Midnight Queue

Saw Wedding Crashers last night, which I enjoyed quite a bit. It certainly earned its R rating. (Maybe some other day I'll write about how, even though it artificially limits your audience, some films need to be rated R.)

The cinema was in a mall and the movie got out at midnight. All the stores were closed, but as I turned the corner I saw a huge group around the bookstore. It took me a moment to figure why they were there--to pick up Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, the sixth book in the series, just released.

I've read the first two books and thought they were decent literature for kids. (My main complaint was quidditch made no sense, and could only have been created by someone who doesn't get team sports. A friend blogged on this--scroll down to June 4--and got more response than anything else he ever did.) I guess it's good they get just as excited about a book as a movie or videogame, but I get the impression a lot of adults can't wait either. There really are better things they can read. Yet, somehow, I can't see the day when people line up for the latest Philip Roth.