I guess I just kind of go with the flow.
No, I haven’t read it yet, so you don’t have to worry about spoilers in here. Surprisingly, people seem to be incredible respectful about this last Harry Potter book. Perhaps my memory has inflated my memory of flagrant spoilers for previous ones and “Revenge of the Sith” floating around the internet. Not so, this time. Of course, they’re there if you’re looking for them. I heard a .pdf is floating around, and I’m sure there are lots across the peer-to-peer networks of varying authenticity.
But no, I haven’t read it yet. My plan was to wait till the following Monday (today) and then start asking around for a copy. Most people who got it on opening day are done by now, right?
It’ll be interesting to see if this really is the end. Since I haven’t read the book, I’m uncertain as to whether more are possible, but I certainly hope that it is. I enjoy the books—though perhaps not to the same level as others—and would probably read the next one as well. Even so, planning ahead for the end seems best.
This summer started with many big sequels: Pirates 3, Shrek 3, Spiderman 3, Fantastic Four 2 (read below for my opinion on that one). It’s inevitable that with any series, it’s going to go down-hill at some point. After so many, the sequels just “go Rocky”, and in the end, are just a disappointment. The sequels are financially successful, but often, that’s about their only success.
Seven is a lot. Seven is having first heard about them in elementary school and now going to college. Seven is enough to carry kids through their childhood reading and, theoretically, slowing the domination of TV. Seven is a rich, developed universe with great depth. Seven is quitting while still ahead.