Next Harry Potter book releases soon
Date 5/1/2003 12:00 AM | Topic: Arts & CultureHarry Potter, the famous teenage wizard, is about to stumble onto dark and difficult times. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, J.K. Rowling's fifth installment in the famous series, is due out on shelves June 21.
The first four Harry Potter books have become international bestsellers. Bloomsbury Publishing, the U.K. publishing house that prints the Harry Potter books says that Phoenix is 255,000 words long, with 38 chapters. This is almost a third longer than the previous installment, Goblet of Fire. Amazon.com has already had 130,000 pre-orders for book five, making it a bestseller before it is even officially for sale.
With the evil Voldemort being reborn in the end of the last book, Pheonix will be much darker than the previous four books. As for other plot events, Harry is getting older and discovering more about his world. The books deal with heavy social commentary on prejudice and hatred.
It has been three years since Goblet of Fire was released, the longest time in between books so far. This absence has led to a lot of rumors and speculation on the Internet. There are several web sites that thoroughly document Rowling's magical world and predict its future. Fans have also written elaborate fan fiction to quench their thirst for more Harry Potter action. Two of the most popular sites are and
Many stores, such as Barnes and Noble, plan to remain open June 20 for a midnight release of Order of the Phoenix. To pass the time until midnight, Harry Potter parties will be held for children whose parents are willing to allow them to stay up that late. Wal-Mart and other chain stores that always remain open twenty-four hours will put the book out on shelves at midnight as well.
Bloomsbury Publishing has made very strict rules for booksellers, which has roused many complaints. Because of time zone differences worldwide, no store will be able to begin sales of the book until midnight in London. Retailers are also being required to adhere to strict rules that will prevent plot leaks and early sales. Bloomsbury is insisting that the books remain in locked cartons and that no sales workers will be allowed to even look at the books until the moment they go on sale.
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Josh Visser
Editor-in-Chief
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