J.K. Fucking Rowling
The best analysis to date on Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling’s £1m donation to the Labour Party definitely comes from Scott Pack:
Gordon Brown has welcomed the donation and proclaimed Rowling ‘one of the world’s greatest ever authors’.
Move aside Homer, Shakespeare, Austen, Dickens, Virgil, Dostoyevsky, the Brontes, Fitzgerald, Hardy, Chaucer and [insert your favourite here] - JK Rowling has surpassed you all.
Most popular I would probably grant her, but greatest ever?
I would politely suggest that the Prime Minister’s literary judgement has been clouded somewhat by the huge fucking cheque he has just received from the author. I presume Jeffrey Archer has thrown loads of money at the Conservative Party over the years but I am pretty sure no one there has ever made such high claims about him. Quite sensible really, what with him being a bit shit.
In other news, I’m reading this at the moment. Highly recommended.
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Is she even the most popular, I mean ajusted for inflation? I seem to recall that Dickens did fairly well in the sales. If I were asked to guess which one would be read in 200 years’ times my money would be on the fellow with the beard.
(Note, I have no more intention of reading the Harry Potter books than I have of voting Conservative).
However, while Rowling’s political judgment may be somewhat flawed, it’s probably better than Waugh’s, Dostoevsky’s,Buchan’s, Coleridge’s, Eliots, Yeat’s; Wodehouse’s even (though she seems to have no more sense than him). Better too than Michel Houellebecq’s - but you’d do far better to get the kiddies reading him.
Comment by bill — 21st September, 2008 @ 12:09 am
I think Brown is one of those people for whom the terms ‘richest ever’ and ‘greatest ever’ are interchangable. ‘Tis often so in those without talent or the ability to recognise it.
Puss
Comment by Glamourpuss — 22nd September, 2008 @ 3:45 pm
The man is an imbecile. Apparently Ms Rowling is a close family friend of the Browns so just you wait for an OBE or MBE in the New Year for services to literature
(Note, I have no more intention of reading the Harry Potter books than I have of voting Labour).
Comment by Cassland — 23rd September, 2008 @ 8:53 am
She is a big Smiths fan.
Comment by David T — 23rd September, 2008 @ 3:51 pm
This reminds me of the saying, “There’s no such thing as an ugly rich man.”
Comment by Dominic Harvey — 28th September, 2008 @ 6:25 pm
She rakes in £3 million per week!!! £1 Mill is Peanuts for her New Years Honour
Comment by Dave — 3rd October, 2008 @ 11:43 am