Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (Book 1) by J.K. Rowling
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Book Reviews of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (Book 1)
Book Review: Confessions of a Book-cover Judge
Summary: 5 Stars
Admittedly, I don't remember ever hearing of Harry Potter before the summer of 2000, when there was all of the buzz about how well the fourth book sold. I was in college and not even remotely interested in reading some children's book. Reading the adventures of some kid that lived in a different type of reality just didn't seem even remotely entertaining. I was one of those people that hated all of the Harry Potter books, without ever having read them.In November 2001, a friend repeatedly asked me to go see the "Harry Potter movie" with her. After complaining quite a bit about how the theater would be filled with just a bunch of whining little kids, I finally gave in-very reluctantly. My friend then insisted that I read the book beforehand. With a little resistance, I gave in yet again, picking up the first book a few days later. Working at a small shop, I had intended to read it on work breaks and between waiting on customers, but it wasn't long before I began to fall behind in my work, because I was engrossed in this novel. I, eventually, had to force myself to put it away to get my work done. As soon as I arrived home that evening, I pulled the book back out and read until late into the night, when I finally completed the book. Before the week was out, I had read the next three books and was anxiously waiting for the release of the fifth book in the Harry Potter series.
I had mistakenly believed that since Harry, Hermione, and Ron were only eleven years old, they couldn't possibly peak the interest of a 19-year-old young woman, but the characters and themes dealt with in this book are not specific to any one certain category or age group. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone is perfect for anyone who has ever felt alone and unloved or anyone who has wanted to be something more than they think they are. It's also wonderful for people who have always followed in the shadow of a talented friend or family member or for anyone who has been picked on for being too smart or too slow to learn. The characters in J.K. Rowling's series deal with all of the same problems that just about all of us have had to deal with at one point or another.
When the book begins, the completely normal Dursleys are having a completely normal day, as everything around them is utterly not normal. There are odd people running around in cloaks, owls flying through the daylight sky of city streets, and shooting stars seen all over the country. That night, as the Dursleys sleep, Mrs. Dursley's nephew is left upon their doorstep. Nothing in their lives will ever be the same again, as they do everything in their power to convince this child that there is nothing special about him and that he is completely "normal."
Young Harry Potter grows up living in a cupboard under the stairs of his aunt and uncle's house, wearing hand-me-down clothes that are much too big for his thin, frail frame, and believing that his parents were killed in the same car accident which left him with a jagged lightening-boltlike scar on his forehead. His slightly older, portly cousin antagonizes him mercilessly as Harry just tries to survive growing up, so he can leave the Dursleys' home.
As Harry's eleventh birthday draws near, he begins to receive letters in the mail-then letters delivered by owls-all of which his Uncle Vernon tries his best to destroy. These events, combining with a few odd occurrences which occurred when he had been angry or afraid, begin to let Harry Potter know that no matter what he has always been told, he is anything but normal.
Perhaps the best thing that could ever happen to young Harry takes place when he learns that for the past ten years, his aunt and uncle have been hiding the fact that Harry is a wizard, and he is sent away to school to learn to properly use and enhance his magical powers. The book continues, constantly drawing the reader into a world filled with familiar types of people, with just enough of a magical twist to make the reading very entertaining without being difficult to understand.
Please, if you have never read any books in the Harry Potter series, read Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. The entire series has been written so well, it is hard to believe it to be a work of fiction. This is one set of books you will want to read over and over again. J.K. Rowling, undoubtedly, has a gift-one that I'm sure you will appreciate as you read this astounding novel.
Book Review: Where it all began...
Summary: 5 Stars
Harry has been orphaned as a baby and brought up by his Aunt and Uncle, the Dursleys, who have a son of their own around Harry's age. It is not a happy childhood for Harry, always in the shadow of his oversized bullying cousin, he sleeps in the cupboard under the stairs, wears worn out, second hand clothes, which are too big and never receives any love or treats from his Aunt and Uncle, Harry is led to believe his parents were killed in a car crash and he survived. Odd things happen to Harry without explanation, like the day his Aunt and Uncle took Harry to the zoo, a birthday treat for his cousin, and Harry discovered he could talk to a snake. It is approaching Harry's eleven birthday and a letter arrives for him, Harry has never had a letter before, his Uncle is furious and will not allow Harry to read the letter, letter upon letter arrives and they are kept from Harry and the family go into hiding to avoid more letters, eventually on Harry's eleven birthday an enormous man called Hagrid turns up and tells Harry he has been offered a place at a boarding school, he is not an ordinary boy and the school is Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Hagrid is the gamekeeper at the school, a wizard who was expelled from school in his third year.
Harry is told his parents were a wizard and witch, that they were murdered by Voldermort, the dark lord who is so terrifying all but one or two wizards are frightened to even say his name, and that when Voldermort tried to murder Harry something happened, the spell failed, Harry was left with a lightning scar on his forehead and Voldermort became very weak and lost most of his power. Harry was famous in the world of witches and wizards. The Dursleys have always known the truth about Harry but they have an intense fear and hatred of anything abnormal, they believed they could keep the truth from Harry and he would never discover his magical powers.
Hagrid takes Harry to London to buy everything he needs for the start of term and his new life at Hogwarts. They enter the Leaky Caldron pub, which can only be seen by witches and wizards, go out the back and into Diagon Alley a street full of magical shops, he discovers that he has a wealth of money in the bank, although the money is in a currency used only by witches and wizards, he gets his cloak, books, caldron, a pet owl and is measured for his wand. Harry returns to his Aunt and Uncle's home until the start of term at his new school.
Harry has to get the Hogwort Express to school, it leaves from Kings Cross station out of platform nine and three quarters, between platform nine and ten and only accessible to witches and wizards, but Harry does not know how to get onto the platform, he meets a women with her children and asks for help; here we are introduced to the Weasley family, Mrs. Weasley is a witch, she has four sons and a daughter with her, Percy is a prefect at Hogworts, Fred and George are twins, also at Hogworts and both are practical jokers, Ron is starting his first year and little Ginny is seeing the boys off with her mother.
Once on board the train Harry shares a compartment with Ron and Ron's pet rat scabbers, they look forward to their first year at Hogwarts and meeting Professor Dumbledore, the headmaster, a great wizard and the only person Volermort fears. The school is in an old castle with hidden rooms and secret passages and Harry becomes best friends with Ron and Hermione Grainger, a very bright girl who is a bit of a know it all; he is introduced to flying on a broomstick, the wonderful sport of Quidditch, mystical creatures, spells, ghosts who wander around the school and he receives a cloak that makes the wearer invisible as an anonymous Christmas present. There are rumours that Voldermort is gathering strength and could regain power. Along with his two friends, Harry is led on an adventure of mystery, riddles and intrigue in an attempt to discover the Philosopher's Stone before Voldermort.
The book is full of clues and you think you know what's coming next but you never quite get it right and at the end of the book everything you have read in the two hundred and twenty three pages just fits into place. After reading Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone I had to get started on the next book.
Book Review: Rowling walking in large footsteps, but filling them
Summary: 5 Stars
Sometimes - and it's sadly rare - we can look at a picture or work of art, hear a piece of music, watch a film, and immediately upon our completion of the act of "surveying", know that what we have seen or heard will be timeless, will be passed down through the ages, will be discussed and enjoyed long after we are laid to rest. Such it must have been when children first read the Wizard of Oz in 1900, almost exactly 100 years before Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone would be published. The popularity of The Wizard of Oz was unheard of for the time - a children's book selling so many copies, engendering so many fans, children and adults alike. That book paved the way for thousands of writers after.
Such it also was when children read The Hobbit in 1937 (indeed, its popularity was so great that it demanded a sequel - unarguably the greatest sequel in fantasy literature), and The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe in 1950.
While I was seventy-odd years removed The Wizard of Oz when I first read it, forty-odd years from the Hobbit, and 20-odd years from The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, after reading each, they created within me a hunger, a desire for more that seemed unquenchable.
For me...such it was when I read Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone - thankfully only a month or so removed from its actual publication date. I say thankfully because now I saw, for the first time, the excitement that a timeless book of children's literature creates.
And this book is timeless. While it's now five years since from the publication of the book, I can say with certainty that when I closed the cover of this book, I knew it. I knew that something amazing had happened, and I watched in mute astonishment as the rest of the literate world agreed with me.
What a tale this is! The character of Harry Potter virtually sparkles with eternity. Everyone who reads the story of this poor young boy, treated so appallingly by his Aunt and Uncle, who were meant to provide him with a good home, respectable clothing, and love, instead *locked him in a cupboard under the staircase* while allotting two full bedrooms to their own son! There are few stronger emotions than pity or empathy, and so strong are our feelings for the young Harry Potter that before we are completely aware of what is happening to us, we have fallen, somewhat, in love. In love with a character who leaps from the page as if the book itself was imbued with thaumaturgical qualities.
Cheering for him, once we learn that he is a wizard - of all things! - and the revenge visited upon the Dursley's by his new friend Hagrid, one can only laugh and feel your heart warmed as if you were drinking hot cocoa on a cold winter night. And when we find that he is an expert Quidditch player, with an uncanny ability to sight and grab the elusive Golden Snitch, we cheer for him even more. The poor, bedraggled boy we fell in love with is finally getting his.
There is so much that is brilliant about this book. Many writers have boundless, inventive imaginations, but scant few possess those qualities *and* the ability to interest readers in their inventions. Rowling is one of the few. From the Sorting Hat to the fantastic game of Quidditch to the paintings on the wall that talk to you - everything speaks to us so deeply, and arises within us - almost without knowing it - a sense of feeling very much at home while we're reading these books, even though we are being transported to a world that is far different than the one we live in. That's the dream and goal of every aspiring writer of fantasy, whether for children, young adults, or adults - to create a place so vivid and real that it makes you feel at home. Baum did it, Tolkien did it, Lewis did it - and some others, although perhaps with slightly less success - and now Rowling has done it.
Book Review: Hogwarts, Year 1
Summary: 5 Stars
After the constant media bombardment - Harry Potter here, Harry Potter there, I couldn't stand it any longer, decided to find out what this is all about and ordered all four books. This was a risk, if I didn't like the first book, I would have bought three books in vain and wasted a lot of money (I ordered the hardcover editions). But the risk paid off, I loved this book. After the first two chapters, which were interesting but not particulary outstanding, I had my first encounter with Mrs. Rowling's brillant and never-ending imagination. I'm talking about the "letters which have a very, very precise address" (readers of this book will know what I mean, I don't want to spoil it for the others), a simply wonderful idea, and from there, I was completely hooked. As many readers here only pointed out that they liked the book but not why, I'm trying to get a little bit more into detail. First, I'm an adult reader (yes, one of those who are not supposed to read childrens' books - give me a break) and was astonished that a surprisingly high number of adult readers posting reviews here are 28 years old. As I was astonished, you can easily guess my age.. Back to the book. What makes it such a great read? Well, the plot is cleverly constructed, extremely fast-paced and features a surprising amout of clever twists and turns. You're one of those who always knows what will happen next? Try this one, you will be surprised! The reader encounters a huge array of wonderful and loveable characters (too many to mention here), so wonderful in fact that you even start to like some of the "villains" (it would be a shame to loose, f. ex. Professor Snape) and is deeply immersed in a universe (well, a school) that is so detailed and so well conceived that it is simply impossible not to love it. The prose and style are ok and always appropriate (making it far better than those of other people who also sell millions of copies; no, no names here, I don't want to be dragged into a court). So, adult reader, what are you waiting for? You get everything you expect from a great book - and more, including a slam-bang, very imaginative and satisfying grand finale. Yes, sure, Mrs. Rowling did not re-invent the wheel, but she makes all the elements that she borrowed from countless other fables look fresh - and that is no small accomplishment, making her clearly stand out. This is not a success-story conceived by some marketing people or based on pure luck and I dare to say, even though it might make some people flinch, quality prevails! Well, I don't know if she is a "story-telling genius" like some of the book-covers say, but she is a natural storyteller with an abundance of talent, so again, her success was not based on pure luck, it had to happen. As an adult, I was enthusiastic about this book, I can't even imagine what it would be like if I would have read this book as an eleven-year-old, I think I would have gone completely nuts. What qualifies this book as a children's novel? Only four things: The absence of sex (come on, the main protagonist is eleven years old!) and overt violence (which would be out-of-place in this novel anyway), that the main characters are children (who cares?) and that the book-covers are aimed at children (if you're ashamed to be seen with one of those, just buy the adult editions). All the other elemnts can and will be enjoyed by adults, too. The only people to whom I cannot recommend this book are those who prefer "ultra-realistic" dramas, they will have problems with wands, spells and owls delivering the mail. To anyone else whose imagination is still intact, try this, you will not be disappointed. After closing this book, I immediately picked up book two, so if you're interested if it is as good as this one, check my review there.Book Review: Brilliant Start To A Series
Summary: 5 Stars
I am now in the process of re-reading all four books now. But, the first time I picked The Sorcerer's Stone up was after my little sister and my grandma kept saying that these books were so great. So, I started into the book and found an odd sense of adventure, magic, and pure originality in the first 10 pages when 3 mysterious people drop a small child off on the doorstep of his muggle aunt and uncle's home at Number Four, Pivet Drive...And so starts everything. As the story moves on as Harry, who is an outcast in his adopted family, realizes he is an already very famous wizard because of his defeat of Voldemort, the most powerful and evil wizard when he was only an infant. His aunt and uncle (the Dursleys) are Muggles, but the kind who are aware of the wizarding world, and hate it. Soon Harry gets a letter that sends him of to Hogwarts School Of Witchcraft And Wizardry, and his adventures unfold without stopping. Read the book to find out how.
Rowling has created four masterpieces of literature that will not soon die out in people's hearts. There are the people who will read this and wonder 'how those books about witchcraft can be good! They are from Satan himself!' If there are any of you who do think that, it is your opinion and you are entitled to it. But, if you could actually READ the books and possibly find a way to say they are from Satan, you need to open your eyes to your own imagination. Being a devout Christian, I know that God did not give us an imagination just to lock it away. I know of a good God that gave us an imagination to USE it. And Harry Potter is a perfect example and I pity anyone who can not see anything more than the 'witchcraft'. Just for anyone's information, the 'witchcraft' Rowling narrates is the purely imaginary kind with magic wands and old wizards, dragons, potions, and broomsticks, NOT the kind of REAL witchcraft where people get around a fire and pray to the devil.
I am a 16 year old male who cannot put these books down, which may seem odd. But I have found these books to create a whole new side of fun in my life! There are parts of this novel (and its sequels) that absolutely make me feel just EXHILERATED. My first experience with reading about the wizarding game Quidditch had me in fits once I straightened out all the rules in my head and got a clear understanding of it. It is so completely original and I can't think of anything more exciting than chasing balls and other players on speeding broomsticks high up in the air. It is incredible. And to make it better, the way Rowling creates it in the story is that WE discover it at the same time Harry does, but when he understands, we do too. And now I would give anything to have it to be real because it is so fun!
This book only has a blurred focus of who Voldemort really was, but purposefully I think, because in the sequels, what happened to Harry as an infant are played out in more detail. Rowlings tequnique at giving us loveable and hateable characters is fresh and awesome. This story though, has very real themes in it, such as Harry's friend Ron and his poor family being taunted by rich kids. It is real and we see it everyday. I am sorry for those of you still reading that this review seemed to stray from the main parts of this novel, but I had to say the things I did. But this is the best start to such a wonderful series of adventures.
And Rowling, if you EVER read this, I want to thank you for sharing such a great piece of you with the rest of the world. I know you wrote these books for YOU, and I am so glad that you wanted to share your sense of fun and spirit with everyone. You have single handedly changed the way kids and adults alike view reading. You won't ever be forgotten.