So, I'm sure everyone has heard the news, but J.K. Rowling has signed on with Little, Brown to publish a novel for adults. The title, synopsis, and release date are yet to be announced. Twitter was abuzz today with high hopes for Rowing's latest endeavor, but personally, I'm a bit skeptical. I don't want her to fail, but I think hopes are a bit high. How do you follow Harry Potter?Head in Hogwarts
For almost twenty years (can you believe the first book came out in 1995?) Rowling has been submersed in the world of Harry Potter, projecting her franchise to the top of every chart. The woman's life has been comprised of a fictional world where brooms fly, bathrooms have ghosts, and weird little creatures are obsessed with socks (aw, I love Dobby). Now Rowling must adopt a new cast of a characters, find a new setting, and develop a whole now plot line. Does she have the chops? She's been riding the series train for this long, can she successfully hop off and find a new one?
Why Now? Of Course Now!
I guess the obvious answer to that question is that the Harry Potter franchise is done/on hold and she's bored/is afraid to go back on welfare. But why not test the waters between Harry Potter books? Her name has become so well-known that it could be horrible and still sell, so I suppose waiting for this level of fame was smart. Too safe. If she really had balls she'd be publishing the adult book under a different name to see the public's honest opinion of it.
Expectations
Harry Potter was loved by both adults and kids, but it was obviously child-age appropriate. As a book targeted as adults what are our expectations as far as content? The idea of the woman who created little Harry Potter writing about sex, drugs, and whatever else is almost awkward. For me, part of her charm is that she is a children's author; there's something innocent and wholesome about this breed of people. Crossing over age brackets can be hard, and while some authors have tried, many have failed. And will it be deemed "literary?" Rowling wrote quality children's literature, but I'm not sure if she has the ability to heighten her prose to a level where it can become quality adult fiction.
Let's Be Honest
I don't want an adult book book, I want another Harry Potter follow up. She's the ultimate series lady, no matter what my feelings on series are. Stay on the train! Write a new series focusing on the characters' kids that were on their way to Hogwarts at the end of the last book. Give the people what they love, dammit.
Obviously, she won't fail. She's J.K. Rowling- once Oprah dies (hate her) she'll basically be She Woman of the World. The people that started reading Harry Potter fifteen years ago are all adults- she's ingeniously waited for her little minions to grow up. The lady knows how to work the market. Now let's just see if she can work the page of an adult book.
PS- I still really want to go to Harry Potter World.
Team Rowling for Adult Book Author? Yay or nay?
I was thinking that it'd be scarier for her to publish a new novel under her own name. If it sucks, everyone will know! Even if it sells well, everyone will still know that it sucks. I'd rather do the fake name thing so that the book would suceed or fail on its own merits, but I'm a scaredy cat like that.
ReplyDeleteWithout knowing what the book is about, I can't say if I'd read it. YA lit is really my favorite genre, so I don't enjoy it when most authors write about sex, drugs, and whatever else it is adult authors write about. (A coworker recently lent me a Nicholas Sparks book. It's okay, but I just feel like adult literature takes itself so seriously.)*