Author: J.K. Rowling
Released: June 1997
Harry Potter is an ordinary boy who lives in a cupboard under the stairs at his Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon's house, which he thinks is normal for someone like him who's parents have been killed in a 'car crash'. He is bullied by them and his fat, spoilt cousin Dudley, and lives a very unremarkable life with only the odd hiccup (like his hair growing back overnight!) to cause him much to think about. That is until an owl turns up with a letter addressed to Harry and all hell breaks loose! He is literally rescued by a world where nothing is as it seems and magic lessons are the order of the day. Read and find out how Harry discovers his true heritage at Hogwarts School of Wizardry and Witchcraft, the reason behind his parents mysterious death, who is out to kill him, and how he uncovers the most amazing secret of all time, the fabled Philosopher's Stone! All this and muggles too. Now, what are they?
Rating: 5 Stars
Positives: So the first time I picked up this book I was seven years old, and I remember being mesmerised by what a big and grown up book it seemed to be. I remember thinking that I couldn't possibly read a 300 page book by myself, and I just kept on reading and re-reading the first paragraph. However Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone quickly became a fast favourite of mine, enough so that I was really excited to be picking it up again for the first time in years.
The characters and magic of Hogwarts are still as spellbinding now to me as a twenty two year old woman, as they were when I was seven years old. That's fifteen years. I'll admit a small part of me was worried that maybe I'd find the book too childish, it was after all aimed at children, but instead I found myself being pulled into the story once more.
Rowling has created an amazing world populated with a range of characters, many of whom will amuse us greatly along the way. For instance a half giant called Hagrid who decides he wants to keep a baby dragon in a wooden house. Or the Weasley twins Fred and George, who insist they know that they're called Gred and Forge. But not only do we have funny characters, there are also sinister ones too. Just why is Professor Snape so hellbent on making Harry's life a misery? And who is after the Philosopher's Stone?
The language and description used make this an enjoyable book for readers of all ages, with amazing imagery being created. Not a single detail is left to chance, and there is also plenty of foreshadowing for the older reader as well.
Negatives: You really expect me to punch holes in a book that has been one of my favourites since I was a small girl? Oh very well then, if you insist. My only criticism is that while we get a lot of detail and time spent on Harry's life before Hogwarts, and the run up to Christmas, we get only a few chapters of the events after Christmas, which is when most of the action takes place.
Would I recommend this book? Hell yes! I don't care if you're old or young, male or female, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone is a book that you will be enchanted by.
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