i do agree that this is a lame attempt at recreating Harry Potter hype. However, it raises lots of important issues about authorship and literary analysis.
If you want a more thoughtful analysis of the issue, check out this article:
We also discussed it in my 12th grade English class today. Here are the questions my students raised:
Is the written word superior tot he spoken?
Does the author truly control/shape charaacters?
Where does that control end?
How important is the author’s influence?
Is the author’s decision the “be all and end all”?
Should later adaptations affect the meaning of the original?
Should other authors be allowed to write sequels/prequels?
Should information released post-publication influence later adaptation?
Do such questions only apply to fiction?
Do art/literature belong more to anyone?
Can art/literature belong to anyone?
Does the author’s intent/plan make it true?
Is there absolute truth in literature?
Why is this a positive development?
What does it say about society that Dumbledore’s sexuality really matters so much?
Does JKR have the right to say this, after the completion of the text?
Can a written text eveolve and change like an oral text?
Is the author just another reader?
Is the author’s interpretation fact?
If the author states fact, can you have a dissenting opinion?
Does the author have a responsibility toward her/his readers and their enjoyment?