Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (Book 1)

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•	Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Book 4)
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Editorial Reviews:

Amazon.com
Say you've spent the first 10 years of your life sleeping under the stairs of a family who loathes you. Then, in an absurd, magical twist of fate you find yourself surrounded by wizards, a caged snowy owl, a phoenix-feather wand, and jellybeans that come in every flavor, including strawberry, curry, grass, and sardine. Not only that, but you discover that you are a wizard yourself! This is exactly what happens to young Harry Potter in J.K. Rowling's enchanting, funny debut novel, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. In the nonmagic human world--the world of "Muggles"--Harry is a nobody, treated like dirt by the aunt and uncle who begrudgingly inherited him when his parents were killed by the evil Voldemort. But in the world of wizards, small, skinny Harry is famous as a survivor of the wizard who tried to kill him. He is left only with a lightning-bolt scar on his forehead, curiously refined sensibilities, and a host of mysterious powers to remind him that he's quite, yes, altogether different from his aunt, uncle, and spoiled, piglike cousin Dudley.

A mysterious letter, delivered by the friendly giant Hagrid, wrenches Harry from his dreary, Muggle-ridden existence: "We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry." Of course, Uncle Vernon yells most unpleasantly, "I AM NOT PAYING FOR SOME CRACKPOT OLD FOOL TO TEACH HIM MAGIC TRICKS!" Soon enough, however, Harry finds himself at Hogwarts with his owl Hedwig... and that's where the real adventure--humorous, haunting, and suspenseful--begins. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, first published in England as Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, continues to win major awards in England. So far it has won the National Book Award, the Smarties Prize, the Children's Book Award, and is short-listed for the Carnegie Medal, the U.K. version of the Newbery Medal. This magical, gripping, brilliant book--a future classic to be sure--will leave kids clamoring for Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets and Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. (Ages 8 to 13) --Karin Snelson

Amazon.com Audiobook Review
The amazing popularity of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone means that now even Muggles know about the Leaky Cauldron, Diagon Alley, and Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Whether or not you've read about Harry, this unabridged audiobook brings his world to life. Reader Jim Dale brings an excellent range of voices to the characters, from well-meaning Hermione's soft, earnest voice to Malfoy's nasal droning; from Professor McGonagall's crisp brogue to Hagrid's broad Somerset accent; and from snarling Mr. Filch to p-p-poor, st-tuttering P-Professor Quirrel. Some of the characterizations are peculiar--why do the centaurs have Welsh accents?--but that's a small price to pay to hear one of the myriad ways to sing the Hogwarts School song. Harry Potter fans of all ages--Muggle or not--will enjoy curling up with a few chocolate frogs, a box of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans ("Alas! Ear wax!"), and this marvelous, magical audiobook. (Running time: 8 hours, 6 cassettes) --Sunny Delaney

Product Description
Read by Jim Dale
8 hours 17 minutes, 6 cassettes

Harry Potter has no idea how famous he is. That's because he's being raised by his miserable aunt and uncle who are terrified Harry will learn that he's really a wizard, just as his parents were. But everything changes when Harry is summoned to attend an infamous school for wizards, and he begins to discover some clues about his illustrious birthright. From the surprising way he is greeted by a lovable giant, to the unique curriculum and colorful faculty at his unusual school, Harry finds himself drawn deep inside a mystical world he never knew existed and closer to his own noble destiny.

Customer Reviews: Read 4990 more reviews...

4 out of 5 stars

Our first foray into Potter's world is truly magical! October 17, 2007
455 out of 461 found this review helpful

With this introductory novel was published in 1997, few would have predicted the unprecedented success this series would produce. And everything that made Harry Potter so successful is all first shown, though hardly fully explained, in this book, HARRY POTTER AND THE PHILOSPHER'S STONE.

The novel opens with Harry living under the cupboard with his abusive aunt and uncle. He has had a mean, depressed life, and though an active boy, the sheer amount of trauma he must have endured would scar any child. But the door opens out of this lifestyle. I've read an interesting theory (obviously not true), that a much different writer than Rowling would have ended Book 7 with Harry having imagined all this fantasy world, where he was so prominent and famous, to help escape the neglect and abuse from the Dursleys.

He gets a letter (actually, hundreds) saying he is in fact a wizard. So he is enrolled the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Him, along with his new friend the giant Hagrid, go to Diagon Alley, a magical bazaar, and thus he is thrust into the magical universe so captured the imagination of millions. We soon learn Harry is world famous among wizards for conquering an evil Wizard named Vo - um - He Who Must Not Be Named. Sorry `bout that slip. =). Along the way, we learn that Voldemort is after a magical artifiact called the Philosopher's Stone (which was, unfortunately, changed from the UK original title to "Sorcerer's Stone" in all other regions). So much of the novel is driven by the three main characters defending this stone from Voldemort.

In this novel we get the first ever glimpses of Hogwarts, Voldemort, Quidditch, Dumbledore, Severus Snape, muggles, the Forbidden Forest, the Invisibility Cloak, and any other number of thins Rowling's magical confectionary of an imagination has cooked up for us.

One of the best things about this book, and indeed about the whole series, is how Rowling plants details which, when reading, you may not necessarily pick up on, but are later rather important in later volumes. Who would think Griphook and Hagrid's admonition no one breaks into Gringotts would have such prominence in Book 7? Or the importance of Harry being able to talk to the boa constrictor, something which is not referenced again until Book 2 and then not fully explained until Book 7? Or the Invisibility Cloak, a device first introduced in this novel, but you have no idea of its importance, or even that it has real significane, until Book 7.

Another great example of this planting of clues is Neville Longbottom, who, but by fate, could easily have been the main star of the series, though you don't find out that information until much later in Book 5.

The book also introduces the relationship dynamics that would continue throughout the entire series, from the interplay between the three main kids (Harry, Ron, and Hermione), to the ambiguous Severus Snape, the wise mentor figure of Albus Dumbledore, bumbling Hagrid with his love of nasty creatures, prim and reserved Professor McGonagall, evil incarnate Voldemort, Draco Malfoy, etc.

Overall, there are numerous memorable scenes in this novel. As the novels progressed, the children aged and the target audience would have aged as well. In this novel, they are still very young and immature, but already at this early point in their career, there are seeds of greatness for Harry, Ron, and Hermione.

The same can be said of this debut novel as well.

This is my order of Potter books by preference:
Deathly Hallows
Prisoner of Azkaban
Order of the Phoenix
Philosopher's Stone/Chamber of Secrets (I rank them both the same)
Half-Blood Prince
Goblet of Fire.

5 out of 5 stars

How did Harry Potter become a household word? July 25, 2002
442 out of 531 found this review helpful

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
ISBN: 0590353403

How did Harry Potter become a household word?

I am intrigued by the phenomena of Harry Potter, and this review is a writer / editor's perspective. The plot and characters are well known and described in many reviews, so I will not address them.

I purchased all four books over two years ago, but they sat on my shelf unread. Then, I was away from home without a book, and a friend loaned me her copy of The Sorcerer's Stone. Within two weeks, I read all four books. Why?

J. K. Rowlings captures the imagination with prose that draws her readers in. Details that are not in the movie, such as Harry's hair that stayed one length no matter how often it was cut, which showed that he was a wizard, but did not know it.

* He was different from his peer group; isolated in a world of Muggles. Children often feel isolated and mistreated, as do adults, therefore most people can relate to this situation.
* He is an orphan who believes his parents died in a car crash, and he has no pictures of them. He longs to belong, an emotion that is common in all ages.
* His room was a closet under the stairs, he never received gifts or a kind word, and was viewed as something to get through by his guardians. In reality, anyone treated like this is abused. Yet Harry kept a positive attitude, and enjoyed the privacy the room gave him. He made the best of bad circumstances.
* His cousin was a pampered slob, but he was created by his parents overindulgent behavior. He received 36 presents for his birthday, but it was not enough. Things do not replace guardianship.
* Harry, small for his age, was the object of ridicule. Magic delivered him. Who does not dream of a magical solution to their problems? This is a writer's tool known as "deus ex machina" or "God out of a machine." Commonly, in editing, this is the "hand of God" tool. It is generally used in an unconvincing plot, character, or event, however, Rowlings success is because she foreshadowed the magic as part of Harry's character through the lightning bolt scar on his forehead.

Other aspects of the writing itself are:
* Rowlings does not talk down to her audience of young adults.
* The same story elements that appeal to a child, appeal to an adult; and the book is unique and readable.
* Her characters grow, change, and make decisions based on their own motives.
* Life is not simple; people do die.
* Good and evil exist, as they do in reality, in many guises.
* She takes time to set up the characters, plot, and scenes. I wondered why she dedicated so many pages to Privet Drive. This introduced Harry, and because we know how he is treated, we know why Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry immediately becomes his home. He was wanted.
* It is easy to read. The text flows naturally, even with strange words and unusual names.
* Her creativity and descriptions bring life to the story, and you want to know what happens next.

Rowlings did not expect her marvelous story to capture readers from all age groups. She was surprised to be compared to Frank L. Baum who wrote the Wizard of Oz.

Now I, like million of J. K. Rowlings fans from all over the world, anxiously await the next book. Thus, Harry Potter, became a household word.

Victoria Tarrani

5 out of 5 stars

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone June 22, 2000
239 out of 277 found this review helpful

Harry Potter has lived a dismal life with his aunt and uncle, the Dursleys. He sleeps in a closet and has never had a birthday party or Christmas presents. Even worse, he has to endure life with his horrible spoiled cousin, Dudley. Then on Harry's eleventh birthday, things change when a letter arrives, (by owl), inviting him to attend the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Suddenly Harry finds himself among friends, learning about potion-making and magic-wand waving and broomstick riding. There're chocolate frogs and Every Flavor Beans and a three-headed dog and Quidditch-a game better than soccer. Also, Hagrid, a lovable gamekeeper who befriends Harry; Hermione Granger, a witch who's read all the school books and knows all the rules; and there's Ron Weasly, Harry's best friend who has quite a legacy of his own to fill. Hogwarts treats him well, even with the abomidable Malfoy's mean tricks or Professor Snape's obvious hatred of Harry. The soon Harry finds himself in the middle of a mystery at Hogwarts, and together with his two new friends, embarks on adventures he never dreamed possible.

The book is engaging with its imagery, humor, plot twists and real-life child problems. The book doesn't only appeal to children but adults as well. She's a master on fantasy. She really can, with no difficulty at all, think herself back to 11 years old. You will love the whimsical descriptions, humorous quotes and the fun characters.

5 out of 5 stars Magnificiant April 26, 2000
100 out of 109 found this review helpful

Now and then, A book comes along that makes people enabled to remember every luscious detail. For instance: The Hobbit. You certainly know all about Bilbo Baggins, and you pprobably know all about the author and where it was from. A new book has come along: Harry Potter, especially the first one. I can tell you all of the character's names and traits, all of the Hogwart's houses , and I inhale all of the wonderful info bits Hermoine exhales. Hats off to this one. . . . Ta' Ta'.

3 out of 5 stars Love the books, but hate this Collector's Edition October 24, 2000
96 out of 104 found this review helpful

Ever since my wife coaxed me to read the Harry Potter books, I have been an immense fan of the series, right down to the Hogwarts notebook that I take to business meetings. So, when I saw a display for the Sorcerer's Stone Collector's Edition, I just had to check it out. What a disappointment. ... [Y]ou get a leather binding, shrunken cover art, and some pressed gold. Oh, there's the illustration of Harry drawn by Rowling, but that's not really worth this cost. I found the book to be rather too flashy, gaudy even, and much prefer the simplicity of the UK special editions (which, by the way, cost half as much as this book and that includes the cost for shipping). Please know that I don't mind spending money on good editions of books I already have. The fact that I own 6 copies of Lord of the Rings will attest to this. But, I just am not excited about this pricey collector's edition. So, instead of purchasing this book, I would recommend popping over to Amazon UK and getting TWO of *those* special editions (keep in mind when you're looking that the original title of Sorcerer's Stone is Philosopher's Stone), because, really, part of the joy of collecting is that you will have something unique and rare. How many kids on your block have the unedited UK editions of this great story?

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