Madison — As literary events go, it was no “Harry Potter.”

Nevertheless, Tuesday’s release of “Go Set a Watchman,” Harper Lee’s second novel — or maybe her first, depending on how you look at it — was plenty special, cause enough for R.J. Julia Booksellers to open an hour earlier than usual.

“Something like this is so exciting,” said Cathy Miller, a Madison resident, clutching a copy of the new book.

Naturally, Miller described herself as a fan of Lee’s “other” novel, “To Kill a Mockingbird,” the 1961 Pulitzer Prize-winner that’s long been a classic, an enduring best-seller that students read because they have to and often read again and again.

The 1962 movie version starring Gregory Peck wasn’t bad either.

“I had to read it back in high school, so I reread it recently, in anticipation of ‘Watchman’ coming out,” said Miller, a literary coach who works with teachers in the Branford school system.

While there was no line outside the store when it opened at 9 a.m., R.J. Julia staffers were confident Lee fans would show up, perhaps in the afternoon, after they’d had their fill of the beach.

“We’ve had so many pre-orders. That gave us a little hint of what to expect,” said Lori Fazio, the store manager. “We’ve got hundreds and hundreds of copies and more on order.”

Only "Harry Potter" releases have generated as much buzz, said Fazio, who noted that some outlets had begun selling “Watchman” at midnight.

“We did that a couple of times for ‘Harry Potter,’ but it’s different with kids,” she said. “This has a different feel about it.”

The store, whose event listings are emailed to more than 10,000 recipients, had been talking up the release of "Watchman" since February, when HarperCollins announced it would publish it — with the blessing of the 89-year-old Lee. The manuscript’s existence came to light last year.

The book’s release has been attended by intrigue and controversy, which another R.J. Julia buyer, Bob Dowler of Madison, suggested would help sales.

“It will be interesting to see what kind of reception it gets,” he said. “Everybody’s read ‘To Kill a Mockingbird,’ right?”

“I’m wondering what the title means,” Barbara Plotkin, R.J. Julia’s marketing manager, said, pointing out a line printed on the new book's jacket: "Every Man's Island, Jean Louise, Every Man's Watchman, Is His Conscience."

Then there’s the question of whether Lee really authorized the book’s publication. And, how is it that the characters Lee drew in "Watchman" were transformed into those she introduced in “Mockingbird,” which is set in the 1930s, two decades before the action of "Watchman" takes place?

In "Watchman," Atticus Finch, the benevolent lawyer who defends an African-American wrongly accused in "Mockingbird," emerges as a racist.

“I do worry whether she approved the release,” Miller said of Lee. “That would bother me more than the change in Atticus. I hope she wasn’t taken advantage of in any way. ... But characters change, they develop. We don’t have to agree with everything they think or feel.”

“‘Go Set a Watchman’ will get so much scrutiny because ‘Mockingbird’ was so well regarded. It’ll be judged harshly,” Fazio said, suggesting that might be unfair.

Kristina Sanso, an R.J. Julia customer from Killingworth, said she chose to avoid the publicity surrounding the publication of "Watchman." She read "Mockingbird" as a sophomore in high school — the first in her class to finish it — and considers it one of her all-time favorites.

Could faint praise for "Watchman" diminish "Mockingbird"?

“No way,” Miller said. “That’s Teflon. You can’t touch that.”

b.hallenbeck@theday.com

Twitter: @bjhallenbeck