Copies of the long-anticipated final book of the Harry Potter series, “Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows” have begun to arrive for some of those who ordered them online. Of course, online booksellers want to compete with brick-and-mortar bookshops, so they must get pre-ordered books to customers at least on the same day a person could walk into a local shop to buy the book, without paying too much in shipping.

Which means that online booksellers must time the delivery of the book through the mail system. I’m thinking this is a process somewhat akin to predicting the weather. For some, of course, books will arrive early.

For fans like myself, of course, this would be like winning the lottery. Imagine getting a copy of “Deathly Hallows” early?

Well, one author, columnist, and blogger, Will Collier, of Vodkapundit.com received a copy of the book four days early! What did he do with the book? Put it up for sale on eBay!

Did Will read the book in advance of selling it? He doesn’t say, but he did manage to sell the book for $250 and got it to the buyer a couple of days in advance of the official release. I won’t spoil the details of this interesting story, which you can read here.

What I will say is simply that I do not consider the resale of a book legally purchased, received, and resold to be a problem in any way. Especially considering the fact that Will did not read the book and then try to post spoilers for his readers. He merely sold the book to someone else.

It wasn’t quite that simple of course, but read the article yourself and let me know what you think. Inquiring minds want to know!

Last night I lined up with what must have been a couple of thousand others to see the midnight premiere of Harry Potter and The Order Of The Phoenix.  And you know what?  It was a lot of fun.

The movie, of course, is darker than the others, but then, so is the book.  Also, much of the richness of the characters expressed so well by Rowling in her books had to be left out as well.  But the elements that went into the movie worked well, and I enjoyed the movie as much as any I’ve enjoyed this year.

Let me tell you something you should know, Evanna Lynch, who plays Luna Lovegood in the movie was a delight!  She nearly steals the whole show.

As I said, I stood there in line with a couple thousand die-hard fans to see the movie.  Actually, I arrived an hour early and the line was already huge, so, being on my own, I kind of snuck myself into the line fairly close to the front.  That way, I was able to get a decent seat.  And only a decent seat, despite the fact that every one of the theatres (there were 11 total) was set up to show the film!

But I digress…

The audience was incredibly excited to see the movie, cheering when the Warner Bros logo came up on the screen with the original Harry Potter score playing in the background.  And every time Luna appeared in the movie, you could just feel the audience’s fascination with her.

I wonder if part of the fascination with Luna comes from the fact that Luna reflects some of the oddness — some might call it “geek-ness” in those of us who are fans of the books.  She is just so different, that even Harry doesn’t know what to make of her.

But throughout both “Order Of The Phoenix” and “Half-Blood Prince,” the character of Luna just adds a whole new element to the storyline.  She is a nut, but then again, so are many of us who are so into Harry Potter, so we have that in common.

Most of us, though, try to blend in, whereas Luna is just too true to herself to ever care what others think.  And Evanna did a phenomenal job of bringing all that to life in the movie.
Another phenomenal performance came from Imelda Staunton, who played the part of Delores Umbridge.  She too was perfect for the role.  Delores Umbridge is, in every way, a fascinating character brought beautifully to life by Staunton.

Not that you like Umbridge.  She’s a mean, sadistic, child-hating, power-mongering semi-sociopath who also just happens to love kittens and the color pink.  If she were your neighbor, you would think she was just the most wonderful person, until she gets herself elected President of your community association and bans pets, pools, laughing children, and Christmas decorations.

It is those kinds of performances, along with excellent performances from the normal cast, that makes this movie worth seeing.  I think this movie outshines “Goblet of Fire,” which seemed to me to be just too fast-paced, like a rock skipping frantically over the waters of a lake, missing most of the water below, then sinking suddenly to the bottom.

This movie does a bit of skipping, but it also dips in a bit, and I think the combination produces the right balance.  I’m not a movie critic (not a professional critic anyway) but I would give this movie three stars out of four.  But go see for yourself and let me know what you think.

Reuters is reporting today that a hacker “who goes by the name ‘Gabriel,’ claims to have taken a digital copy of author J.K. Rowling’s seventh book, ‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows,’ by breaking into a computer at Bloomsbury Publishing Plc.” As many Potter fans are aware, the details of the final book have been carefully guarded by author J.K. Rowling and her publishers.

With the release of “Deathly Hallows” less than a month away, anticipation and excitement continues to grow, with fans eagerly awaiting the opportunity to finally know what happens to Harry and other lead characters from the series. Rowling fueled fans’ excitement some months ago when she claimed that two of the main characters from the series would die in the final book.

In May, Rowling posted a message on her site stating she could see the “first distant rumblings of the weirdness that usually precedes a Harry Potter publication.” Rowling asked fans who might somehow learn the details of her final book not to publish them for others to read. J.K. stated that her desire is for readers “who have, in many instances, grown up with Harry, to embark on the last adventure they will share with him without knowing where they are going.”
I wholeheartedly agree with this sentiment. And it’s quite likely the vast majority of Potter fans agree as well.

Why would anyone want the endings of both the book and this monumental series spoiled when the release of the final books is less than a month away? After years of anticipation, reading what happens in a series of posted spoilers on the Internet will almost certainly ruin the final book for you. And it could potentially ruin the series as well.

This blogger is a “hater” when it comes to spoilers, and I’ve spoken out against this horrible habit before. Two posts in particular, Just say NO to spoilers!, and Help! Star Trek has fallen and can’t get up!, make this clear to readers.

Think about this; if Gabriel truly did hack into a computer and steal the book, then he or she has committed a serious crime. Definitely, Gabriel should be thrown in jail and Rowling’s publishers should sue for damages.

The self-alleged criminal, Gabriel, is very pointed in his desire to damage Rowling and her publishers. Gabriel says unequivocally that “We make this spoiler to make reading of the upcoming book useless and boring.”

This person wants to ruin your experience, and they want to damage 10 years of very hard work on the part of J.K. Rowling. Does anyone truly think J.K. began writing expecting to become a billionaire? She began writing because she had a story and characters whom she desired to bring to life.

Now Gabriel is trying to get a tad bit of fame by damaging 10 years of hard work. This is a criminal act and, if they truly did steal a copy of Rowling’s final book, Gabriel needs to treated as the criminal he truly is.

If a copy was stolen, it is more likely Gabriel worked for the publisher rather than they were able to hack into their computers. In most cases where data in one form or another is stolen, leaks occur from the inside.
But this is a personal theory. Ultimately, we may find that the loser “Gabriel” was just telling a huge lie to get some attention, or to promote a pet theory.

Regardless, I think fans everywhere need to avoid spoilers of any kind. The best reaction to people such as Gabriel is pity and contempt. Pity that they should be so immature and reckless, and contempt for their thoughtless actions. It is not “cool,” or “admirable” in any way to do what loser Gabriel claims to have done.

What we can know with certainty is this; Gabriel is either a thief, a liar, or both. Any way you look at it, this person is, without a doubt, a loser. And if you read spoilers stolen illegally from Rowling, then you’re a loser too.

On July 21, 2007, “Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows,” the last book of the wildly popular Harry Potter series, hits the stores. The release of the seventh book marks the end of a 10 year journey for fans all over the world. To date, the first six books of the series have sold more than 325 million copies and have been translated into 63 different languages. For the last book in the series, publishers have already announced they’ll print a record-setting 12 million copies, just for distribution in the United States alone!Of course, the books are also becoming, one at a time, major motion pictures. As a matter of fact, “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix” is scheduled for release on July 13, about a week before the final book goes on sale.So, to say that anticipation is growing among fans is an understatement. Take a bit of time to visit Potter-oriented blogs and you’ll see that fan anticipation is growing exponentially. Understandably, fans are expressing both exhiliration at the prospect of having so many of their questions answered by the final book, and sadness at seeing the series come to its final close.

And in the midst of the wild sucess enjoyed by this series, there has also been ongoing controversy surrounding it as well. It’s ironic that, while the individual books in the series have all enjoyed high best-seller rankings, they also suffer high rankings on “banned” lists as well. Author J.K. Rowling even mentioned the fact that, in 2006, her books featured prominently on the year’s list of most-banned books.

As an evangelical Christian, I have listened to the “Harry Potter Debate” unfold in our community since shortly after the release of “Sorcerer’s Stone.” What surprised me was the fact that there were such strong feelings on both sides of the issue within the Christian community. I remember listening to a debate moderated by James Dobson on his show, “Focus on The Family,” which I listen to quite often.

Dobson didn’t take a position, rather, he sat back and listened to his guests debate back and forth regarding the value vs. the danger of some of the themes in the book. These books do, after all, prominently feature the practice of witchcraft, with most of the story taking place at the “Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.”

What could be clearer than this? The Bible condemns the practice of witchcraft. In Deuteronomy 18, versus 10 and 11, for example, we’re told, “Let no one be found among you who sacrifices his son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead.”

What most people do not know, and what God is addressing in Deuteronomy, is the practice of witchraft in Canaan, which happened to commonly include ritual human sacrifice. As Deuteronomy tells us, and archeology has confirmed, newborn infants were often burned alive as sacrifices to their gods.

Witchcraft was unacceptable then and it is unacceptable for believers today. I believe that and, ultimately, know that practicing “witchcraft” or “Wicca” as many call it today, is fundamentally (no pun intended), a rejection of God. That said, I know quite a few people who are Wiccans, including one who is a High Priestess, and I’m happy to count them as friends. I disagree with what they believe, they know I disagree, and we have some good debates regarding our beliefs.

But I digress…

The important question then is whether or not it is clear, based on Biblical exhortations, that Christians should avoid this series of books? Believe it or not, the answer is not a clear “yes” or “no.” As I mentioned previously, there are devout Christians who adamantly oppose this series and those who who wholeheartedly endorse these books. So, where do I stand?

It just so happens that I am one of those who wholeheartedly endorses this series. In order to explain my reasoning as well as my recommendations to fellow Christians who may not yet have read these books yet are considering it, I think it is necessary to step back a number of years to the time when I first learned to love reading.

It was 1975, I was 10-years-old and was in the fourth grade at Germantown Elementary School in Annapolis, MD. On one particular day, I walked over to the library during a break in classes to see if I could find something interesting to read.

When I entered the library, it was very busy, with the librarian frantically working to get books back on the shelves as quickly as students were pulling them off. I thought to myself, “the librarian should know what is worth reading,” so I walked over to her, standing near a particular shelf of books with her book cart, where she was diligently creating order out of chaos.

I asked her, “could you help me find a good book?” She gave me hardly a glance. Instead, she looked quickly up to the nearest shelf, grabbed a book, and placed it in my hands. “Here,” she said, “this is a good one.”

I looked down and read the title; “The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe.” I thanked her and walked off.

I vividly recall opening the book to begin reading it later that same day. I remember because the book captured my attention quickly and I remember reading about a little girl named Lucy, who entered a wardrobe thinking it a good hiding place during a game of hide-and-seek with her two brothers and sister. Trying to hide as best she could, Lucy walked farther and farther into the wardrobe, until she found herself in a quiet wood with snow falling all around.

When I read this, my eyes widened and I said out loud to myself, “it’s a magical wardrobe!” I was, no pun intended, enchanted. And my love of reading in general was greatly enhanced because of this wonderful book. Over the next few years I read all seven books in the series and loved every one of them.

Now, many know that the author of those books, C.S. Lewis, a good friend and fellow Oxford Professor with J.R.R. Tolkein, was one of the greatest Christian apologists (defenders of the Christian faith) of the 20th century. His friend, J.R.R. Tolkein had helped him move from devout atheism to devout Christianity. Lewis was a prolific author and the body of his work includes fantasy, scifi, Christian-theology, and some biographical works.

Lewis wrote the series we know today as “The Chronicles of Narnia” because he wanted to write a children’s series that would help readers to feel the power of the Christian story. He did not write these books in an allegorical manner; rather, Lewis literally inserted Jesus into his Chronicles as Aslan, a great lion who created Narnia, was sacrificed on the Stone Table by the White Witch, and rose again to free his people from her tyranny.

Through this mode of story-telling, Lewis hoped to teach a story readers likely already knew, but in a different way. For me, the strategy worked perfectly. Growing up, I longed to know the Aslan of those stories. And one day, mid-way through college, I met him in the person of Jesus, whom I gave my life over to and whom I today call Lord and Savior.

But as a child, I read these books over and over again, longing to visit Narnia, and longing most of all to know God the way Narnians knew Aslan. A personal relationship with a Lord who saw through them, understood all the weaknesses of those who loved him, and loved them anyway with a love that transcended all understanding.
It was many years before I understood that this is exactly what Jesus offers, a personal relationship. So, the “Chronicles of Narnia” gave me that first taste of what God really offered, not staid religiosity, but a personal walk with the creator of the universe.

The lesson I ultimately learned from this experience was that stories, even ones which include magic, can still teach important moral lessons. And because of my love for these books, I was encouraged to read other series; including “The Lord of The Rings.” And, while J.R.R. Tolkien consciously presented a clear “good vs. evil” message, he did not overtly or covertly insert a Christian theme into his books.

Regardless of the fact that both Tolkien and Lewis were devout Christians, there have been ongoing debates over the fact that protagonists in both series understand and, at times, employ magic to accomplish their goals. So, is the use of magic in the context of a fictional story a bad thing? Many Christians, and I include myself among them, do not believe so.

Understanding this, one can better understand why there are many Christians like myself who have enjoyed the Harry Potter series. And in may ways I believe that this series is as significant as The Chronicles of Narnia and The Lord of the Rings.

Personally, I did not begin reading the Potter books until late in 2005, seven years after the first book appeared. But then a coworker began to loan me the books on tape and CD. I was so enchanted –again, no pun intended — by the books that, I finished listening to books 1-6 in the space of just about four months, the entire time thrilling at the quality of each of the books and the awesome narration skills of Jim Dale.

I listened to the books while driving to and from work each day. With a 100-mile-per-day round trip, I was, at that time, a prolific audiobook consumer. And during those months of listening to the Potter books, I was never so happy to be stuck in traffic.

Despite my own love for these books, other Christians might ask if there are worthwhile themes in this series from a Christian perspective? The answer is a definite yes!

From a high-level perspective, some of the most important themes relate to love, family, friendship, loyalty, forgiveness, and even redemption. Specifically, we see the constant and overarching theme of love.

Professor Dumbledore, the Hogwarts Headmaster, expresses the belief that love is more powerful than any magic several times, and tries to teach Harry that this is his only hope of defeating his arch-enemy, Lord Voldemort. Dumbledore is the personification of love, just as Voldemort is the personification of hate.

So, you can see while we do not hear the words “good vs. evil” much in the series, we constantly see the theme of “love vs. hate.” And the benefits of love and the consequences of hate are constantly, and quite effectively, portrayed by Rowling.

The hate-filled Lord Voldemort loves no one, trusts no one, and confides in no one; not even his closest followers. Voldemort is utterly without mercy, eliminating anything and anyone who gets in his way. As you read about him, you see his psychotic personality. A genius, but one who is utterly controlled by his hate, fear, distrust, and ambition.

In contrast, Dumbledore is ever loving, always forgiving, and seeks always to influence his students in a positive way. In the sixth book of the series, “Half-Blood Prince,” Dumbeldore shows love and compassion even to one of his students who is threatening to kill him. Dumbledore believes in the power of love and lives his life in a manner that is consistent with his beliefs. And as Rowling hints throughout the series, Dumbelodore’s insistence on the power of love will somehow be the key to victory over Voldemort and his followers.

Another well-expressed theme in the series is the value of family. Harry Potter’s parents were ruthlessly murdered by Voldemort when he was just an infant, and his non-magical relatives do not treat Harry well while raising him. So the family of one of his best friends from Hogwarts, Ron Weasley, takes him in and treats him as one of their own.

Ron Weasley is one of seven children, a family which is poor in monetary terms but incredibly rich and alive with their love for each other. And Ron’s parents show great love and devotion to Harry, showing Harry, and readers of the series, the joy and value of family.

Here, Rowling does a phenomenal job of communcating something that many of us never understand, that a loving family life is worth far more than a mountain of gold. You feel right down to the depths of your soul what the young Harry Potter understands; he would gladly give up every ounce of his family’s personal fortune to have his parents back.

Overall, I think it difficult for anyone to argue these books are “devoid of value,” as some claim. Like the Chronicles of Narnia and Lord of the Rings, The Harry Potter series is full of important values and lessons, only in the backdrop of a magical world.

Does this mean that I recommend the Potter series unequivocally? No, I do not.

Rather, I think that, for parents who are concerned, they should read through the books before their children and decide for themselves if they wish to let their children read them or not. For adults who feel the content, despite the positives, is too dark or too oriented on witchcraft, then I recommend they not read the series.

Just as in every community, there are varying levels of opinion, I think it imporant for both Christians and non-Christians to respect those who might respectfully disagree with the themes written into the Harry Potter Series. And I place an emphasis on “respectful disagreement.”

In the end, this is a story, not a biography, and the events of the story are fictional. That said, what a wonderful experience this has been for fans of the series! A story this engaging and compelling does not come along very often, and we’ve had the opportunity to watch both the characters and the tale itself unfold and develop over the past ten years.

It has been a great ride, and in July of this year, we’ll see the conclusion of the series with the release of “Deathly Hallows.” Like other fans, I’m excited and sad to know that the final book is almost here.

I so appreciate J.K. Rowling’s wonderful books. And personally I’m very grateful for the work she has done in the creation of this wonderful, inspiring, and worthwhile series of books. What an amazing adventure it has been so far. I can’t wait to read the final book in the series, both to see it’s conclusion and also to know that I was privileged to watch this series unfold from beginning to end. It has been a great blessing!

I just received an email from Borders.com with links to the cover art for the last book in the Harry Potter series, “The Deathly Hallows.” Here first is the link to the new book cover:

http://www.bordersmedia.com/harrypotter/cover.asp

Here is the link to the full picture:

http://www.bordersmedia.com/harrypotter/spread.asp

As you can see in the full picture, Harry and Voldemort are facing off; perhaps engaged in their final battle? The first thing that popped into my head when I saw the full image was that Voldemort was telling Harry something like “I’m gonna get you sucka!” Harry’s reply was something along the lines of, “well, throw down reptile dude!”

A good friend of mine at work saw the image and said, “look, Harry and Voldemort are together in an episode of ‘Dancing With The Stars!” I thought this reply was much more clever than my own.

Regardless, the appearance of this new cover art brings the reality of the final book that much closer AND I find myself now finally starting to get excited about the book. Normally I buy the audiobook version because Jim Dale has the ability to bring these books to life in a way no one else can, but the price tag on the audiobook is now just a tad shy of $80! Ouch!

I might have to use the old Mark I eyeballs for the final book. We’ll see.

Though the former Newsweek and New York Times Magazine editor’s book, “The Truth About Hillary” has yet to be released, it has already reached number one on Amazon. Does that make it a good book? Hardly, but the debate that has grown around the release of this book is interesting, to say the least.

Liberal critics have already begun to call this book, “a right wing hit piece.” But is it? If you look at Mr. Klein’s credentials, you see that he’s worked for two of the biggest left-leaning media establishments in the country, Newsweek, and the NY Times.

Is it a left wing hit piece then? Perhaps an example of liberals killing their own wounded?

I think the whole argument is ridiculous actually. This is, plain and simple, a hit piece. It doesn’t matter WHO it is hitting, really, what matters is that it’s really just full of sleaze.

Yes, sleaze. A low but popular form of the media that I like to call, “the main-sleaze media.” These books are, as Bill O’Reilly accurately pointed out on his Fox News show last night, easy to write:

Writing a book or article that slams somebody is simple. Just line up the person’s enemies and let fly. They do that stuff to me all the time and to every other successful person in the media or politics.

Exactly right. Unfortunately, sleaze often sells even better than sex. In some ways, this kind of sleaze, the kind you’ve seen hurled at people like Mr. O’Reilly, President Bush, President Clinton, Rush Limbaugh, and now Senator Clinton, is a form of pornography. It’s chock full of lurid details, and salacious rumors. Stuff that, unfortunately, people love to read.

Is any of this garbage uplifting in any way? Does it teach us anything of value? These kinds of books are the fast food of literature; they are fun to consume, but you feel less healthy rather than more at the end of it.

Now don’t get me wrong, I love fast food. I went out today and had a Big Mac and fries and I loved every bite! But, as one of my high school Social Studies teachers often said, “the things are nothing more than death balls.”

Here’s the difference; when I eat one of my “death balls,” I’m only hurting myself. When people go out and buy books like “The Truth About Hillary,” in which Mr. Klein reportedly makes the outrageous claim that Chelsea Clinton was conceived through an act of intra-marital rape, the damage is far broader.

If you read through my archives, you’ll find numerous articles critiquing former President Clinton and Senator Clinton, but one thing I’ve respected about them is the pains they’ve always taken to give Chelsea as normal a life as possible. Have Bill and Hillary shown any greater unity than when it comes to protecting their daughter and giving her a chance at her own future?

Which means, if the rumor is true regarding Mr. Klein’s book, that this particular piece of sleaze is all the more despicable.

And the fact that this man’s book is number one on the Amazon list disturbs me. What does that say about us? The book is not yet even available for purchase!

Those of you who would call yourselves conservative, as I call myself; you do understand, don’t you, that this kind of book is a form of theft, don’t you? Mr. Klein, no doubt a very accomplished journalist, has abandoned his own talent, and has chosen instead to feed off of the notoriety of the Clintons.

It is, in a sense, a form of wealth redistribution.

And we avidly consume this stuff… No wonder mainstream journalists look down on us.

David Flanagan
Viewpointjournal.com