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: The Harry Potter saga begins
Summary: 5 Stars
Harry Potter and the sorcerer's stone is a fascinating book about a boy that since he know that doesn't has family, has to live in company of his horrible uncle, his eccentric aunt, and his nearly abnormal cousin, until one day an unexpected and mysterious letter arrives which will change his life forever: an invitation to a wonderful place he never dreamed existed: Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry:
"Dear Mr. Potter,
We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of...Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipments.
Term begins on September 1. We wait your owl by no later than July 31.
Yours Sincerely,
Minerva McGonagall"
What a surprise will be to Harry discovering a completely new world, where all is different and is entirely unlike with the in habitable and tiny closet at the foot of the stairs of the Dursleys' house where he was living; and still more when he discovers that he is totally a legend within the world of the wizards and the witches is going to enter now, interested on why he's so popular among the people of there, he finds out the cruel reality that is behind his dark past. He is informed then, about the true cause by which his parent died, thing that he didn't know because the Dursleys always made him believe that his parents had died in an accident, he learns about that they had died when he was only just one year old, murdered by the most frightful wizard of all the times: Lord Voldemort, and that when such person went to kill Harry, his spell repel against himself, vanishing him and therefore the reign of terror he had implanted.
On the school, Potter makes relationships with the smart and stubborn Hermione, and Ron, a red-hair boy which becomes his best friend. Together they do the most dangerous and craziest things, as is fighting with a troll or walking on the Forbidden Forest in the middle of the night. But Harry also makes enemies as the evil Draco Malfoy who envies him and will do everything to see Harry spelled of the school. He will too meet the teachers of the different subjects as Transformation, Potions, and Defense against Dark Arts, and he will also met the school's director: Albus Dumbledore, the wisest person in the entire magic world.
In addition to this and unexpectedly, Harry will be involved in the Quidditch, the game of the magical world, playing the sport while flying on a broomstick and becoming the youngest player of the game on the world.
Every is perfect on the school until Harry learns about something extraordinary, the sorcerer's stone, which can provide immortal life and have been secretly hidden is now, not a secret for him, and before the thought that Lord Voldemort would be searching for it to recover his power again, Harry and his friend, Hermione and Ron will try to reach the stone before Voldemort could do it. But the way to it is not easy and they will have to face any kind of obstacles: from a frightfully three headed dog that guards the passage of the chamber where the stone is, to a riddle that can be their dead or their pass to finally reach it. They will be in a extreme danger all the time until, finally, Harry faces his fate again against The Dark Lord.
Rowling's first novel is a brilliantly imagined and beautifully written fantasy. In fact Rowling's wonderful ability to put a fantastic spin or sport, student rivalry, and eccentric faculty contributes to the humor, charm, and, well, delight of her utterly captivating story.
I'm sure that after reading this fantasy, readers will be convinced that they, too, could take the train to Hogwarts School, if only they could find Platform Nine and Three Quarter at the King's Cross Station.
Book Review: It's not a children's book
Summary: 5 Stars
Harry Potter has been around for a while now, but it is only recently that he has been elevated to a worldwide phenomenon. I can remember first hearing about these books when book three was about to come out. I remember seeing people line up to get it.I know how people can sometimes get freakish with children's books, and I know that typically it is women that fall into that category. Perhaps it is maternal instinct that causes women to latch onto this genre. Perhaps that is why I can make no sense of it.
Back then I would have never thought I would be a fan of Harry Potter books. Their just kids' books, I would think, or at best young adult. But their not.
I finally decided I was going to read the first book before the movie came out. I had bought the book for my girlfriend on a hunch that she would like it some time before that. It of course goes without saying that I ended up buying the rest for her as she plowed through each one in record time. She would talk about the books claiming each one just got better than the last, and she would strongly urge me to read them. I had to admit at that point that I was becoming more interested, and I did want to read the book before seeing the movie.
Unfortunately, the movie came out before I got a chance to read the book, but that didn't stop me. It's the first time I've ever read a novel after seeing the movie it was based on, and surprisingly it didn't detract much from the experience.
Harry Potter is about children. It's a story told in a manner making it suitable for children, but it is not a children's book. When I was a kid, I always felt insulted at the garbage thrown at me, always being dumbed down because I was a kid and wasn't expected to appreciate anything deep and meaningful or intelligently written. I suppose it is these experiences that held me back from reading these books. But this book is neither garbage or dumbed down for little people.
J.K. Rowling writes a story about three kids and their first year at a prestigious british school. In many ways the story is as classic as it is unique. What sets the story apart is that this is no ordinary school and the kids are no ordinary kids. They are wizards and they take part in a world invisible to the rest of us muggles. The story itself is a very human one. All the wizarding and magic is interesting and fun, but the story would probably still work even if set in the normal world. The story isn't wonderful because Harry is a wizard or because there are trolls and magic in it. The story is wonderful because it really is a great story. Rowling does a fantastic job creating fascinating characters that you really want to keep reading about. She is amazing at keeping the story flowing and not getting bogged down in too much description yet still not leaving you confused. But what I am most impressed about is the plot. She is so masterful at the use of misdirection, that you simply will not guess the outcome (the movie is not a good example of this), yet you will be able to look back and it will all make sense.
The best thing about this book (and probably why it is so popular) is that it literally appeals to everyone, as a good story should. We only dumb down children's books because we're stupid, not because kids are. In the same way Mark Twain was able to write contemporary stories about kids, reach a mass audience, and be hailed as a great author, J.K. Rowling does the same thing for a new generation. And just as Mark Twain's stories about some kids named Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer are as classic as they are timeless, so too are J.K. Rowling's stories about some kids named Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley, and Harry Potter destined to be.
Book Review: A Note About the "Evil" in Harry Potter
Summary: 5 Stars
Harry Potter is one of the best children's book series of all time and it on its way to becoming a classic. Most already know the basic story: an 11 year old boy finds out he has magical powers (and is therefore a 'wizard') and is accepted into the Hogwart's School of Magic and Witchcraft. But what I want to comment on are the rumours that the book is 'evil'.
I was told not to give this book to a relative's child because it was evil and taught kids real black magic witchcraft and real curses. I definitely didn't want to do that, so I asked specifically where the "bad parts" were in the book so I could see for myself. Of course, no one could tell me since they themselves had never actually read it but were told it was evil by somebody else. (I came across a lot of that.) Luckily, I had the brains to read it for myself --mostly so I could find the "bad parts" and warn my friends. I found the rumours to be completely FALSE! The "spells" used in the books are like "hocus pocus" or "abracadabra". There are NO real Wiccan or pagan spells in this book! Not only that, but the idea of a 'school of magic' isn't that original (see "The Worst Witch" or the Earthsea Trilogy) and the idea of a magical world existing secretly within the normal world has also "been done" (see "Bewitched", "I Dream of Jeannie", "Sabrina the Teenage Witch", etc). This book is about as evil as "The Wizard of Oz" (which, by the way, has wizards and witches in it... some of them good ...and is regarded as a classic book AND movie by many religious conservatives).
**My Advice to Parents: You definitely have the right (or obligation) to censor your children's tv and literature. If you are religiously devout and would never let your kids watch "Bewitched" or read "The Wizard of Oz", then by all means stick with it and don't let them read Harry Potter. But if you're on the fence, then read it yourself (it's not that long) and find out for YOURSELF if the rumours are true or if it's something you'd want your kids reading. But those people (even well-meaning people) who go about spreading bad rumours about this book (or trying to get it banned or burned) when they don't have the first hand information as to whether those rumours are true, is nothing short of evil itself. (Remember "The Waltons" episode when the town was burning all books in German during the War and JohnBoy picked one up that was about to get tossed into the fire and it was a German Bible?)
I'm not saying that the Harry Potter books are Biblical, but they do teach that there is definitely a line between good and evil, and that sometimes you have to stand for what is right.... even when people abandon you or hate you or make fun of you, or even if your life is in danger. It also teaches not to judge people by what they look like or whether they're poor or outcasts, or what their background is. There are characters in these books that have had to fight prejudices from the wizarding society all their lives, yet still choose to defend that society from evil. It teaches self-sacrifice, loyalty to friends, and that it's love and respect that make a family... not just DNA. It also teaches that an abused and neglected boy can choose the path he takes in life and can change the world for the better.
If you'd like a Bible verse to sum up Harry Potter, try John 15:13. It's why he survived an attack from evil in the first place and has huge ramifications for his future.
No matter which book it is, if someone tells you it's "evil", find out for yourself. Don't let someone else decide what you should or shouldn't read.
Book Review: Addictive through and through.
Summary: 5 Stars
I've been a series reader for as long as I'v been able to read. From the Sweet Valley Twins, to Fear Street and Everworld, I rarely strayed from my strict regimen of series books. That is, until I saw Harry Potter sitting haphazardly on the shelf, the very last one of it's kind, at my local bookstore. I couldn't help myself; the promise of wizardry and dragons intrigued my every atom. I began to read it a few days later (only for the sake of an extremely chaotic weekend.) From the first page to the last, Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone never ceased to amaze me. The author emits the talent of Roald Dahl, and even excedes him in her work. I was extremely amazed to hear that this is a first try of a struggling sinlge mother (as it said in About the Author.) But about the book: It starts off in our basic world; one filled with Muggles (as the wizards call us) and, gasp! no magic. Harry Potter is an emotionally abused boy who was left at the doorsep of his Muggle Aunt and Uncle's house, after the tragic demise of his parents. But even at his youngest age, Harry was a celebrity in wizard terms. The most powerful and evil wizard ever known to set foot upon the earth murdered Mr. and Mrs. Potter, but somehow failed to kill Harry himself. The only thing this wizard, timidly named You-Know-Who, left in his wrath was a lightning shaped scar on Harry's forhead; the only interesting thing about him, or so Harry thought. Harry is treated as the red-haired stepchild of the family, physically abused by Dudly (his cousin) and completely ignored by everyone else, Harry had a pathetic existence. Locked in a cupboard he lived, until the first of the letters came. Harry went to open it, but his Uncle Vernon snatched it away before he had the chance. Vernon and Petunia (I think that's the aunt's name...) forbid Harry to read it, and they dispose of it. The next day, Harry finds TWO letters, addressed to him, seemingly identical. These too are ripped away from him. Day after day Harry recieves letter after letter, the amount doubling each time. Finally, Uncle Vernon gets fed up with this, and he moves his entire family, including Harry, into a hotal room. There, Harry recieves another letter. Outraged, Vernon moves them to a ramshackle house (generously named so) for surely no one would be able to reach Harry there! But again he was mistaken; a huge giant named Hagrid stormed in their little haven, and whisked Harry off the second Harry's birthday hit. Hagrid told Harry all about his wizardry roots, and that the myth that his parents died in a tragic car crash was completely untrue. Harry goes back to live with his Aunt and Uncle, but then goes off to Hogwarts, a wizardry school. There, he meets the good, the bad, and the disgustingly ugly. He forms wonderful friendships with Ron and Hermoine. Together, the trio get themselves in many a jam, but they always manage to pull through. Things ran rather smoothly for awhile, if you exclude Draco, until the three learn of the Sorcerer's Stone, hidden deep within the castle of Hogwarts. They form suspicions that a certain teacher named Snape is plotting to steal the stone, that contains the Elixer of Life, which would make anyone immortal. So, they go off on an adventure to capture the stone before Snape has the chance. You'll have to read the book to find out what happens, but look out and beware, because this book is filled with action, adventure, and a moral that every child, literal or at heart, must learn to know.Book Review: The Most Magical Book of All Time
Summary: 5 Stars
Before writing this review, I took some time to look at what others had written, especially the reviews with low ratings. All who wrote those seemed to have one thing in common: they didn't see any sophistication in style, a lot of figurative language, blah...blah...blah....
Well, for one, if you need to feel "sophisticated" when reading a book, and that is why Harry Potter doesn't suffice to such an extraordinary appetite for "real" literature, maybe you should step back and think...
This book is writen in Rowling's genious style which is meant to draw the reader in and does so like no other book EVER.
This unique style which, if you notice, works fairly well, goes beyond all the boring crap and sometimes awfully long pointless passages. Dickens, for example, though great, we can all admit bores us sometimes. You're reading the book and thinking- "Oh, come on... just get to the point." As THE greatest author of all time, Mark Twain, put it in a letter to D.W. Bowser: "I notice that you use plain, simple language, short words and brief sentences. That is the way to write English - it is the modern way and the best way. Stick to it; don't let fluff and flowers and verbosity creep in. When you catch an adjective, kill it. No, I don't mean utterly, but kill most of them - then the rest will be valuable. They weaken when they are close together. They give strength when they are wide apart. An adjective habit, or a wordy, diffuse, flowery habit, once fastened upon a person, is as hard to get rid of as any other vice."
This applies very well to Rowling's style. Her descriptions DO contain a fair amount of adjectives and wordplay, but she doesn't overdo them, and she spaces them out. This style keeps her readers hooked while allowing them to notice the passages of description wothout feeling overloaded. It is a brilliant way to write and I love how easy it makes these books to read.
So, for those of you who see these books as childish, stop trying to be SO sophisticated for once, and just let them take you away to a different place like every great book should. Again, I refer to Twain: "I conceive that the right way to write a story for boys is to write so that it will not only interest boys but strongly interest any man who has ever been a boy. That immensely enlarges the audience."
Rowling has absolutely succeeded here.
To another point that I noticed- how there is no elaborate background as with most fantasies- that actually makes this book BETTER. Tolkein's Lord Of The Rings is truly classic and epic, but with all of the history and "flowery stuff" I tend to get lost in the shrubbery. Rowling, however, sets you off on the same footing as Harry, which really connects you to him, and then gradually introduces her world of magic. This is truly relatable due to its setting in our modern time, not Middle Earth. Her world of magic is much more human and less fantastic which makes you really connect to every witch and wizard. I don't even see these books as that much fantasy but much more of mystery. Rowling keeps the reader's attention that way, too.
Overall, if you've never read a Harry Potter book, start on this one, The Most Magical Book of All Time, and don't look back. Let yourself go from "sophistication" and the shrubbery and enjoy yourself. The ride is the best I, for one, have ever had. As Rowling herself puts it- "The best of us must sometimes eat our words."