Harry Potter and the Comeback Cash-In
It was the night before New Year’s, and I was trawling the ‘net for some news – and news – because there was nothing on the television that would tell me anything about what was going on in the real world. And I was rather dismayed when I happened upon the following headline:
JK Rowling Considers Writing Eighth Harry Potter Novel
And so I read on...
By Sky News SkyNews - Sunday, December 30 01:11 pm
Harry Potter author JK Rowling has admitted she has “weak moments” when she thinks about agreeing to write one more novel in the hugely popular series.
But young wizard Harry would probably not be the central character in any future instalment, she added.
The ‘final’ book in the series - Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - was published in July.
But Rowling told Time magazine, who placed the author at number three in its Person of the Year list, that she may revisit the series in a decade’s time.
“There have been times since finishing, weak moments, when I’ve said, ‘Yeah, all right’ to the eighth novel.” she said.
“If - and it’s a big if - I ever write an eighth book about the (wizarding) world, I doubt that Harry would be the central character.
“I feel I’ve already told his story. But these are big ifs. Let’s give it 10 years.”
Rowling says she is currently splitting her time between her children - including 14-year-old Jessica who is a big Potter fan, charity work and writing.
She is now working on an adult novel and a “political fairy tale”, Time magazine reported.
Harry Potter dominated both the 2007 book and DVD best-sellers lists released by Amazon.co.uk last week.
The seventh and ‘final’ book in the series about the young wizard sold more units from the online retailer than any other product.
It was followed in second place in the Amazon chart by the DVD of Harry Potter And The Order Of The Phoenix.
Now, I’ll concede that the headline is a little misleading, in that it suggests that another volume in the already more epic than necessary Potter series is likely. Nevertheless, however big the ‘ifs,’ that Rowling is even considering it marks something of a turnaround from the definitive end of the line for Potter that she was proclaiming just a few short months ago. A few short month that happened to coincide with the release of the last book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.
If ever there was a tried and tested hype technique, the ‘it’s the last one’ has to be it. How many bands have announced their last album, last single and the attendant farewell tour (and then reneged on the deal by reforming a few years later for a new album and another ‘one off tour... Led Zep? Spice Girls? Shed Seven...?) And despite the fact that it’s a long-established fact that the comeback’s never a patch on the good old days, the ‘artists’ are more than happy to sully the memories of greatness harboured by the fans for a fat cheque, while the fans are always up for an expensive nostalgia trip when the opportunity arises. And of course, it’s easy to see why Rowling might be tempted, given that her earnings so far haven’t been nearly enough to create a half-decent retirement fund.
This is something that was abundantly shown in ‘J K Rowling: A Year in the Life’ on ITV 2 on Saturday. It began at November 2006, showing Rowling working ‘in secret’ on the final chapters of the breeze-block of a book that would become the final volume in a series that’s taken her 17 years to write. The ‘secret’ location was later revealed as the Balmoral hotel in Edinburgh. Plush isn’t the word, and her suite was bigger than my fucking house. Most writers have no choice but to work in small back rooms or garden sheds or while in transit, a million miles from a 4 star hotel only a few miles from home.
Much of the programme was given to a potted biography. She had difficult relationships with her parents, lost her mother when only a young adult... hardships most of us can’t imagine, that showed that Rowling hasn’t always had it easy, and in fact has had a difficult life. She’s human and fragile like the rest of us... but all of the humility seemed to me somewhat forced, overplayed. Especially when it cut to a meeting between Jo (as she was referred to throughout) and a bunch of Hollywood bozos to discuss plans for a Harry Potter themed theme-park at the Balmoral. Jo doesn’t need to go to Hollywood: Hollywood comes to her, the voiceover informed us. Nice. Oh but she was so humble, speaking in interview that ‘I used to be the least important person in the room...’ And especially when JK was whinging about the glitzy openings she has to attend: she’s not very much of a ‘ta-daaaa’ person, apparently, and finds such events hard work. I’m sure she could say no, at least to some of them. Oh but it’s the promotion machine and that kind of PR’s worth its weight in gold (almost literally, I suspect).
Of course, I accept it must be difficult for her to leave all the characters she’s nurtured for all this time (not a problem I’ve ever had myself... they are ‘fictional’ after all... but my characters have never made me super-rich so perhaps I struggle to identify) and I’m glad she has other works in progress. Interesting to note that she’s angling for the adult market now... but then, a large percentage of those who can’t praise the Potter series highly enough are ‘adults.’ (Oh, do grow up!) Chances are the new works will be complete pap, but they’ll be published and sell by the truckload irrespective of what the critics say, because millions of people the world over have bought into the Rowling brand. It’s as if Duchamp never put his signature on a urinal. Or perhaps JK is simply another unwitting example of the reason why the avant-garde exists...