Journal Entry 1 by Zmrzlina from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania USA on Friday, May 02, 2003

Bought this to share with other booksellers in particular so we can come up with ideas for Harry Potter 5 release day. Then it will stay on my shelf. I think it is a cool keeper.

UPDATE: I've decided to release this into the wild after I've read it. I've got way too many books and this one probably will gather dust since I don't think I'll refer to it much. One of those impulse purchases during HP V madness :-) 

Journal Entry 2 by Zmrzlina from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania USA on Saturday, May 03, 2003

Sharing with other BCers.

mfa in Portugal
ADD Witchie in Portugal
ADD Lotus-Flower in Portugal
Cpetersky in USA (Washington)
Please note change in list!
solittletime in USA (Maine)
cmbohn in USA (Utah) and cmbohn adds...
Semioticghost in UK (London) OR send it back to me and I will send it off to Semioticghost after I read and then it can be released in the UK :-) 

Journal Entry 3 by mfa from Lisboa - City, Lisboa (cidade) Portugal on Thursday, June 19, 2003

just picked it up from the post-office, and i can't wait to read it. thank you, Zmrzlina! 

Journal Entry 4 by mfa from Lisboa - City, Lisboa (cidade) Portugal on Thursday, July 03, 2003

Journal Entry 5 by mfa at on Saturday, July 05, 2003

Released on Saturday, July 05, 2003 at mailed to another bookcrosser in Lisboa, lisboa Portugal.

posted today to witchie, in espinho (portugal). 

Journal Entry 6 by Witchie from Espinho, Aveiro Portugal on Monday, July 07, 2003

Journal Entry 7 by Lotus-Flower from Lisboa - City, Lisboa (cidade) Portugal on Tuesday, July 15, 2003

I've got the book today, by mail, from Witchie. It's bigger than I thought!!! Thanks Witchie! :)

Zmrzlina, the book it's still in good shape, don't worry. I'm going to read it and then pass it to Cpetersky.

I'm a big fan of Harry and, because I study sociology, I've made in the last year a university work about who reads his books. So I'm really interested in seing this analisys!

In a couple of days I'll post some news again.

:) 

Journal Entry 8 by Witchie from Espinho, Aveiro Portugal on Tuesday, July 15, 2003

This was a great book indeed! I enjoyed learning all about the simbolism behind the characters and the story. Of course, some things are, I think, a bit exagerated... You almost feel like saying "ok, ok, don't push it!". But it was a very interesting book!
Thanks for letting me in the ray, zmrzlina!

 

Journal Entry 9 by Lotus-Flower from Lisboa - City, Lisboa (cidade) Portugal on Monday, July 28, 2003

I'm reading it! I'm only a bit slow, because of the university exams!!!! 

Journal Entry 10 by Lotus-Flower from Lisboa - City, Lisboa (cidade) Portugal on Monday, August 25, 2003

I've stopped reading it for a while because I'm on vacations and I went camping. I think it's not a book to take to a camping!
I'll be back soon... 

Journal Entry 11 by Cpetersky from Bellevue, Washington USA on Friday, October 03, 2003

We've had this book for a while, but the whole family had a read it. I think we may be done with it, and it is time to pass it on.

I hope JKR has put as much thought into the books as all the various HP interpreters have. I've probably spent too much time down at alt.fan.harry-potter. Speculation as to what this or that might mean goes on endlessly. This book is sort of a compendium of all these sorts of speculations.

I enjoyed it, but I thought if the author said "wicked" one more time, I'd burn the book.

Passing it on, when I get the address, to solittletime. 

Journal Entry 12 by solittletime from Portland, Maine USA on Sunday, November 16, 2003

I received this book a few days ago and wrote a lenghty journal entry, which promptly disappeared, and since then I've had both disagreements with my computer and power outages, so I have not gotten a journal entry posted until tonight.

The book is much bigger and different than what I expected. It states on the back cover that it is not only unofficial, but a fan publication.

"If you thought J K Rowling's series was just a Child's Story, think again!

J K Rowling's septology is an Epic Mystery and is considerably more sophisticated than it appears. This guide specifically analyzes those mystery aspects, including all of the puzzles and brain-teasers that J K Rowling has painstakingly hidden within her story line. It's up to us (HP Sleuths) to discover them!"

I'm looking forward to reading their analysis. Thanks for including me in this BookRay. 

Journal Entry 13 by solittletime from Portland, Maine USA on Friday, April 09, 2004

First of all, let me apolgize for keeping this book so long. It is so full of information and so intense that it is hard to get through quickly. But still I should not have had it this long.

The book was not what I was expecting. It explores the books practically line by line, breaking out clues that refer to the series as a whole and clues that relate to only one volume. It analyzes words and names (what they call Rowlinguistics) and makes many a connection with a strange sounding name and an underlying hidden meaning. As a matter of fact hidden meanings and clues are what this book is all about. It finds something sinister and tricky in almost every word in the Harry Potter books that it analyzes.

I find it really hard to believe that any story that can seem to flow so effortlessly and smoothly is filled with clues and hints and hidden meanings in practically every line. How could Rowling have made the book read so nicely if she was churning out references to historical facts and linguistic clues and making every twitch mean something sinister? (Unless that is the reason that the sequels are taking so long, because she has to plot every twist for not only what we see on the surface, but also all the hidden connections and meanings.)

Reading this book makes me wonder--are all the secret meanings really there, or do these H P Sleuths just have amazingly active imaginations?

I'll ve sending the book on to cmbohn soon. 

Journal Entry 14 by solittletime from Portland, Maine USA on Saturday, April 10, 2004

Journal Entry 15 by cmbohn from Orem, Utah USA on Saturday, April 17, 2004

I'm so excited! I just got this today. I can't wait to read it. It looks like fun. Thanks a bunch! 

Journal Entry 16 by cmbohn from Orem, Utah USA on Saturday, April 24, 2004

I finished this one yesterday, and I have to admit, I didn't know what to think at first. Some of their ideas seemed a little farfetched, but interesting at least. So I did a little research and found that Rowling had stated very definitely that they were wrong. But some of their ideas seem a little more believable--like Neville's memory problems being the result of a Memory Charm, and Harry being a descendent of Griffindor. And I looked through the "restricted section" for their predictions on book 5. They were right on with some, but way off with others. I think that's about the way the rest of the book is too--something to think about, but certainly not the final word.

My husband and my daughter want to read this one and then I'll pass it on, hopefully in a week.

And another thing--what's with the typos? I spotted 3 spelling mistakes and one other mistake. Couldn't they afford a proofreader?
 

Journal Entry 17 by cmbohn from Orem, Utah USA on Saturday, May 22, 2004

mailed it today to Zmrzlina. Thanks for the chance to read this one. Sorry it took me awhile to mail it, but money has been very tight at my house. But I sent it off today.

Thanks again! 

Journal Entry 18 by Zmrzlina from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania USA on Thursday, June 17, 2004

Received back home today. 

Journal Entry 19 by MarahSulloy from Regensburg, Bayern Germany on Sunday, September 05, 2004

Thank you, Zmrzlina! This one showed up yesterday. 

Journal Entry 20 by MarahSulloy from Regensburg, Bayern Germany on Sunday, October 03, 2004

Nothing earth shattering here. It's a nice reference to have when you're fuzzy on plot details from one of the first four books. It's nice how they point out the way JKR drops hints, but it seems to be geared toward the younger set. And there's one whopper of a weird theory in here. If it turns out to be true, I'll be happy to eat crow but for now, I think it's bunk.

Zmrzlina, do you want me to send it back or should I pass it on? 

Journal Entry 21 by MarahSulloy from Regensburg, Bayern Germany on Tuesday, October 12, 2004

This one went out today. It's on its way to Semioticghost. 

Journal Entry 22 by Semioticghost from Ipswich, Suffolk United Kingdom on Friday, October 22, 2004

This arrived at the start oft his week, but I'm only registering it now - sorry for the delay! I'm down with a nasty virus and was / am in bed re-reading harry potter, so this book was a godsend. I was distracted marvellously by reading ti cover-to-cover, so thank you ever so much for sharing it! I'm now definitely up for reading more secondary HP literature - any recommendations, anyone?

I'm such a sad HP nerd that I found a few inaccuracies in the book. If I'm brave enough, I'll list them here later.

I go to the London Harry Potter MeetUp once a month, and will pass it around there - I suspect Bookspook will get it first, if she hasn't read it already.
 

Journal Entry 23 by Semioticghost from Ipswich, Suffolk United Kingdom on Wednesday, January 19, 2005

Just an update for you all:
This book is not lost, but still being passed around the small crowd at the London Harry Potter MeetUps. I attended one yesterday where it changed hands again. Nobody quite seems to be able to get his/her act together and actually journal it, but it IS being appreciated!

(We had a lovely time talking harry-potter-arcana and doing BCer Bookspook's latest HP quiz.) 

Journal Entry 24 by Zmrzlina from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania USA on Wednesday, January 19, 2005

Thank you Semioticghost for the update! And I am very happy to see this book is finding lots of readers. 

Journal Entry 25 by MissWeasley from London , Greater London United Kingdom on Wednesday, March 16, 2005

Great stuff for every Harry Potter nutter :) ... picked it up at the Harry Potter meet up group in London yesterday and will hand it over to another Harry Potter fan as soon as I'm through with it :)

Update 10/04/2006: I keep re-reading it, so it might take a while. If someone wants it, please send me an email!!! 

Journal Entry 26 by MissWeasley at Harry Potter Meet-up in the "Cittie of Yorke" in London, -- By post or by hand/ in person -- United Kingdom on Saturday, April 15, 2006

Released 6 yrs ago (4/18/2006 UTC) at Harry Potter Meet-up in the "Cittie of Yorke" in London, -- By post or by hand/ in person -- United Kingdom

WILD RELEASE NOTES:

RELEASE NOTES:

Okay, okay. I have decided to let it loose. Other Harry Potter fans should also have to chance to read this fantastic book, so I will release it again at the next HP meet-up in London and make sure someone will take it home and take good care of it. Thank you for registering this book!!!