Daughter came back from the bookshop yesterday at 6.45 am, triumphantly clutching her copy of the 7th book in the Harry Potter series. I have rarely seen her up before sunrise, but recognized that this was a special occasion.
The whole of Saturday, she was lost in the book and refused to stir from her sofa. Wife and I wondered whether we should administer some nutrients intravenously and maintain her electrolyte balance.
At 6 pm, I sat down next to her and asked, “Tell me, why is it so critical that the book must be read by today? Tomorrow is Sunday and you will have some time on your hands. Surely, one more day won’t matter?
Daughter gave me the stare which she reserves for her parents and which, if she had been Medussa, would have reduced me to stone and replied, ‘Duh, because, by morning tomorrow, everybody else would have finished the book”.
That figures. Millions of people, in the privacy of their homes, racing to finish the book the same day it was released, because everyone else is doing it.
The whole of Saturday, she was lost in the book and refused to stir from her sofa. Wife and I wondered whether we should administer some nutrients intravenously and maintain her electrolyte balance.
At 6 pm, I sat down next to her and asked, “Tell me, why is it so critical that the book must be read by today? Tomorrow is Sunday and you will have some time on your hands. Surely, one more day won’t matter?
Daughter gave me the stare which she reserves for her parents and which, if she had been Medussa, would have reduced me to stone and replied, ‘Duh, because, by morning tomorrow, everybody else would have finished the book”.
That figures. Millions of people, in the privacy of their homes, racing to finish the book the same day it was released, because everyone else is doing it.
I have heard that this used to happen for the sherlock stories which were published weekly.
ReplyDeleteSo did you finish the book by sunday?
Yeah, even if somebody posts the spoiler online, unless and until u click and see the page, u dont get to know them - so whats the big rush? I can't understand.
ReplyDeleteusha, no, too intellectual for me. I tried reading one of the books, but simply could not understand the stuff.
ReplyDeletekarthik, I understand now. it's because others would have finished reading it.
It's such an extraordinary phenomenon, this one- relatively normal human beings turn into some strange kind of impatient Muggles, for whom the suspense is worse than death(:(
ReplyDeletedipali, true. But, is there such a thing as a normal human being?
ReplyDelete