The Half-Wit Prince
As indicated by my previous post, I was quite busy early this week, and as a result I left Bill largely to his own devices to manage the Retreat. However, when the phone rang at 7.30 a.m. this morning, and I heard Bill's scratchy voice frantically squawking that he needed me to take care of the Retreat, I groggily agreed without really knowing what the Beelzebub he was saying, just so I could get back to sleep as soon as possible.
Later on at 9, I was blissfully chewing breakfast, when he called again, enquiring in a - err... not so polite manner - why I wasn't yet at the Retreat. After ruminating for a moment (pun intended), I vaguely remembered his call earlier that morning (now look: if you choose to call me at unearthly hours, you can't hold me responsible for not remembering the conversation later).
Anyhow, that should be enough of background information to explain why I was sitting in the store shortly afterwards. The first person to walk in wanted to buy a copy of The Half-Blood Prince (for the blissfully unaware i.e, those who have just landed on earth, The Half-Blood Prince is the sixth book of that global phenomenon - the Harry Potter series). I promptly gave it to him, but my hopes of a quick return to an interrupted Gerald Durrell were dashed when the chap wanted to know if a copy of 'The Sorcerer's Companion: A Guide to the Magical World of Harry Potter' was available.
I told him no, but he lingered on, talking about how his friend had recommended it to him saying it was an absolute must-have for the Harry Potter fan, blah blah blah... As a non-member of the Harry Potter fan club, neither the books, nor the rants of the fans interests me. For your benefit, I'll state the first rule from the 'Rulebook of what to do if you ever visit Bookworm's Retreat to buy Harry Potter-related stuff when I am at the counter': do NOT make conversation about it.
I do not like the very theme and concept of Harry Potter. It's a complete rehash, entirely unoriginal, a hotchpotch of various pre-existing children's stories. Mediocre and kitschy. As a book meant for children, the first volume was fine, but even there, the sequels are stretching it. How adults can enjoy that extraordinarily overrated stuff beats me. Furthermore, I resent the author's success, which in my opinion, is undeserved - considering the fact that fantasy is a genre that is not bound by any of the constraints of reality, and is thereby probably the easiest thing to write (no research required!), the rewards reaped seem inordinate.
But I was managing a store, and customer is king, so I was not at liberty to express my opinions to the guy. I nodded at everything he said, while periodically hinting at the time. He left after having a thirty minute monologue-conversation (if such a thing exists). As he went, he said, "Cool man, you get that book for me then. I mean like anybody with any sense of humor is surely gonna buy it." What possible connection there is between that book and humor is beyond me. But obviously, one gathers from that statement that the guy thought he was among the aficionados of wit, since he wanted to buy it. I think he was half right.
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Later on at 9, I was blissfully chewing breakfast, when he called again, enquiring in a - err... not so polite manner - why I wasn't yet at the Retreat. After ruminating for a moment (pun intended), I vaguely remembered his call earlier that morning (now look: if you choose to call me at unearthly hours, you can't hold me responsible for not remembering the conversation later).
Anyhow, that should be enough of background information to explain why I was sitting in the store shortly afterwards. The first person to walk in wanted to buy a copy of The Half-Blood Prince (for the blissfully unaware i.e, those who have just landed on earth, The Half-Blood Prince is the sixth book of that global phenomenon - the Harry Potter series). I promptly gave it to him, but my hopes of a quick return to an interrupted Gerald Durrell were dashed when the chap wanted to know if a copy of 'The Sorcerer's Companion: A Guide to the Magical World of Harry Potter' was available.
I told him no, but he lingered on, talking about how his friend had recommended it to him saying it was an absolute must-have for the Harry Potter fan, blah blah blah... As a non-member of the Harry Potter fan club, neither the books, nor the rants of the fans interests me. For your benefit, I'll state the first rule from the 'Rulebook of what to do if you ever visit Bookworm's Retreat to buy Harry Potter-related stuff when I am at the counter': do NOT make conversation about it.
I do not like the very theme and concept of Harry Potter. It's a complete rehash, entirely unoriginal, a hotchpotch of various pre-existing children's stories. Mediocre and kitschy. As a book meant for children, the first volume was fine, but even there, the sequels are stretching it. How adults can enjoy that extraordinarily overrated stuff beats me. Furthermore, I resent the author's success, which in my opinion, is undeserved - considering the fact that fantasy is a genre that is not bound by any of the constraints of reality, and is thereby probably the easiest thing to write (no research required!), the rewards reaped seem inordinate.
But I was managing a store, and customer is king, so I was not at liberty to express my opinions to the guy. I nodded at everything he said, while periodically hinting at the time. He left after having a thirty minute monologue-conversation (if such a thing exists). As he went, he said, "Cool man, you get that book for me then. I mean like anybody with any sense of humor is surely gonna buy it." What possible connection there is between that book and humor is beyond me. But obviously, one gathers from that statement that the guy thought he was among the aficionados of wit, since he wanted to buy it. I think he was half right.
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posted by bookworm at 13:26
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