i've never read a harry potter book, never seen a movie, and to be fair, i've no desire to do so. they could be the most amazing books ever written, the best films ever made (though no one has ever claimed such) but boy wizards with a destiny and a broom don't interest me, and the fellow who plays harry in the film looks like he needs a swift stabbing.

it is, however, interesting to note that the next harry potter book is going to be somewhere around 220, 000 words. you could beat a couple of kids up with a piece of rope and a pair of hardcovers like that.

without reading the books, what interests me, is that it seems that harry potter has taken on the size and attraction that comes with offering a big escape that has often been the attraction for readers to fantasy such as tolkien (in a general way). in return, fantasy appears to have finally given up any pretension of being a literature for anyone outside school and above a PG rating.

i reckon in about ten years the fantasy and science fiction genre as it is know will turn into a young adult section.