Reviewing Harry Potter

The security surrounding volume seven of the Harry Potter series has been breached with a full copy having been posted on the web on Tuesday and with isolated copies going on sale early and one copy being sold on eBay. The New York Times was able to purchase one of those early copies and has a review up today purportedly of the book. What is striking about that review is how much of it could have been written before reading the book. We could all have predicted stuff such as this:

While Ms. Rowling’s astonishingly limber voice still moves effortlessly between Ron’s adolescent sarcasm and Harry’s growing solemnity, from youthful exuberance to more philosophical gravity, “Deathly Hallows” is, for the most part, a somber book that marks Harry’s final initiation into the complexities and sadnesses of adulthood.

This review is a classic example of how to review a book without giving away anything to those readers who don't want any spoilers.

Meanwhile, I'll wait for Amazon to come through for me on Saturday.