Harry Potter And The Sorcerer’s Stone

Title: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
Author: J.K. Rowling
Series: Harry Potter #1
Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult
Format: Hard Cover
Pages: 309
Reason Read: Just Because
Rating:

Also in this series: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

My Thoughts

This is my fourth time reading HARRY POTTER AND THE SORCERER’S STONE. When I first read this story, I was transported to a wondrous, magical world. I was awed by Rowling’s ability to capture my attention and evoke a desire stronger than anything I had ever experienced to be a part of a world other than my own. Now, 5 years later, I still feel that same magic, captivation, and desire as I reread this book.

Rowling’s ability to foreshadow the events to come is amazing. Even with this read, I found foretelling of things that I hadn’t noticed before. Even if I didn’t know what happened in the other five books, her foreshadowing within the same novel is amazing. But, I think it’s a true testament of her ability to see the overarching foreshadowing she does throughout the series. I’m sure there are things that allude to HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHY HALLOWS as well, but I won’t know that until later.

I love the little bit of humor Rowling brings into the story because, otherwise, it’s very intense. Many of the topics are not easy to discuss or even think about. The humor interwoven throughout helps lighten the way, making it easier to deal with the darker topics.

The characters are complex and endearing, even the ones I hate or can’t make up my mind about. I loved getting to know the main characters in Sorcerer’s Stone. Even though, as a reader, I barely touched the surface of who they are, I learn to love them. Harry, Ron, and Hermione’s friendship is one to be jealous of, one to wish I were a part of. I so wish I could share in their adventures with them.

Out of all the characters, Dumbledore is my favorite. We don’t often get to see him. He waits along the sidelines, allowing Harry and his friends to figure things out on their own. When he is around, I can be sure that Harry (and I) leave as better people. His wisdom is astounding. I’m always amazed at how profound these stories are because of him.

Update: When I’ve reread this series, I’ve sometimes listened to the audiobooks narrated by Jim Dale. I love how much Dale brings the stories to life.

I’ve also been able to read a U.K. edition of each of the novels. The first four novels have the most differences, especially the first book. I loved getting to read Rowling’s original words, the words she wrote, not the words “translated” for U.S. readers.