Bit annoying. Honestly, who is being served by this?
Don’t get me wrong. From a journalistic point of view, I am impressed that they got the book early. I’m sticking to official channels and will get the book Friday night, but if I wanted it early, I doubt I could have found a copy.
But really, are there readers out there who are mulling whether to invest in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, who are looking to the Times to give them critical guidance on this important purchasing decision? No. There are only two kinds of readers. The ones who don’t care, because they don’t read Harry Potter, and the ones who are annoyed about whatever spoilers are in the review. So who does it serve? It’s about the Times having bragging rights over who went first. Well, bung-o, mates, you got’em.