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(Note: NO SPOILERS in this post!)
I’m a latecomer to this whole Harry Potter thing, but am no less enthusiastic about the recent release of the final volume. Last Fall, I got into the series by buying The Complete Harry Potter (also: currently-nonfunctional iTunes link), a then-$249 collection which included the first six audiobooks, expertly narrated by Jim Dale. Yes, this is crazy expensive for any digital purchase. But according to iTunes, this is 3.9 days of narration, comprising 1.34 GB of data. That’s a heck of a lot of audio! It took me months to get through the first six books via iPod. And for what it’s worth, Dale’s performance is the best I’ve heard for an audiobook.
To seal the deal for iPod owners like me, iTunes is the only digital option for Harry Potter — Audible and competitors don’t carry the Harry Potter series at all, presumably due to the high royalties (and thus high sticker prices on the audiobooks) that are involved in this hot commodity. Yes, you could buy the CD audiobooks and import them if you had a lot of time on your hands, but it could take a while — the unabridged series should just about fit on 76 CDs. (Note: Audiobook Builder helps.)
So when the final Harry Potter book was released, I wondered: will it show up on iTunes at one minute past midnight, just like the physical books? Well, the short answer was: no. Leading up to the book’s release, fans speculated about when the audiobook would hit iTunes. They (and I, ever-refreshing in iTunes) took note when The Complete Harry Potter was pulled from iTunes on Saturday, though the books were still available (and topping the audiobook charts) individually. Would the new audiobook come Sunday? No. Monday? Um, not so much.
As it stands now, audiobook fans can pick up the 17-disc CD set for nearly $50 on Amazon. There is no word from Apple on when the audiobook will hit iTunes, but you can join in the speculation if you’ve got an idea. As for me? I bought the “old fashioned” book — yes, made out of ANALOG PAPER — and starting churning through it on Sunday. And as I read, all I hear is Jim Dale’s voice narrating in my head! (Though I should note that seeing the spelling of terms like “accio” and “veritaserum” for the first time is a bit of a shock.)
Oh, and please no spoilers in the comments!
I resisted Harry Potter for years, until my friend got me to sit down and really watch the third movie a couple of weeks before the 6th book came out. I watched it and liked it, so I bought the first 5 books and then the 6th when it came out one right after the other for a period of about 2 weeks straight. By the end, my inner monologue had turned completely British from doing the voices in my head.
I haven’t heard the audiobooks, but one of my friends is a big fan of the narration on them, as well, and likes to tell me all about it.
Enjoy the 7th book! My Harry-Potter-lovin’ friends and I all agree that it may be the best book ever written!!! (We’re rather biased, though…)
posted by Cynthia on 7-23-2007 at 9:13 pm
Oh! Jim Dale is such a treat to listen to! And while it is pleasing that you are listening to the audio books, I have to suggest reading them - that way you can take your time and really imagine the world that Rowling has written for us. It’s absolutely amazing and you will not be disappointed in the least. Happy reading Deathly Hallows! I agree with Cynthia, though I am a bit (read: a lot) biased, this may be the best book ever written!
posted by Lindsay D on 7-24-2007 at 6:43 am
I love reading this perspective of the Harry Potter experience…we had read the words, but had NO idea how to pronounce them properly…so when we heard them the first time via the iTunes version, it was a surprise…I had NO idea that Whinging was pronounced “winge-ging”…I always thought “Wing-ing”…I think I still prefer the analog paper version, but I must admit, I have enjoyed listening to the iTunes versions of the previous books just as much…plus, it lets me multitask during the day, which I really appreciate…Accio time…
posted by donner on 7-24-2007 at 8:07 am
My husband travels for business most days, spending lots of time in the car so does most of his “reading” in audio book form. He is currently working on the sixth book so I picked up Book 7 in audio books for him at 12:01 Saturday at Books-A-Million along with hardback copies. My daughter and I like the audio books on car trips also and have enjoyed earlier Potter books on audio. Jim Dale’s narration truly is a delight. Also, after reading the 7th (on paper), I must agree that it is AWESOME! - JK Rowling surely saved the best for last!
posted by boze on 7-24-2007 at 9:42 am
Yeah, it is nice to hear how these things are properly pronounced. Little Whinging’s pronunciation came as a surprise to me in the 5th movie. Also, when I first saw the word “pensieve,” I was sure it must be French, so I mentally pronounced it “pon-seev.” Don’t worry, I got thoroughly made fun of the first time I said that in front of other Harry Potter people. In keeping with the French theme, though, I still feel confident that the “t” on Voldemort is silent, but as it’s an anagrammed name anyway, it probably doesn’t matter.
posted by Cynthia on 7-24-2007 at 9:51 am
By the way Higgins - I appreciate that you made a note at the top of your entry that it didn’t contain spoilers. NYT could have avoided a heck of a lot of backlash if only they had considered that a couple of days ago….
posted by Lindsay D on 7-24-2007 at 10:23 am
Cynthia - on the Voldemor(t) silence issue, I seem to recall that Jim Dale pronounced the word with a silent T until about Book 3 or 4, when all of a sudden there was the T, hard and present! It was a grating switch. I have to wonder if there was a meeting with somebody that led to the change….
posted by Higgins on 7-24-2007 at 10:29 am
Voldemort did it in the Common Room with the candlestick…
posted by Anthony on 7-24-2007 at 10:53 am
I have a bit of trouble with Jim Dale’s performance, particularly his Hermione voice. I much prefer Stephen Fry, who performs the British audiobooks. These are available through Amazon in the UK (and other less legitimate sources, if you know where to look).
posted by Jim S. on 7-24-2007 at 11:24 am