Barnes & Noble sells 1.8 million Harry Potter books

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Barnes & Noble Inc., the world's largest book retailer, said on Monday that sales of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" sold 1.8 million copies in its first 48 hours of release.

U.S publisher Scholastic Corp. said on Sunday the book sold 8.3 million copies in its first 24 hours on sale, making it the fastest-selling book ever.

J.K. Rowling's book, released on July 21, is the seventh and last in the Potter series.

Rowling's previous six books, starting with "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone" in 1997, have sold 325 million copies, and the first five movies in the film franchise have amassed around $4 billion at the global box office.