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: An excellent opener
Summary: 5 Stars
I remember when Goblet of Fire came out and I found out some friends of mine had bought it. Adults reading a children's book, I thought? What on earth?! That Christmas my mum bought me book one (she actually bought me the Philosopher's Stone - I'm originally from the UK). I put it to one side thinking, cute gift - what am I going to do with that? Stuck without anything to take on a cross-country plane journey, I threw it into my bag.My trip was from DC to San Francisco via Denver. At the layover in Denver I was so enthused by Harry Potter I rushed to the store to buy Chamber of Secrets. In San Francisco I rushed out to get Prisoner of Azkaban. On my return to Virginia I bought Goblet of Fire and anxiously waited, with the rest of the world, for The Order of The Phoenix. These books are not just for kids!
Anyway, back to the Sorceror's Stone. Obviously we are introduced to Harry and his world. This first novel in the series has a charm all to itself - an innocence, almost - we're not yet flung into the horrors that are to follow. Hogwarts, discussed at much length, is a wonderful mixture of old-time British public boarding schools and wizardry. For someone like me, brought up on Billy Bunter, Jennings and other boarding school books it transplanted me back to a magical time from my childhood.
But the book is so much more than that. We start to get a feeling that not all is right in the magical world. The evil Lord Voldemort has killed Harry's parents in a very mysterious way and left Harry with a very puzzling scar. And not all is as it should be at school. Rumors and whispers follow Harry whereever he goes; some new classmates are anything but friendly - some new teachers are very much enemies already! As with the first four books, there are some big plot twists - characters we suspect turning out good, those we don't suspect being the villain. The final confrontation turns out to be, just the beginning for Harry.
Some people find this story difficult to get into. The first few chapters build the characters and atmosphere more than the plot. Persevere - you might just get into it. And then look for the hidden meanings. JK Rowling showers her world with puns, anagrams, latin terms and other wordplays. Read things out loud - sudennly Diagon Alley might not be all that it seems!
Then go and read the rest. The Harry Potter books really are best read in the order they were written: Sorceror's Stone, Chamber of Secrets, Prisoner of Azkaban, Goblet of Fire and Order of the Phoenix. Go on, become a Potterhead!
Book Review: Magic and the Individual
Summary: 5 Stars
Harry Potter is a ten year old boy who does not know that he is a wizard. In J. K. Rowling's world, magic is the key which individuals use to unlock their true selves. So when Harry's aunt and uncle hide him away in a cupboard and refuse to let him go to wizard school, they are denying him the specific right to achieve his individual potential.
With the help of a friendly giant, Harry arrives at Hogwarts school of Magic and begins his journey to self-understanding. That a ten year old boy would have this as his goal makes the character charming and a hero the reader comes to care about deeply. Unlike his rival, a boy named Draco Malfoy who seeks popularity, Harry remains humble. When he learns he has a talent for flying and becomes a star in a wizard sport, he does not become arrogant. Harry only hopes he can live up to everyone's expectations of him.
But the wizarding world also has a dark side, for some use magic to further their greed and need for power over others. Harry confronts many interesting monsters and villains in the book, yet they are not too scary or graphic for young children. In fact they lend an air of importance to Harry's quest. Rowling crafts her story so well that young readers quickly understand how saving the Sorcerer's Stone at the heart of the school is linked with Harry's belief in himself.
Harry has many adventures during his first year at Hogwarts. At the heart of every scene is a young boy learning more about himself and the world around him. Magic helps to unlock his perspective and abilities, but his true growth comes through his continued development of self-understanding. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone teaches us that through courage and humility we come to greater wisdom and individuality. What makes this book both wildly popular and a present day classic is the entertaining way in which the author presents the literary themes.
In the end these themes are what set one book above another. A book may tell a wonderful story, but a true work of literature is held together by important and universal ideas. Courage, humility and the power of an individual to make choices are so important to us that many adults are moved by Harry's story. I recommend Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone to anyone who has a child, eight and up. In giving this book, you will be sharing a positive and magical introduction to the world of reading.
D. S. Arnauld (author of Zertelo and the Quest for CastleOak)
December 12, 2006
Book Review: Modern Magic
Summary: 5 Stars
The first time I picked up this book, the first in the Harry Potter series, it was with great hesitation. Firstly, it had been a few years since I had done much reading for pleasure, so I was out of practice. Secondly, and more importantly, I had heard a great deal of hype about the series in the media, which automatically made me feel that the books were probably overrated--and I didn't want to be disappointed. In the end, around the same time the film version of this book was released, two of my close friends convinced me to give the series a try, and lent me the first book, which I read shortly thereafter.
Within a week, I had purchased and read the rest of the series (at the time, books 1-4), and was itching with anticipation for book 5. I have since purchased and read the entire series, and just recently decided to reread them all in one go.
So what makes Harry Potter so magical? For me, it was the bare simplicity of the central premise of the series that drew me in instantly. Who hasn't dreamed of having some magical powers to spice up life a bit? Not that magical powers are unique to Harry Potter; far from it, in fact. But it's much harder to really relate to grand tales of epic battles in faraway, long ago kingdoms like Tolkein's Middle Earth or so many others that have followed. What Harry Potter touches is that little daydreaming part inside of us that believes that maybe magic could be real... that it might exist right alongside us in our own "real" world.
Book 1 (The Sorcerer's Stone) will always have a special place in my heart, as it really was the book that brought me back to reading (as stated above). It is imaginative, fun, and has splashes of humor throughout. It introduces many lovable characters who will be with us throughout the series, and does a brilliant job of setting up our journey. It has a comparatively light feel (the later books get progressively darker, without question), but still keeps the reader engaged with elements of mystery and rivalry to generate conflict. And, unlike some of the later books, it is a quick read.
There are, I admit, a few times when one must employ the willing suspension of disbelief (lest the grown witches and wizards of the story seem horribly inept), but otherwise, it is a charming story and a great introduction to the journey ahead. I give it 5 stars, even though it is not my favorite in the series, mostly because this one drew me in so effectively and made me want to read the rest.
Book Review: I might be a Muggle...
Summary: 5 Stars
but Argus Filch is a squib... oops, got to save that for "The Chamber of Secrets." I'm not telling anything. :-9 The awesome debut of J.K Rowling's marketing strategy, uh, sorry... muggle-raised (being raised by a non-magical person/family) lightning-scarred chart-topper is a start of a series that follows in the footsteps of Roald Dahl and a few others, like P.L. Travers, who wrote Mary Poppins, for those kids and kids at heart who only stick to the movies. Harry Potter is the son of a wizard and witch who were killed by the Lord Voldemort, oop, sorry, YOU-KNOW-WHO. But you-know-who could not kill Harry and instead left the baby with a lightning-bolt scar. Harry was brought up by the Dursleys, who the matriarch was sister to Lily Potter, Harry's mum, who were mean, devilish muggles (non-magical, again) who has a very greedy, not to mention, obese son named Dudley. Harry, of course, had birthdays, but not parties or presents but stayed in a cupboard almost all day for 10 years. But, then something came up. A letter from a mysterious school, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, headed by the only person Volde, uh, nevermind, was afraid of, Albus Dumbledore (Dumbledore meaning bumblebee, in today's typical American society). This was the first letter Harry ever got. But, his uncle Vernon, threw it out, then got more letters by the pound, and then it got to the point where they had to move out. Then suddenly in the hut where the Dursleys and Harry were staying, a giant, large hulk appears who supposedly had a Somerset accent (I'm part English and my dad is Briton, so I got to know these things). He threatens the Dursleys to hand Harry over. They eventually do, and now the funny part is over, and I will throw an invisibility cloak over the suspense. I am waiting for Book 4 to arrive, and when waiting, I will catch up with "Chamber" and "Azkaban," 2nd and 3rd books, respectively. So, if you don't already have the book, WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN FOR THE PAST YEAR! PLUTO? Going to a library won't help, even if MY library has 34 copies of the latest book, because the waiting list, or holds, at my library, will have the total capacity of Fort Wayne, Indiana on it! (Over 150,000) So quit dawdling, and catch up! But don't buy, if you are very religious. BTW, Book 4 gave Amazon a world record. (Most back orders of one book before release. Good going, Bezos!) Besides, prices are going down. Get it, before I stretch too far.Book Review: Thoughtful, fast paced story - literature at its finest
Summary: 5 Stars
This is one great book; I was surprised to learn that. I've been interested in reading the series for quite some time. I played host to a 48-hour virus a few weeks ago and suddenly had extra time. I read this one in a day and a half. Now, I'm not typically a fast reader, but this is brilliant fiction. It strengths don't lie in realism of lucrative description; they lie in character, pace and intricate story. In other words, just plain, old fashioned storytelling.To those who ask, I usually liken this first Harry Potter book, and indeed the next two, by and large, to a magical Hardy Boys tale. The magic is the canvas, but the story is told forthright and is what drives the book.
I would discourage anyone from characterizing this book as children's literature. It is not. The near total absence of vulgar language aside, we are dealing with more than just a kid's tale. The plot of the Sorcerer's Stone is intricate and, indeed, I found myself believing that I was experiencing the dawn of one of the great characters in the history of literature. Harry Potter is a flawed, emotional, adventurous, comical child on the cusp of adolescence. But he also has a gift. And that gift shines through in later books.
I've given this a high rating because it is fast paced. Because Rowling pays close attention to her story and never deviates from it. Because I walked away from the book feeling like a better person for having read it.
To be quite honest, I had fallen into the hype that this was a book for children. I naively set forth into the story assuming it simplistic. I'm 30 years old, I figure. Piece of cake. Benny Hill must have been thinking of me when he defined "assume." It was because I'd figured out where the sought after Sorcerer's Stone lay hidden long before Rowling reveals it. So I assumed I would also know who the antagonist had been. I was way off. There were twists and turns there my mind's tires skidded through and ended up somewhere lost in the woods.
And that's what makes a good book. When you think you've been on the main interstate the whole time. When the writer takes his or her gift as a light around you that shows you that, hey, this ain't the interstate. I've been driving down an old wagon trail and, look at me, stuck in the mud.
I heartily recommend this book for all ages. You're never too old to forget the sense of pre-pubescent wonder and you're never too young to look forward to it. And we all deserve a good story once in a while. So treat yourself. You deserve it.