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Harry, A History: The True Story of a Boy Wizard, His Fans, and Life Inside the Harry Potter Phenomenon | 
| Author: Melissa Anelli
Creator: J.k. Rowling
Publisher: Pocket
List Price: $16.00
Buy New: $8.93
You Save: $7.07 (44%)
New (30) Used (12) from $8.93
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 368
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.6
Dimensions (in): 8 x 5.4 x 1.1
ISBN: 1416554955
Dewey Decimal Number: 823.914
EAN: 9781416554950
Condition: Brand new item. Over 3.5 million customers served. Order now. Selling online since 1995. Order with confidence. Code: B20081121221340T
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| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
The Harry Potter Books Were Just The Beginning of the Story... During the brief span of just one decade, hundreds of millions of perfectly ordinary people made history: they became the only ones who would remember what it was like when the Harry Potter saga was still unfinished. What it was like to seek out friends, families, online forums, fan fiction, and podcasts to get a fix between novels. When the potential death of a character was a hotter bet than the World Series. When the unfolding story of a boy wizard changed the way books are read for all time. And as webmistress of the Leaky Cauldron, one of the most popular Harry Potter sites on the Internet, Melissa Anelli had a front row seat to it all. Whether it was helping Scholastic stop leaks and track down counterfeiters, hosting live PotterCasts at bookstores across the country, touring with the wizard rock band Harry and the Potters, or traveling to Edinburgh to interview J. K. Rowling personally, Melissa was at the center of the Harry Potter tornado, and nothing about her life would ever be the same. The Harry Potter books are a triumph of the imagination that did far more than break sales records for all time. They restored the world's sense of wonder and took on a magical life of their own. Now the series has ended, but the story is not over. With remembrances from J. K. Rowling's editors, agents, publicists, fans, and Rowling herself, Melissa Anelli takes us on a personal journey through every aspect of the Harry Potter phenomenon -- from his very first spell to his lasting impact on the way we live and dream.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 16 more reviews...
 Belongs on your Harry Potter bookshelf November 22, 2008
I pre-ordered this book because I had confidence in Melissa's work and knew she would give an "inside" perspective that was accurate. I was not disappointed. Her writing style grabbed hold of me and kept me reading-- though I could put the book down (witness how long it took me to finish). I appreciate what she went through to write it-- traveling with a wizard rock band on tour, going to fests, interviewing Laura Mallory, etc. This is no book based on library and internet research. She was there.
The book is structured around the time from the announcement of the release date for Deathly Hallows to the actual release of the book. Within that chronology, Anelli gives a series of what could be called flashbacks. Until you catch on to this, the book's flow can be a bit confusing. But it's a clever way to tie together so many different subjects. The title, of course, alludes to a wizarding-world reference book mentioned frequently in the series starting from Sorcerer's Stone, "Hogwarts, a History."
 Disappointing November 17, 2008
7 out of 11 found this review helpful
This book really should have been called "Melissa, A History" because it is basically a biography of the author Melissa Anelli. I had expected more behind-the-scenes info on Harry Potter, the books, the movies, and JK Rowling. Although there is some of that in this book, there is much more Melissa than Harry.
The subtitle of this book is, "The True Story of a Boy Wizard, His Fans, and Life Inside the Harry Potter Phenomenon". The promise of the true story of a boy wizard and life inside the Harry Potter phenomenon were very lacking. "His Fans" (specifically Melissa and her friends) was the bulk of this book. Unfortunately, I was primarily interested in the other two.
The book jumps around so unforgivenly at times it gets very confusing. A chronological approach would have made more sense. Melissa was actually on the movie sets and presumably spoke with the actors, producers, etc., but there is far too little of that in the book. The author also seems to expect that you are a rabid fan of the Leaky Cauldron web site, which she runs. I say this because she glosses over some blogs and interviews that were apparently posted on the web site, mentioning some fact and then moving on. She actually lists several questions asked of Ms. Rowling that I would have liked to seen the answers for, but apparently the reader is already supposed to know the answers.
I don't blame Melissa for cashing in on her position - writing a book is the way to go these days. I'm disappointed, because this book could have been something much better: better organized, better information, and, frankly, better writing.
 Reading this was like sitting with an old friend.... November 15, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
and recalling that magical night in July of 2007, when all the speculation, theorizing hype had hit breaking point: the night of the book 7 release was a night few Potter fans will ever be able to forget.
Melissa's view into the inner-workings of Potterdom is one very few can claim, and she does an outstanding job of letting us see the world through her eyes. From telling us the story of how she went from a casual fan to the Webmistress of one of the world's most well-known Potter sites, to walking us step-by-step through the process that led to her interviewing JK Rowling, not once but several times, her passion and enthusiasm ring true and the reader has no choice but to cheer this roller-coaster of a ride through to its literary end.
Thank you Melissa, for compiling and sharing this amazing tale with us. I laughed, I cried, I went back in time to that night when the most important question in the world (or so it seemed) was Harry: Live? or Die? This is a book no Potter fan should miss, and every die-hard Potter-head should have in their collection.
A Window Into The Harry Potter Fandom November 13, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
You can't help but enjoy this book. It's an inside look into what is now known as "The Harry Potter Fandom". Even being apart of it all, you will still find yourself caught up in the way everything unfolded. Halfway through you find yourself cheering for the author and hoping she does indeed get that interview she dreams about (even though you know from reading the foreword she already had). It's a great read for everyone but especially great for Harry Potter Fans.
A Fan of the Online Fandom November 13, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
This book was what was missing from the library of Harry Potter companion literature. I am thrilled to finally see a book aimed at telling the story of the online Harry Potter community and how it helped to champion the books. I too discovered Leaky and Mugglenet, much the same way and still check it obsessively. Melissa's writing is funny, refreshing, and poignant. Harry, A History is for anyone who wants to know the other side of the story; the story written by millions of Harry Potter bloggers, fanfiction writers, and obsessive website checkers who made the online fandom what it is today, and hopefully what it will continue to be. When I read Melissa's story it's as if I am reading my own, and as if I'm discovering the joys of Harry all over again. Defiantly a must read and the perfect holiday gift for the Potter fan in your life!
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