Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
Fantasy, Fiction, Low Fantasy, Young Adults
J.K. Rowling
Harry Potter, Book # 1
Bloomsbury
June 26th 1997
Hardcover
332
English
October 1, 2019 October 4, 2019
When a letter arrives for unhappy but ordinary Harry Potter, a decade-old secret is revealed to him that apparently he's the last to know. His parents were wizards, killed by a Dark Lord's curse when Harry was just a baby, and which he somehow survived. Leaving his unsympathetic aunt and uncle for Hogwarts, a wizarding school brimming with ghosts and enchantments, Harry stumbles upon a sinister mystery when he finds a three-headed dog guarding a room on the third floor. Then he hears of a missing stone with astonishing powers which could be valuable, dangerous - or both. An incredible adventure is about to begin!
These new editions of the classic and internationally bestselling, multi-award-winning series feature instantly pick-up-able new jackets with huge child appeal, to bring Harry Potter to the next generation of readers. It's time to PASS THE MAGIC ON.
About the book
Everyone knows Harry Potter’s plot, the child who finds himself a wizard and attend the most prestigious magic school of all Great Britain and about his enemy, Voldemort, so I’m not going to explain the plot of this first book. More over because nothing really happens about Harry vs. Voldemort, if not in the last chapters of the book and it is more of an introduction to the series.
I know I’m reading Harry Potter in my old age, because it wasn’t a book for my age target when it was first published, but a lot of fans say that it is a book for all ages so I want to know and understand all the buzz behind these books.
Did I liked it? Yes, I can say that. Is it a book for all ages? No, at least not the first book. Don’t get me wrong, each books is made to be read as I’ve always stated, even the most easy books out there so yes an adult may read it, but obviously I find it full of cliché or maybe it’s just the first book that isn’t for my taste. It isn’t a bad book, though. I need to say that I didn’t get who the bad guy was till the end (I wan’t even looking though) and I can understand why people like it. It talks about a child who is abused by his family and who is bullied at school but who wins at the end. A lot of people see themselves in this child and I like this cliché, it may be the only one I like. Moreover I adore Ron e Harry’s friendship, which is well present since the fist book, I like the good vs. bad trope and that there is magic. But at the end of the day, I find it too simple (and seeing the age target, it is okay), or at least it is the first book.
What I liked the most is the main characters’ friendship and their friendship with Hagrid. First of all I like how the three met for the first time. Then Hermione isn’t really the boys’ “friend” at the beginning, even at the end, but she is instrumental for Harry’s success (and so is Ron). And Hagrid, how can you not love him? I can’t stand Malfoy (but who likes him?) At least in the first book, I don’t know, yet if he gets better and maybe his character will grow but I don’t like him right now.
Will I read the other books? Probably yes. I want to understand why Harry is so important.
I need to say that I thought that the magic would be more present, and there would be more spells or lessons, I wasn’t expecting a long tale of what was going on at the school. I don’t know, maybe my expectations were too high.
By the way, Happy New Year!
