AM
Comments
Post a comment









Remember personal info?