First there was The Book. It was a great book, hailed as a new classic by critics and readers alike. It had no demographic, but was meant for all of mankind, a masterpiece for the ages.

Then came the movie, targeted at the primary movie-going demographic of 18- to 35-year-olds. Fans of The Book complained that the themes had been dumbed down.

Next came the book based on the movie, targeted at young adult readers. Fans of the movie complained that the book failed to capture the sweeping grandeur of the film.

Then came the television series, targeted at Generation Now, based on the book based on the movie. Nobody liked it.

Then came the cartoon series, simplified from the television series and targeted at the Saturday-morning demographic of tweens.

Along the way, there were playing cards, a video game, and a breakfast cereal, carefully carving up the market of movie tie-ins.

In the end, there was The Book, gutted of potential, known by all, dismissed by most, and treasured by the few who actually read it.