Harry Potter and the anti-climax

[my_daroga]

Seattle. Seriously. Where were you people? I stood outside Elliott Bay Books from 11:30 to 12:30, second in line because the first hundred people who showed up got ushered inside for festivities, got their books, and left. By the time I got in, nothing was happening. No one in line was dressed up--save one or two folks with blankets. People walked

Comments

[mercurygrrl]

Stavanger is nowhere comparable with Seattle, but there were no real even here either. To the betters of my knowledge, only one store had a 01am-selling, and when we got there a quarter to 1 there was a long queue outside. It seems they had some sort of "ceremony" for the first 100 customers or so (maybe less, I'm lousy at that sort of thing), cuz one of the employees had dressed up as Harry and was handing over one and one book, which made it all take forever. Waited app 45 minutes before I got the book myself.

The people who got it first sat down outside the store and read the first chapter. I commented to tstok that the should it outside and read the whole book if they're that hardcore (or at least want others to think they are).

I think I saw 2 people dressed up.

[my_daroga]

My friend's girlfriend immediately flipped to the last page this morning. What's up with that?

So what sort of town/city is Stavanger?

[mercurygrrl]

I just don't get why people do that - wouldn't it be more fun to actually read the book??

Norway is a rather small country - just about 4.5 million people, and a lot of the country is mountains :P The cities here aren't big like London, New York, Tokyo, etc.

Stavanger is the 4th largest city. If we "join" with Sandnes, a smaller city just south of it (another municipial), it would make us larger based on people and area. It should be done, really, as both residential areas and business areas don't stop just beyond the city centers. It's really just one big city, just chopped in two by municipial borders.

Stavanger
Sandnes

We live somewhere in between the two cities - it takes just as long to drive to Stavanger as it does to drive to Sandnes :P

[my_daroga]

It sounds like you live in a nice area, then; I mean, not crowded, but not inconvenient either. The pictures on wiki are really pretty.

really?

[klytaimnestra]

There werea hundred people or so at my neighbourhood bookstore, spilling out into the street, many dressed as witches, wizards, house elves, Hogwarts students - they had a magician performing, puzzles, games - it was great!

Re: really?

[my_daroga]

That's awesome. I'm less of a fan than a fan of fandom, so I was really going for the color. I don't know if I was in the wrong place, or at the wrong time.

[puremalevolence]

Yeah the Barnes and Noble around here always has what's called a Harry Potter Midnight Madness party, where the staff dresses up and there are various activity stations for children all around the store. And then at midnight, a queue is formed and people get their reserved books. Last time I went as Sirius Black. It was pretty cool.

[vampire_cookies]

I condescended to stand in line with my big sister (a self-proclaimed Potterphile) for the midnight buyout. They were only selling one book per customer, so I agreed to pick up a copy for my mom. The line stretched clear around the entire building. Store managers were passing out earplugs in the event that if someone purchased the book and started yelling out spoilers, we wouldn't have to hear it. No, I'm not lying.

It was quite insane. There were nerds everywhere. And I'm not talking about charming, witty nerds who cross dress as Hogwarts students, I'm talking about genuinely creepy perverts. You haven't seen crazy until you come across a hairy, fifty year old man wearing a Hogwart's t-shirt and fake glasses. *shudders*

Enchanting, to say the least. I'm sorry your romp in Seattle was so unsatisfying. *pets*

BTW- I've made it through about half the book, and I can sum up my feelings in a single word: blah.