Anticipating the new JK Rowling

JK Rowling Barbie doll

I firmly disliked Harry Potter and the whole of Hogwarts, back in 2001 when the first Potter movie came out. I firmly disliked Harry Potter and his clichéd universe of magic when I read the first Potter book. And I kept on disliking Harry Potter and all of JK Rowling's other inventions while finishing the second one. But by the time I was halfway the third I was addicted. As Potters world became more complex it occurred to me that the cliches used in the these books are cleverly molded into something new. I became a Potter lover, though not of the movies but only of those smart and funny books. Together with the whodunnits by Agatha Christie, that other highly successful female writer of popular books, JK Rowling's Potter series is my number one comfort read. I need no excuse at all to grab Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (still not fond of the first two books) and start reading the whole series once again.

Yesterday The Guardian published an interview with the reclusive Rowling about her upcoming novel, The Casual Vacancy. No kids' stuff this time, no magic and no good versus evil. Instead, a grown up read. Sceptimists, get ready, and holiday shoppers too. In the interview, Rowling, happier and obviously richer than she's ever been, seems completely at ease with both the prejudice of the critics and the adoration of the masses: 'You know what? The worst that can happen is that everyone says, "Well, that was dreadful, she should have stuck to writing for kids" and I can take that. So, yeah, I'll put it out there, and if everyone says, "Well, that's shockingly bad – back to wizards with you", then obviously I won't be throwing a party. But I will live.'

Read the whole interview here.