Book Title: Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
Book Author: J. K. Rowling
Series Name: Harry Potter
Series No.: Book #1
Genre: Fantasy, Children's Literature
First Published: November 1997
Disclaimer: I enjoy the Harry Potter books and movies but I do not support or endorse the views of J.K Rowling herself.
Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone is the first book in a seven-book series. I read the Harry Potter series when I was in Year 6, going into Year 7.
My Mum and my Auntie were fans, and I was initially introduced to the books by them. It was a whole new world with touches of the real world within them. I could relate but also learn about another, magical place. I liked the fantasy elements within them and that not everything was explained in the first book. This kept me engaged.
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone— Synopsis
Harry Potter is eleven years old when he discovers he is from a wizarding background. He is brought up by his non-magical Auntie, his mother’s sister, and Uncle. His Aunt and Uncle are disapproving of his wizarding background and have refrained from telling him the truth. It isn't until a member of the wizarding world comes along and reveals the entire truth to him that he learns of his parentage. He embarks on his journey in his first year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry; a journey that leads him to the man who killed his parents.
Plot
Upon starting at Hogwarts, Harry is sorted into one of the four Hogwarts houses which are: Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Slytherin, and Hufflepuff. Hemeets his fellow wizards and witches, befriending Ronald Weasley and Hermione Granger. Together, they learn different types of magic in classes and soon discover the plan of an evil wizard, referred to as He Who Should Not Be Named, as he hopes to procure an ancient stone with magical properties. Harry must face several challenges while discovering more about the magical world and his past in order to face his enemy.
My Opinion
On my first read, I was confused by some of the elements of the plot. I was used to reading books where the plot was simple and easily explained. Though confusing, it does have elements that hook the reader in and makes you want to read on. You will want to read it a number of times, each time you will comprehend and notice more, but still question elements which aren’t revealed until later in the series.
Being in a family surrounded by the world of Harry Potter, I had it read to me a number of times. I started to understand things. I liked the fact that they work as a whole series as opposed to individual books. However, the individual books tell a story of their own.
I like how the characters are built up slowly and because Harry has not experienced the magical world before, we’re experiencing it alongside him. This creates reader relatability - we are excited and shocked when Harry is. Harry builds relationships with other characters slowly as it develops the foundation of the story. It doesn’t make it too soppy or cliché.
World Building
I think the world building is realistic because it's based in Britain—well, at least the edges of Britain—and the majority of the world is the same as our world so you can relate to it easily, but it's made magical by the most subtle of touches. For example the differences between the muggle language, and the wizard language. Although both predominantly speak English, little differences in their vocabulary leaves wizards confused when speaking about muggles, and leaves muggles or muggle-borns confused when speaking about magic. It's also different as majority of the characters don't know what certain terms mean as well. It's the same for Harry as he is getting used to the world as well.
I also felt how the ceiling appears to open up onto the sky was also a nice touch. It's a subtle change from world to world but also is monumental.
I also like how the world-building was used to build up the fear of Harry's enemy, Voldemort. The characters avoid referring to him because of their fear, and it just adds to the world and the story.
Characters
The characters are believable because they are not overly magical; they just appear like normal people at first and it's inside where they are magical. And I like how the story isn't just about Harry with two friends who he hangs with, or who are just side characters. It starts off with just Harry, and then builds on the two characters alongside him with their own traits. I also like the inclusion of one girl within the group to level everything out. All protagonists come from different backgrounds—you will have to read to see what I mean.
Favourite Scenes
My favourite scene would be when Harry first walks into Diagon Alley or walks into the great hall because you feel the full impact of the magic in a subtle way as Harry experience it but the imagery is so clear. I also like the Beginning scene as it sets up the whole book without overly explaining anything and it gives the sense of Mystery.
Improvements
I think they could have touched on Harry's parents a bit more in the first book and through the entire series. But especially in the first book because you don't feel too sympathetic for Harry. I feel this is because you don't know much about him or about his parents so you don't know how big the loss has been for Harry, and you don't feel like you know them so you can't be rooting for Harry so much
Recommendation
I do recommend this book as overall it is a very good series. It sets the foundation for the series. However, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone is one of my least favourite books in the Harry Potter franchise because it is a bit slow compared to the other books. My favourite ones are Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, [book 5] and Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince [book 6]. Although I love the books, I do enjoy the film a lot more.
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