Harry Potter has officially been pushed off his broom, and not by dementors.
Granted, the only seat Potter’s lost is one on the best-seller list — which J.K. Rowling’s record-selling series finally fell off in mid-May. But although three Harry Potter movies are still in the works, this Monday will mark a year since the last book of the phenomenal series hit stands, reminding us of an era that has ended — sort of — and leaving us wondering what’s next.
Since 1997 Ms. Rowling has sold an estimated 375 million books as part of a true rags-to-riches story that has made her the wealthiest woman in Great Britain. Though Ms. Rowling has said she plans to keep writing, for now Hogwarts fans will have to look elsewhere for their magic fix.
Steve Vismore, a merchandise manager at Barnes & Noble book store at Hamilton Place, said part of Ms. Rowling’s success came from starting the series with shorter, simpler books, then developing lengthier, complicated tomes once readers were hooked. Mr. Vismore said Ms. Rowling “earned her billion dollars the old-fashioned way” — with a good story.
“It’s an escape,” he said. “But it’s not sugarcoated. It’s not all wands and brooms.”
Ms. Rowling balances simple values and complex situations, eccentric charms and constant danger. And that balance found a wide audience.
“If you read, that’s what counts,” said Polly Henry, owner of All Books on Broad Street. “Anything (children) read, that helps.”
Ms. Henry said reading can help children grow. She said that every Harry Potter book the store receives sells like clockwork. She still sells Dr. Seuss and other classics, too, and she said kids also like graphic novels.
Whether J.K. Rowling revived children’s reading at large is still being debated. Most reports have concluded that, while Harry Potter is certainly a literary and marketing phenomenon, children’s reading has nonetheless dipped overall.
The Twilight Series, a four-book young-adult venture by Stephenie Meyer, leads the pack of heirs apparent to the Potter books. The fourth part, “Breaking Dawn,” currently tops Barnes & Noble’s continuously updated best-seller list, based on presales. Amazon.com shows similar numbers. “Breaking Dawn” will be released Aug. 2, and it has drawn anticipation as well as helped sales of Ms. Meyer’s earlier books. Mr. Vismore said Ms. Meyer’s first three editions are as popular as Ms. Rowling’s first three books.
As with Harry Potter, Rock Point Books and Barnes & Noble each will hold parties Aug. 1 for the midnight release of “Breaking Dawn,” the first Barnes and Noble has held since the Harry Potter series, according to Elizabeth Murphy, the store’s community relations manager.
The Twilight Series follows the story of Isabella Swan, a teenager who moves to Forks, Wash., only to fall in love with a vampire, Jacob. He, meanwhile, returns her love, but must also deal with the occasional urge to sink his teeth into her. As the story progresses, “Bella” finds herself faced with a choice between Jacob and Edward, a werewolf.
Mr. Vismore said the Twilight series is especially popular with teenage girls, but that adult women are also picking it up. Ms. Henry said she had not heard of Ms. Meyer, but she said she supported any venture that helps draw in young readers.
Mr. Vismore said the sci-fi and fantasy phenomenon is nothing new, and stretches back to classics by H.G. Wells and Isaac Asimov.
“There are a great number of adults who enjoy sci-fi and fantasy (who are) not afraid of going to the teen section to pick up ‘Eragon,’ ” he said.
“Eragon” is the first in Christopher Paolini’s Inheritance series, also wildly popular and a bestseller.
“‘Eragon’ was extremely well-written,” Mr. Vismore said, adding that he will hold a book club this fall for the series.
There are too many popular young-adult books to count, many of them involving magic. Mr. Vismore said Conn and Hal Iggulden’s “Dangerous Book for Boys” was popular with kids well before it blew up to its current heights, and he said Eoin Colfer’s “wonderful” “Artemis Fowl” series, the latest of which is a Barnes and Noble’s children best-seller, is also selling well. Then there’s also the Charlie Bone series, Tamora Pierce’s novels and the Enchanted Forest series.
Cornelia Funke’s Inkworld trilogy is another popular one. Mr. Vismore described the first installation, “Inkheart,” as a “Neverending Story”-like tale in which the characters bring a book to life and become intertwined in its pages. Cappuccino-sipping post-modernists and action-hungry children alike might find something there.
Mr. Vismore said ultimately the latest magic books still won’t come close to Ms. Rowling and her records.
“It’ll be a while before that’s repeated,” he said, earlier saying, “She’s one of the greatest.”
Although the movie adaptation of Philip Pullman’s “Golden Compass” flopped, the Potter films were blockbusters, and a movie version of “Eragon” did fairly well in 2006. A movie version of “Twilight” is due in December, and an “Inkheart” movie is due in January.
“We have a face for Harry,” Mr. Vismore said of the Potter movies and their success.
