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5 out of 5 stars
By
Cococom
on
12-05-11
Nice Summary of Rowling's Harry Potter Phenom
The author mixes concise news reporting and direct quotes from Rowling and her associates, to tell about the creation and unexpected success of the Harry Potter series. I enjoyed how the narrator, though American, used a British accent when quoting Rowling. She closely mimics what Rowling sounds like. Very enjoyable listen.
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1 of 1 people found this review helpful
1 out of 5 stars
By
Joanne
on
04-13-11
Not for a kid audience, but not for adults either
Perhaps any group of 9-year-old Potter fans can give an adult a more interesting and animated discussion of Harry Potter than this audio book. In fact, perhaps any nursing home resident can give a more rousing discussion of any subject under the sun than this audio book. So skip the purchase, go talk with an Alzheimer's sufferer for two hours, and both you and the octogenarian will be better off.
The narration is dry and uncompelling. The content is random, disorganized and seemingly more secondhand than fact. And there are also long stretches of plot summary for no reason, making the whole thing feel like an attempt at Cliff's Notes.
And for a second edition and new audio release, there were some glaring omissions, most notably the rise of Potter merchandise, the Harry Potter theme park in Florida, Potter fan fiction on the web, and lawsuits over copyright infringement.
Granted, it would be hard to write a thorough biography on someone who is as private as Rowling, but there are numerous books about the cultural and literary impact of Harry Potter. This information could have been used to make a more substantial overview for adult readers than what's here.
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5 of 7 people found this review helpful