They’re both behemoth British authors, but that does not necessarily translate into desire to pick up the other’s books for a read. On the eve of J.K. Rowling’s first post- Harry Potter series roll-out The Casual Vacancy , the mega-selling author of the fantasy series, which spawned a mega-multiple movie franchise said she hasn’t read fellow author E.L. James’ 50 Shades of Grey and probably won’t. The paperback version of 50 Shades managed to surpass the Harry Potter series as the fastest seller of all-time, though naturally the two literary blockbusters target different audiences. Rowling certainly hasn’t done bad with Potter , with an estimated net worth of $1 billion. “I haven’t [read 50 Shades of Grey ], have you?” Rowling told an interviewer from The Guardian , adding, “Well, if I’m truthful, it’s because I promised by editor I wouldn’t.” She quickly added that she was joking, but her editor did say, “Well, don’t read it,” she said. Asked further if she thought she was “missing out” on something, Rowling said, “Not wildly, no,” but added, “It could be amazing, but no I haven’t read it.” Rowling’s latest, however, moves into the adult-themed world that E.L. James’ wildly popular books have dominated of late. The Casual Vacancy reportedly takes on prostitution, drug use and class, according to The Guardian. “The worst that can happen is that everyone says, ‘That’s shockingly bad,’ she said about the pending novel. The Casual Vacancy will be available beginning September 27th. And as has been the focus of attention throughout the recent Summer, 50 Shades of Grey , of course, will now be heading to the big screen and speculation has been a constant over who will play the two leads. The debate and media attention may bode well for the forthcoming film version, though compared to the $2.3 billion Harry Potter franchise juggernaut, 50 Shades will have quite a hill to climb. The Casual Vacancy plot as described by the publisher’s parent company, Little, Brown Book Group: “When Barry Fairbrother dies unexpectedly in his early forties, the little town of Pagford is left in shock. Pagford is, seemingly, an English idyll, with a cobbled market square and an ancient abbey, but what lies behind the pretty façade is a town at war. Rich at war with poor, teenagers at war with their parents, wives at war with their husbands, teachers at war with their pupils…Pagford is not what it first seems. And the empty seat left by Barry on the parish council soon becomes the catalyst for the biggest war the town has yet seen. Who will triumph in an election fraught with passion, duplicity and unexpected revelations?” [ Sources: The Guardian , Wikipedia , Box Office Mojo , via The Insider ]
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Harry Potter’s J.K. Rowling: ‘I haven’t read’ 50 Shades Of Grey
