a book review for harry potter

Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone

By j.k. rowling.

Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone is one of the most popular children's books ever written. It is a story about the triumph of love and bravery over evil.

About the Book

Article written by Mohandas Alva

M.A. Degree in English Literature from Manipal University, India.

‘ Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone ‘ is a very engaging read for children and adults alike. Since it is the first book in this series, we are introduced to an entirely new world in this book. The world of magic slowly builds itself as we read through the book. The genius of this book is using the protagonist Harry’s discovery of this world to parallel the readers’.

Furthermore, despite several hardships and literally being an orphan who never knew love, Harry still recognizes love and affection when he sees it. While this book is memorable for a plethora of reasons, some elements of Rowling’s writing triumph as winners.

Discovering the Story World and Magic as a Metaphor

J. K. Rowling does a great job writing this story with an omniscient third-person narrative but still keeping the narrator wherever Harry is for a major part of this book. This makes the reader’s fascination and interest in the world of magic as new and real as Harry’s. We are introduced to several facts and significant peculiarities of the world of magic, all of which seem very consistently developed, adding authenticity to it.

While there are a lot of similarities between the real world and the world of magic, the differences are usually peculiar and downright funny at times. Platform nine and three-quarters, running through a brick wall, ghosts roaming freely and talking to living people, and many other peculiarities add to the charm of creating an interesting story world. One could go on to theorize that calling non-magic people muggles and portraying the Dursleys as ordinary people who hate things like magic has a metaphorical purpose.

It furthers the cause and appeals to the readers to be more imaginative and creative. Magic is a metaphor for imagination in this case. The Dursleys are scared of anything out of the ordinary. They spend their entire day doing mundane tasks they assign meaning to and criticize almost anything and anyone that doesn’t fit their design.

On the contrary, Harry, despite being ill-treated and not loved by the Dursleys, has a flair for imagination and creativity. It didn’t take very long for him to get used to the wizarding ways, and he very clearly had the potential to do great things after all. This book is, in its essence, an inspiration for readers to make dreams come true and bravely follow their dreams despite obstacles. It is an apt narrative for children who, at their age, tend to discover new things and ideas to develop.

Good vs Evil and Heroism

The trope of a savior standing up to the tyrant is not new. However, ‘ Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone ‘ being a children’s book, delves into this slowly. When Harry is unaware of magic and thinks that his parents died in an accident, he is a normal child with very little to think about good, evil, and the need for heroism.

However, once he is informed of the actual circumstances of his parents’ death and after discovering magic, he gains new insights, and his worldview significantly changes. His sense of responsibility and the need to stop Voldemort at any cost from getting to the Philosopher’s Stone set the path for his heroism. This transition happens slowly, yet it feels very natural. He doesn’t know what he will do if he faces Voldemort. Despite this naive understanding of the consequences, he still chooses to face Voldemort.

This portrayal of heroism is quite commendable as it appeals to the very cause of wanting to stop the wrongdoing. The fact that an eleven-year-old boy and his two friends thwart a feared dark wizard from stealing the Philosopher’s Stone in a school that has so many adults who are way more experienced and well-equipped to do it portrays heroism in its purest form. Heroism is more the choice to take action against evil than the ability to stop evil. This book does a good job illustrating this subtlety.

Sacrifice in Harry Potter

Sacrifice is an essential part of this novel. The story of ‘ Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone ‘ uses sacrifice to define both friendship and love. Harry’s parents die because they sacrifice themselves to protect Harry. Ron sacrifices himself while playing Wizard chess. Several people who fought in the war against Voldemort sacrificed themselves for the well-being of the collective community.

The trope of sacrifice plays a major role in setting up differences in morality between the good and the evil. As Dumbledore points out to Harry, Voldemort does not understand love. The fact that Harry understands love and values it, sets a specific difference in the choices that Harry and Lord Voldemort make.

Harry is willing to sacrifice himself when he takes over the task of protecting the Philosopher’s Stone. On the contrary, Voldemort uses others for his selfish motives. This stark difference between willing to sacrifice oneself and using others as a shield to protect oneself makes all the difference and definitively separates good and evil in this book.

Why was Harry Potter banned?

Harry Potter was banned in a catholic school in Nashville, Tennessee, because of fear of evil spirits. Some other places have also banned Harry Potter books for similar religious fears. Some religious leaders were concerned that the spells and enchantments mentioned in the book were real and that they could summon evil spirits and dark magic.

Is Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone worth reading for an adult?

‘ Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone ‘ is definitely worth reading for an adult. While it was written as a children’s book, it has outlived this label, and there are people of all ages who not only read these books but also engage in community discussions and have fun playing games inspired by these books. Many people have found reading this book a very rewarding experience, as is evident from the sales and fame this book has garnered across all demographics.

Should I read Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone or watch the movie?

While the movie is undoubtedly well-made and a thrill to watch, the books are far more detailed and a very thrilling read. Most people who have both read the books and watched the movies always choose the former as a better experience. Furthermore, there are several interesting and amusing characters and scenes in the book that the movie couldn’t incorporate. So, one would be missing out on a lot if one doesn’t read ‘ Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. ‘

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone Review - A Thrilling Read

Writing Style
Lasting effect on the reader

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone Book Review

Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone by J K Rowling is a thrilling read that hooks the reader from page one. Published in the year 1997, it is one of the highest grossing novels ever written. Some elements of the novel like its elaborate yet accessible world-building makes it a very entertaining read for children and adults alike. It follows the story of an orphan boy named Harry Potter who realizes he is a wizard and the rest of the book records his journey as a young wizard in Hogwarts, a school of magic. This book, and the series as a whole have been a definitive part of an entire generation’s childhood and have garnered very high praise as an entertaining read.

The plot is entertaining and is a very immersive read.
Has a lot of early lessons for children on morality.
The characters are well developed and the story world is well structured and interesting.
The writing style may be a bit rudimentary for adult avid readers.
Several instances of Deux Ex Machina make the protagonist’s position very safe and lacking any real danger.
Some mild instances of body shaming exist within the novel.

About Mohandas Alva

Mohandas is very passionate about deciphering the nature of language and its role as a sole medium of storytelling in literature. His interests sometimes digress from literature to philosophy and the sciences but eventually, the art and craft of narrating a significant story never fail to thrill him.

Cite This Page

Alva, Mohandas " Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone Review ⭐ " Book Analysis , https://bookanalysis.com/jk-rowling/harry-potter-and-the-philosophers-stone/review/ . Accessed 5 April 2024.

The Harry Potter section of Book Analysis analyzes and explorers the Harry Potter series. The characters, names, terminology, and all related indicia are trademarks of Warner Bros ©. The content on Book Analysis was created by Harry Potter fans, with the aim of providing a thorough in-depth analysis and commentary to complement and provide an additional perspective to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.

It'll change your perspective on books forever.

Discover 5 Secrets to the Greatest Literature

There was a problem reporting this post.

Block Member?

Please confirm you want to block this member.

You will no longer be able to:

See blocked member's posts
Mention this member in posts
Invite this member to groups

Please allow a few minutes for this process to complete.

muddledmumbles

Book review: the harry potter series by j.k. rowling.

Over the last month or so I have re-read the entire Harry Potter book series by J.K. Rowling . Something I haven’t done since I was a child. It reminded me why I feel in love with reading, a throwback to my childhood. A must read for everyone everywhere.

The series consists of seven books. Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone is the first book in the series. I gave it 5 stars. From the first chapter you are drawn into this fantastic world and that you just want to be part of. An adventure from the beginning to the very end. The friendship between Harry, Ron and Hermione is also developed so naturally. I also love how much more assertive Harry is compared to the films.

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets is the second book in the series. I was surprised how much I enjoyed this book as it is my least favorite film in the series; I gave it 3 stars. There is so much cut out of the film compared to the book. I also love the introduction of Tom Riddle . Every villain needs a beginning.

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban was a 4-star read. I only marked it down as it did drag a tiny bit. Remus Lupin and Sirius Black are brilliant additions to the world. They provide a new layer of History to the world. They add back story and a new list of emotions for Harry to deal with.

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire is a 5-star read. J.K. Rowling really stepped up her game with the introduction of the Triwizard Tournament ; I was hooked. I really enjoyed how the friendship between Harry and Ron was tested and how the relationship between Hermione and Harry blossomed. You really felt that they were friends through thick and thin. This book contained so much in its pages and all of it seemed relevant. The ending was so shocking, I couldn’t wait to pick up the next edition in the series.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix was really long. The narrative was interesting, but I found it drawn out in parts. I only gave it 3 stars. I may have just be overloaded with info, but I found the climax hard to follow. There were a lot of characters and I felt it difficult to follow each strand of the battle. The ending was heart-breaking, another loss for the boy who has lost so much already.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince was a 4-star read. I loved the expansion of the friendship group into the other houses besides Gryffindor lot. I felt in this book you got a real sense that the characters had matured. The twist and turns still surprised me after all these years. The twist at the end made me tear up. A twist that I didn’t see coming.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows was a fantastic end to the series. A 4-star read, I only marked it down as I felt that it was a slow start to the action. This book had more twists and turns than a roller coaster. It incorporated so much and made a call back to each and every book in the series. I felt I didn’t fully appreciate this book the first time I read it. The characters throughout the series all play such critical roles both big and small.

J.K. Rowling has created something amazing with this series. Stories that don’t age and can be passed down. There is no age limit, they can be enjoyed by young and old. I think I’ll make it an annual read. I think I might even treat myself to the illustrated version for my next excursion into the fantastic wizarding world of Harry Potter .

HARRY POTTER AND THE SORCERER'S STONE

From the harry potter series , vol. 1.

by J.K. Rowling ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 1, 1998

It’s slanted toward action-oriented readers, who will find that Briticisms meld with all the other wonders of magic school.

In a rousing first novel, already an award-winner in England, Harry is just a baby when his magical parents are done in by Voldemort, a wizard so dastardly other wizards are scared to mention his name.

So Harry is brought up by his mean Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia Dursley, and picked on by his horrid cousin Dudley. He knows nothing about his magical birthright until ten years later, when he learns he’s to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Hogwarts is a lot like English boarding school, except that instead of classes in math and grammar, the curriculum features courses in Transfiguration, Herbology, and Defense Against the Dark Arts. Harry becomes the star player of Quidditch, a sort of mid-air ball game. With the help of his new friends Ron and Hermione, Harry solves a mystery involving a sorcerer’s stone that ultimately takes him to the evil Voldemort. This hugely enjoyable fantasy is filled with imaginative details, from oddly flavored jelly beans to dragons’ eggs hatched on the hearth.

Pub Date: Sept. 1, 1998

ISBN: 978-0-590-35340-3

Page Count: 309

Publisher: Levine/Scholastic

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 1998

CHILDREN'S SCIENCE FICTION & FANTASY

Share your opinion of this book

THE SCHOOL FOR GOOD AND EVIL

From the school for good and evil series , vol. 1.

by Soman Chainani ; illustrated by Iacopo Bruno ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 14, 2013

Rich and strange (and kitted out with an eye-catching cover), but stronger in the set pieces than the internal logic.

Chainani works an elaborate sea change akin to Gregory Maguire’s Wicked (1995), though he leaves the waters muddied.

Every four years, two children, one regarded as particularly nice and the other particularly nasty, are snatched from the village of Gavaldon by the shadowy School Master to attend the divided titular school. Those who survive to graduate become major or minor characters in fairy tales. When it happens to sweet, Disney princess–like Sophie and her friend Agatha, plain of features, sour of disposition and low of self-esteem, they are both horrified to discover that they’ve been dropped not where they expect but at Evil and at Good respectively. Gradually—too gradually, as the author strings out hundreds of pages of Hogwarts-style pranks, classroom mishaps and competitions both academic and romantic—it becomes clear that the placement wasn’t a mistake at all. Growing into their true natures amid revelations and marked physical changes, the two spark escalating rivalry between the wings of the school. This leads up to a vicious climactic fight that sees Good and Evil repeatedly switching sides. At this point, readers are likely to feel suddenly left behind, as, thanks to summary deus ex machina resolutions, everything turns out swell(ish).

Pub Date: May 14, 2013

ISBN: 978-0-06-210489-2

Page Count: 496

Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins

Review Posted Online: Feb. 12, 2013

Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2013

CHILDREN'S SCIENCE FICTION & FANTASY | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

by Soman Chainani ; illustrated by Iacopo Bruno

More by Soman Chainani

by Soman Chainani ; illustrated by RaidesArt

by Soman Chainani ; illustrated by Julia Iredale

Netflix Drops ‘School for Good and Evil’ Trailer

BOOK TO SCREEN

THE LAST EVER AFTER

From the school for good and evil series , vol. 3.

by Soman Chainani ; illustrated by Iacopo Bruno ‧ RELEASE DATE: July 21, 2015

Ultimately more than a little full of itself, but well-stocked with big themes, inventively spun fairy-tale tropes, and...

Good has won every fairy-tale contest with Evil for centuries, but a dark sorcerer’s scheme to turn the tables comes to fruition in this ponderous closer.

Broadening conflict swirls around frenemies Agatha and Sophie as the latter joins rejuvenated School Master Rafal, who has dispatched an army of villains from Capt. Hook to various evil stepmothers to take stabs (literally) at changing the ends of their stories. Meanwhile, amid a general slaughter of dwarves and billy goats, Agatha and her rigid but educable true love, Tedros, flee for protection to the League of Thirteen. This turns out to be a company of geriatric versions of characters, from Hansel and Gretel (in wheelchairs) to fat and shrewish Cinderella, led by an enigmatic Merlin. As the tale moves slowly toward climactic battles and choices, Chainani further lightens the load by stuffing it with memes ranging from a magic ring that must be destroyed and a “maleficent” gown for Sophie to this oddly familiar line: “Of all the tales in all the kingdoms in all the Woods, you had to walk into mine.” Rafal’s plan turns out to be an attempt to prove that love can be twisted into an instrument of Evil. Though the proposition eventually founders on the twin rocks of true friendship and family ties, talk of “balance” in the aftermath at least promises to give Evil a fighting chance in future fairy tales. Bruno’s polished vignettes at each chapter’s head and elsewhere add sophisticated visual notes.

Pub Date: July 21, 2015

ISBN: 978-0-06-210495-3

Page Count: 672

Review Posted Online: June 25, 2015

Discover Books Fiction Thriller & Suspense Mystery & Detective Romance Science Fiction & Fantasy Nonfiction Biography & Memoir Teens & Young Adult Children's
News & Features Bestsellers Book Lists Profiles Perspectives Awards Seen & Heard Book to Screen Kirkus TV videos In the News
Kirkus Prize Winners & Finalists About the Kirkus Prize Kirkus Prize Judges
Magazine Current Issue All Issues Manage My Subscription Subscribe
Writers’ Center Hire a Professional Book Editor Get Your Book Reviewed Advertise Your Book Launch a Pro Connect Author Page Learn About The Book Industry
More Kirkus Diversity Collections Kirkus Pro Connect My Account/Login
About Kirkus History Our Team Contest FAQ Press Center Info For Publishers
Privacy Policy
Terms & Conditions
Reprints, Permission & Excerpting Policy

Popular in this Genre

Hey there, book lover.

We’re glad you found a book that interests you!

Please select an existing bookshelf

Create a new bookshelf.

We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!

Please sign up to continue.

It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!

Already have an account? Log in.

Trouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.

Almost there!

Industry Professional

Welcome Back!

Sign in using your Kirkus account

Don’t fret. We’ll find you.

Magazine Subscribers ( How to Find Your Reader Number )

If You’ve Purchased Author Services

Don’t have an account yet? Sign Up.

A review of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone By J. K. Rowling

Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone By J. K. Rowling Bloomsbury Pub Ltd Paperback: 224 pages, Feb 2000, ISBN-13: 978-0747532743

Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone by J. K. Rowling is a book about bravery and courage. As Professor Albus Dumbledore, the Headmaster at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, says “It takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to our enemies, but just as much to stand up to our friends.”

I enjoyed this book and would highly recommend it for muggles aged eleven and up. This is the first in the seven book Harry Potter series. I think readers must read Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone before reading the other books in the series, as this book sets the scene for the Harry Potter world.

As the title suggests, the main character in this book is Harry James Potter, also known as the boy who lived. The book follows Harry in his first year at Hogwarts, where he meets Hermione Jean Granger, a genius, and Ronald Bilius Weasley, a red head with six siblings.

When he was just a baby, Harry’s parents were killed by a Dark Arts wizard named Voldemort. Voldemort also tried to kill Harry but failed, leaving Harry with a scar in the shape of a lightning bolt on his forehead, and giving him the title the boy who lived. On the night of his parents’ death, Harry was placed on the doorstep of his aunt and uncle, the Dursley’s, much to their displeasure.

“Harry – yer a wizard” Harry was told on his eleventh birthday. With this news, he left the Dursley’s grasp for Hogwarts.

Harry, Ron and Hermione discover that in a room in the Forbidden Corridor on the third floor at Hogwarts, covered by spells and curses, lays the one and only Philosopher’s Stone – a stone that can transform any metal into pure gold and also produces the Elixir of Life, which will make the drinker immortal. During his time at Hogwarts, Harry develops the feeling that his potions teacher Professor Snape hates him, and has a gut feeling that Snape will try and steal the stone. One night, Harry, Ron and Hermione sneak up to the Forbidden Corridor to get the stone before Snape does. The trio pass through challenging obstacles. In the end, Harry has to finish the mission on his own and to his surprise, it’s not at all what he expected.

The theme of this story is magic and mystery. Nothing is as it seems, with changes at every turn.

This book is unlike any other; J. K. Rowling has opened the door to a whole new world of reading. Those readers who enjoy the Scarlet and Ivy series by Sophie Cleverly should also enjoy the Harry Potter series.

About the reviewer: Cleo was Commended in the 2019 Hunter Writers’ Centre/Compulsive Reader Review competition. She is in Grade 6 and her favourite subjects are novel study, reading groups and writing. Cleo has participated in the Premier’s Reading Challenge since she started school. Cleo plays as the Goal Shooter and Goal Attack in her local netball team, which she loves. Cleo’s dream is to have a dog and she is yet to know what she wants to be in the future.

“Harry Potter” Book Series Review

This post is outdated!

When I wrote my original review of the Harry Potter series, I was holding back with regard to some of my criticisms. With author J.K. Rowling using her considerable influence to spread transphobic propaganda , I feel it’s necessary to criticize both her political views and her work, which glorifies some truly repulsive ideas.

Hogwarts is a school that kidnaps and drowns its students for entertainment. Their death toll alone makes the average American school look safe by comparison. The Wizarding World is a society of slaveowners, and yet the author expects us to fall in love with their culture. The idea that abuse builds character is a central theme in Harry Potter .

Learn about why Harry Potter is really a crime against literature in my new article: Harry Potter, Transphobia, and Slavery Jokes .

In case you are still interested in reading this outdated piece, I’ve provided some helpful footnotes.

Harry Potter casts his first true patronus charm.

If you ask me what I think of J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series, my answer will likely depend on what day you ask me. Some days I’ll say I liked it, 1 some days I’ll hate it. In all honesty, however, my feelings towards Harry Potter are best described as “confused,” because there are a lot of things I really like about the series and a lot of things I really hate. All things considered, I usually wind up mostly ambivalent towards Rowling’s best-known work.

One of my biggest problems with the Harry Potter series is the lack of a consistent tone. The stories get gradually darker until about halfway through the series, at which point she abruptly changes her target audience from children to teenagers. As one might imagine if one gives this even a small amount of thought, this shift may have worked in the context of a series that’s still being written 2 , but it’s quite harmful to the longevity of a series.

Whether a conscious decision or not, Rowling’s tone-shift allowed her to keep up with a generation of fans who were growing ever nearer to adulthood; the stories became darker as their target audience grew older. Having a story grow with the age of its initial fanbase is an interesting idea. To my knowledge, no one else has tried this, and there’s a very good reason for that: because it’s a short-sighted move. When future generations start reading these stories from the beginning, they’re not going to wait a year before starting the next book; they’re going to start as soon as they can get their hands on it. The consequence of this is that when the tone changes mid-series, those who’ve become invested in the tone of the first three books will be jarred out of that investment.

On Divisions

Many stories grow darker as they progress, but this is almost never a conscious decision, and it is therefore a gradual process. In such cases the target audience doesn’t change. In Harry Potter, the change happens on a dime around the end of Book Four, alienating anyone who enjoyed the previous three books. It is therefore possible to divide the Harry Potter series into three distinct groups: the children’s books (consisting of the first three books); those directed at an older audience (consisting of the last three books); and book four, an outlier in that either audience might enjoy it equally (though not so thoroughly as they might enjoy the books in their own preferred block).

I feel Rowling’s decision to change her books’ audience to have been ill-conceived, not least because many adults enjoyed best the first three books. I also feel the quality of the series peaked with Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets 3 and then began to decline sharply with Order of the Phoenix.

Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone

Harry Potter and Ron Weasley arrive at Hogwarts.

The first book in the series was, in my opinion, really good. Colourful characters, an enjoyable tone with sufficient darkness, and an interesting world-within-a-world all made The Philosopher’s Stone a really good children’s book for both kids and adults. Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry was, at this point in the series, a fantastic—if not altogether original—setting. 4 It’s the little details at which Rowling excels, from the floating candles to the food on the table to the frankly ridiculous games her characters enjoy. That’s not to say there weren’t problems, but they weren’t at all noticeable unless one was searching for them.

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

Harry Potter kills a basilisk with the sword of Godric Griffindor

My favourite out of the books in the series was the second, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, because I consider it to be the best-structured of the seven books, with all its compelling sub-plots coming together in the climax. All the first book’s strengths remain, as well as a greater sense of stakes, an unforgettable Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, and an even better climax with the hero of the story fighting a giant snake with an ancient sword.

Sadly this is also where some of the big problems started. Harry’s treatment of the house-elf Dobby carries some unpleasant implications, as does Rowling’s decision to use comedically the idea of a slave being forced by his masters to inflict self-harm. Harry tricking Lucius Malfoy into freeing Dobby at the end was, on the surface, a good scene, but the implication that it is a reward for his help rather than an act in defence of his rights tainted it somewhat.

Despite my mixed feelings about the books and films, the 2002 Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets video game was quite fun. It has a compelling Legend of Zelda æsthetic and a memorable score by composer Jeremy Soule. By far my best memories of the Harry Potter series are of playing that janky old game.

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

Prisoner of Azkaban, unsurprisingly, was also really good, considered by many to be the best of the series. It certainly introduces some of the most interesting characters. My favourite part is the Marauders’ backstory, told by said interesting characters. And who could forget the dementors? 5 The climax, in spite of the typically mental time-travel logic, was also great.

Unfortunately Prizoner of Azkaban’s quality suffers somewhat as a result of its context concerning the later books in the series. You see, the first three books are essentially stand-alone stories, whereas the last four tell a continuous story divided only by the summer holiday. The problem with this is that Prisoner of Azkaban doesn’t really serve that much of a purpose when it comes to serving the greater story. All it really does is introduce some great new characters 6 … who won’t really have much to do with the plot henceforth. In fact, apart from Wormtail resurrecting Voldemort in the following book, these characters all die without having contributed much.

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

Harry Potter Competes in the first Triwizard task.

Goblet of Fire is where the series starts to go off, although much of it is enjoyable. Things like the Unforgivable Curses are introduced here, which makes me wonder whether Rowling hadn’t thought them up till this point; this would prove to be the beginning in a series of ideas that she should have introduced earlier than she did. This is not to say that the book wasn’t a fun read, but the problems with this one were more noticeable than any problems with the previous three. 7

Among a number of other problems I won’t get into, Goblet of Fire also saw the return of Dobby, which I will elaborate on later in this article. The climax, although by no means terrible, did end in somewhat of a deus ex machina that could have been prevented by a brief Mad-Eye Moody lecture on Priori Incantatem. I didn’t think Amos Diggory casting a vaguely similar spell on Harry’s wand at the beginning to show it was possible was enough to excuse this.

Of course, this was the one in which Voldemort returned, and here was where the more-or-less episodic nature of the books changed to a more epic style, something I think worked against the books in the end.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Order of the Phoenix was my least-favourite of the series. In spite of its status as the longest, so far as I could tell it was mostly filler. Luna Lovegood is introduced out of bloody nowhere and, despite her being a likeable character, 8 it would have been nice to know she existed at least a book or two before she suddenly became important. This fifth book serves almost as the “calm before the storm,” but the consequence is that said calm isn’t especially interesting.

The Death of Sirius

Sirius Black, Harry Potter's godfather, dies at the end of the fifth book.

The only thing of note that happens in Order of the Phoenix is that Sirius dies at the end, having done very little in the story, all told. His death scene is a bit confusing where the “Veil” is concerned, and the character of Bellatrix (the one who kills him) had only been properly introduced several pages ago.

Another problem is that everyone in the story has, with this fifth book, become inexplicably stupid. Every decision they make is so thick-headed that it’s hard not to hate Harry for everything that goes wrong, particularly as he causes the death of a character far more interesting than himself.

The Prophecy

The prophecy that is revealed at the end of the book seemed like it might be leading to a great twist at the end of the series, but it didn’t. Aside from this, I found the half-poetic nature of it slightly irritating; it’s far from the best-written prophecy I’ve read. Aside from its sloppy composition, the prophecy reveals at once too much and too little in many of the wrong ways, making it difficult to care about many of the dangers Harry will face in later books.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Harry Potter and Albus Dumbledore prepare to dive into a memory.

Half-Blood Prince was better than Order of the Phoenix—way better. Dumbledore taking Harry under his wing was a breath of fresh air after the great deal of nothing in the previous book. Most of the sub-plots were interesting, particularly Harry and Dumbledore searching various memories for clues about the horcruxes and unearthing Voldemort’s fascinating backstory in the process. 9 Especially when compared with Order of the Phoenix, Half-blood Prince was compelling, and of the later books it’s quite possibly the best.

The Problems

The problems with this one are relatively small compared to those of the fifth book. The trend of putting Harry’s importance above the lives of all others continues, summed up with the line, “Your blood is far more precious than mine,” and it becomes annoying at times.

Ron and Hermione

Then there are the people who said that Harry, and not Ron, should have ended up with Hermione. I really hate agreeing with these people (especially after the idiotic “Zu-tara” relation-shipping craze), but in this case they were actually right! Ginny isn’t a character; she’s a prop. In fact, the only female character with whom Harry has a real friendship is Hermione. Aside from that, the Ron of these later books has increasingly become an unlikeable arsehole, especially as he mocks Hermione for actually having a moral compass and seems to betray Harry at every opportunity. As much as I hate agreeing with “shippers” like this, Harry and Hermione really should have ended up together, and Ron should have been left at the mercy of some dementors or something!

But again I must say that these problems don’t prevent Half-Blood Prince from being an enjoyable read less of a slog than Order of the Phoenix . The plot is compelling enough, the backstory is interesting, and the death at the end is far better-handled than the previous one.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

I tend to lose respect for modern authors who employ the tired device of killing a main character’s pet in a lazy attempt to gain pathos points without having to work for them. For another example, see my article on Game of Thrones . J. K. Rowling begins Deathly Hallows, the grand finale, by doing just that. As you might expect, Hedwig’s death is predictable, manipulative, and requires no skill to pull off. I also can’t help but wonder how this would have gone over with the audience of the earlier books. 10

Death creates the Elder Wand for the eldest of the

Fortunately, Deathly Hallows has more plot than Order of the Phoenix and Half-Blood Prince put together, and most of the time it’s a fun and compelling read in spite of its flaws. 11 As usual, the best parts are the backstory, whether it’s learning about Dumbledore’s history with Grindelwald or seeing Snape’s childhood through his memories. By far my favourite part was the Tale of the Three Brothers , a children’s fable of the Wizarding World. It’s in little stories like this that Rowling’s talent really shines, and I loved how the tale payed homage to Chaucer’s The Pardoner’s Tale .

There are, in my opinion, a lot of things to like about this final volume. 1 Deathly Hallows is very different from Order of the Phoenix in that where the fifth book has one or two really big things wrong with it, the seventh novel has many much smaller problems. I would say that, along with a great deal more things happening, Deathly Hallows has the most individual things wrong with it of any of the books. By Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows , the genre is completely detached from that of the first book.

Props Die. Weep, Dammit!

I mentioned earlier the manipulative death of Hedwig the owl, but she is far from the only death in this bloodiest of the series. This wouldn’t be a problem if the deaths were even a tenth of what might be considered Boromir-quality, but as it is, they make Rowling seem rather lazy. She uses the deaths of background characters as a way to get an emotional response without doing much work. Some few of these background props, despite serving little purpose to the plot, are markedly more interesting than the main characters, and the story gets less interesting as each leaves it.

Rowling’s background characters are props—colourful and entertaining props, but props nonetheless. 12 Still she treats them as though they warrant proper character status. This would be all well and good had they sufficient impact on more important characters, but even Fred Weasley’s death impacts Ron far less than it should. In fact, I would go so far as to suggest that the Ron Weasley before his brother’s death is the same one we see mere hours afterward. Indeed, with a history like Ron’s, I’m surprised it didn’t lead to his betraying Harry again.

Killed to Compensate

There’s a bit in Order of the Phoenix where Ron’s father, Arthur Weasley, almost dies. Originally Rowling had intended to kill him off, but she decided to spare him for various reasons. To “compensate,” she decided to kill off Remus and Nymphadora near the end of the last book. Alright; to “compensate”? This sort of thinking should not be what drives a story. In most cases, characters should be killed off either to drive the development of other characters (as with Boromir), to move the plot forward (as with Boromir), or to drive home a point (as with Thorin, Kíli, and Fíli). Dumbledore’s death in Half-Blood Prince was the best in the series because it had a clear impact on the plot.

“I’ve Always Thought…”

It is in this book that we finally learn about Dumbledore’s dark past with the evil wizard Grindelwald. Rowling later revealed in an interview…

“I always thought of Dumbledore as gay. Dumbledore fell in love with Grindelwald, and that that added to his horror when Grindelwald showed himself to be what he was.”

Then you should have included that in the book ! That would have been awesome! Seriously, even ignoring that this might have made her massive readership more accepting of people’s differences, the relationship’s romantic nature would have made Dumbledore all the more interesting as a character. I cannot imagine why she chose not to put this in the book, but the decision deprives his character of that depth.

Post-Mortem Motivations

I also thought the character of Severus Snape, arguably Rowling’s best character, was wasted somewhat. As with many of Rowling’s best characters, you never learn Severus’s true motivations until after he’s dead—something that has become repetitive by this point. The problem with waiting till a character’s died is that by the time you find out what motivated them, they can no longer directly impact the plot. Perhaps this would be alright occasionally, but Rowling has made a habit of it.

Begging for a Twist

Neville Longbottom kills the horcrux Nagini

Speaking of characters being wasted, there’s Neville Longbottom to think about. This goes beyond Neville just being an interesting character who wasn’t used much; that’s all normal for these stories. When I spoke of Order of the Phoenix, I said that the prophecy seemed to be leading to a great twist. Well, that’s because there were two people who fit the criteria to be the Chosen One: Harry Potter and Neville Longbottom. When Neville pulled the sword out of the hat, I thought that finally that seed would bear fruit, but all Neville did was behead one horcrux—not bad, but I feel it was a missed opportunity to defy expectations. Instead, Harry returned from the dead and killed Voldemort himself as a contrived christ-figure.

Goblet of Fire onward, Harry has never gotten past a book’s climax without an unexpected deus ex machina saving his arse at the last minute, and I had hoped that he would, in the final battle, finally win due to his own strengths. Imagine my disappointment when, as I just mentioned, Harry comes back from the dead and I have no idea why!

The return of Gandalf in The Two Towers was explained well enough that I wasn’t confused. The explanation for Harry Potter’s unlikely survival, on the other hand, is both convoluted and non-existent. I would love it if someone could explain it to me, because I have absolutely no idea what was going on in that chapter. And why is Harry given the choice of whether to return to life or to board some spirit-train and die? Either he is dead or he isn’t !

The Unforgivable Curses

The final duel between Harry Potter and Lord Voldemort

A less serious problem, yet one that irritated me a great deal, was that Rowling has made a huge deal of Harry being forced to use the three Unforgivable Curses over the course of the series. In Order of the Phoenix, following Sirius’s death, Harry tries to use the Cruciatus curse on Bellatrix Lestrange. In this book, a big deal is made of his using the Imperius curse for the first time, and then the Cruciatus—this time successfully. It all seemed to be building up to the final duel, where Harry would of course be forced to use the final curse, Avada Kedavra , on Voldemort… except that he didn’t! All this buildup goes nowhere, and Harry just shouts, “Expelliarmus!” which does the job, for some reason. I found this thoroughly unsatisfying.

The Flaw in the Plan

Another problem I have with Deathly Hallows is that Dumbledore seemingly had an unbeatable plan, and everything proceeded according to that plan. All the examples are in this last book. Somehow he knew how every character would react to every situation that he somehow knew would befall them. This makes the climax quite a let-down as there was no way Voldemort could have been victorious. To worsen matters, almost every important sub-plot is abandoned on the spot the moment Voldemort dies by his own curse.

Had Neville turned out to be the chosen one or if the end of the story had been more like BBC’s Merlin, I could have forgiven almost all of the problems with this series. But the ending the author gave us was nothing special and gave no new meaning to any prior events.

Epilogue: Nineteen Years Later

Harry Potter with his too-perfect family in the epilogue.

I stand by what I said; Deathly Hallows is a fun read despite its flaws. The saccharine epilogue, however, is notoriously stupid! Everyone makes fun of this bit, and they’re entirely justified in doing so. The way-too-perfect future that Rowling’s surviving characters enjoy feels especially out of place after having just seen almost every interesting character slaughtered only a few pages ago. Who married whom and how many kids they had is not the sort of thing that belongs in the epilogue; that’s what an appendix is for.

Slavery Isn’t Funny!

I said earlier that the inconsistent tone was one of my biggest problems with the series. Well, my biggest problem with it is Rowling’s attempt to play slavery for laughs. For all the good things about Chamber of Secrets, the one big problem was the house-elf Dobby. House-elves are creatures permanently enslaved to their wizard masters. They have virtually no rights and may be abused without consequence; it’s basically like what the Americans did little more than a century ago, only it’s supposedly going on right under our noses in the nineties—because that’s funny, right?

Dobby the house-elf in Harry Potter's room.

Unlike when the Americans had slaves, in Rowling’s world of “childlike wonder” there has never been a single witch or wizard to question the rightness of owning house-elves as lifelong slaves to be beaten at one’s leisure—not even the great Harry Potter, who stopped at freeing just one. There were always people fighting to end American slavery, but not in the Wizarding World—the world Rowling sets so far apart from the abuse of the Dursleys.

The Society for the Protection of Elfish Welfare

The only character who thinks there might be something wrong with this is the muggle-born Hermione, and it’s made perfectly clear she’s the only person who’s ever had any problem with the way house elves are treated… ever ! The fact that she’s essentially an outsider, having not been born to wizards, is used to imply that she’s naïve—that things are more complicated in the magical world. To any normal person reading this, Hermione is the heroine here, trying to organize the Society for the Protection of Elfish Welfare (S.P.E.W.).

Everyone —from her classmates to the author herself—reacts to S.P.E.W. with mild amusement, because we’re meant to believe she’s taking the issue too seriously—as though this were some laughable grass-roots “save-the-wheat grass!” crusade or a protest against the violence in wizard’s chess. Even the acronym “S.P.E.W.” is a bloody joke , because the idea that slavery is wrong is something to laugh at, apparently! But it’s slavery—SLAVERY!

“They Like Being Enslaved”

But what does the ever-compassionate Hagrid have to say about all this?

“It would be doing them an unkindness, Hermione. It’s in their nature to look after humans; that’s what they like, see. You’d be making them unhappy to take away their work, and insulting them if you tried to pay them!”

Yes, the house-elves are indeed as happy with their lot as a plantation-owner would have had you believe his slaves were. As Ron succinctly put it, “they like being enslaved!” Even our “hero” Harry Potter owns a slave, and no one bats a bloody eye. If the sorcerers in Merlin were as repulsive as the wizards in Harry Potter, then I’d be firmly on Uther’s side!

Ambivalence

When I think about the books’ portrayal of slavery, I cannot help but be shocked that I don’t hate the series. I think, however, that the author simply didn’t think through the implications of anything she wrote; she had no idea what she was doing when it came to these issues. Rowling claims to have had the series planned out from the beginning, and I honestly don’t believe her. I think she had a rough outline, but there’s so little continuity between the first books and the later ones that I feel sure that this plan changed suddenly when she was halfway through the series.

The Potential for Greatness

In each of the seven books there were some great moments; even Order of the Phoenix had the Room of Requirement. Even as the end of the story drew near, I think the series had the potential for greatness, but I feel it fell short of what it could have been. Still, the first three books were, for the most part, really good—a part of me wishes she’d stopped at three.

In the end, I’m ambivalent towards the Harry Potter series. I don’t much like it, but I don’t dislike it either . 1 I just think it’s something to be learned from—perhaps as a cautionary tale.

Subscribe to H.M. Turnbull here!

Yeah… that was my opinion back in my late teens, watered down by a naïve urge to give Harry Potter the benefit of the doubt. The author’s real-life bigotry has eliminated this urge. Now that I’ve analyzed the themes of these books more closely, I can confidently say that I hate J.K. Rowling’s books. For details, please check out my more recent and comprehensive article on the subject . ↩︎
Although, to be fair, I even found the abrupt change in tone off-putting when I read them as a kid. The moment the books started getting dark, one starts to question why no one died in the first three books. It’s not just that the change in tone alienates readers who’d got used to the original tone; it makes you retroactively interrogate the earlier books in light of the world the later books take place in. If all these Hogwarts students are getting killed now , then how come the basilisk’s victims in Book 2 all just happened to see the monster indirectly through various lucky coincidences? Do they have children’s book plot armour or not? ↩︎
Having reexamined Chamber of Secrets as an adult, I must conclude that despite being the best-structured book in the series, it still doesn’t have much of a plot. It’s mostly school minutia filler. ↩︎
Truth be told, most of Philosopher’s Stone ‘s supposed strengths have been greatly overestimated, including by me. I think the trainwreck that followed caused me to look at the early books with rose-coloured glasses. ↩︎
Low-quality Ringwraith knock-offs though they are. ↩︎
Great characters by the standards of this series, anyway. ↩︎
Once again, “enjoyable” refers specifically to reading it as a child. More specifically, I originally read these books while waiting out a days-long car ride, so there wasn’t exactly much else to do at the time. ↩︎
As close to a likeable character as you’ll find in Rowling’s borderline-sociopathic roster, anyway. As it happens, Luna is one of many characters who do almost nothing throughout the rest of the series. ↩︎
Fascinating until you read the final book and find out how pointless everything was. And then, of course, you read it as an adult and realize that it basically amounted to “Tom Riddle was conceived through rape, and his mother was from a bad bloodline, and so he was born inherently evil.” ↩︎
I mean, before they’d aged into their late teens and—like most teenagers in the early 2000s—started craving edginess above all else. ↩︎
After slogging through Order of the Phoenix , even reading about angsty teenagers camping for chapter after chapter seems fun by comparison. ↩︎
Returning to the books as an adult does make one wonder how one could have thought these characters were entertaining. ↩︎

Harry Potter Series

Shelve Harry Potter: The Prequel

Want to Read
Currently Reading
Add New Shelf

Shelve Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone

Shelve Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

Shelve Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

Shelve Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

Shelve Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Shelve Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Shelve Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Shelve Harry Potter and the Cursed Child: Parts One and Two

Related series.

Books of Brilliance

The latest book reviews and book news, harry potter and the sorcerer’s stone: book review.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone novel by J. K. Rowling

A novel that needs no introduction is Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J. K. Rowling. It is the novel that has shaped the lives of millions of readers and is still one of the most read novels today! Keep reading to find out why this novel and series is as popular as it is.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone Summary

On his eleventh birthday, Harry Potter finds out he is a wizard and will be attending Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Before then, Harry did not even know that magic was real or that he was famous. As Harry learns about his past and his parents who died protecting him, he prepares to embark on a new journey.

Harry arrives at Hogwarts and becomes friends with two of his classmates Ronald Weasley and Hermione Granger. The trio all are members of house Gryffindor and help each other pass the first year at Hogwarts. But as they find out throughout the course of the year, they will face many challenges and enemies.

Suspicious activity at Hogwarts like a three-headed dog guarding a trap door and a troll somehow entering and attacking Hogwarts makes the trio suspicious. Harry, Ron, and Hermione soon discover Professor Dumbledore is hiding something at Hogwarts and someone is trying hard to steal it. As the first years try to manage the workload, they must also stop whoever is after the secret artifact before it is used by the dark forces at the school.

Originally published as Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone in the United Kingdom in 1997, within the first six months of release, the children’s book took off. When Scholastic bought the U.S. rights, Scholastic’s Arthur Levine believes that the title wouldn’t work for American readers. After some discussion, the novel’s title was changed to Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone which was suggested by Rowling.

Rowling went on to say that she wished she hadn’t changed it but since it was her first novel, she didn’t have as much leverage. The title change was not necessary and makes it a bit confusing for some people. The good thing is that that is the only novel where that happened. Maybe Scholastics should give readers a little bit more credit.

I was first introduced to the Harry Potter world by the movies. As a kid, I was always intimidated but the size of the Harry Potter novels and did not believe I would be able to read a book that big. It was later on in my life that I tackled bigger novels and even later when I finally read the Harry Potter novels.

I fell in love with the novels wholeheartedly. The writing is great, the characters are wonderful, and the overarching plot and how everything connects was done perfectly. One thing the movies never did well was showcase Harry’s struggle of not having a family and his loneliness. In the novel, we see how they affect Harry’s state of mind and acting out because of those feelings, something the movies don’t do that well.

This novel and the whole Harry Potter series should be read by every reader in my opinion. Not everyone has to like it but reading it and finding that whether you do or not should be a test given to everyone. It will get a lot if children into reading and that is always a great end result. Expect reviews for all the novels in the series in the coming months!

Follow us on Instagram and Facebook !

Share this:, 27 thoughts on “ harry potter and the sorcerer’s stone: book review ”.

Add Comment

In the first paragraph u wrote eep instead of keep… XD

Thanks I’ll fix it now 🙂

I used to be a huge fan of the movies but never read the books. It’s always interesting to hear the differences. Good to know that the book expands on the characters a bit more!

The entire series ends differently in the books than in the movies. the boom ending in Deadly Hallow makes much more sense.

My daughter made sure all her copies were the the UK versions

Pingback: Popular Books That You Should Check Out - Books of Brilliance
Pingback: First Edition Harry Potter Novel Up For Auction - Books of Brilliance

these series made a reader out of me, thanks for sharing 🙂

Thanks for reading! 👍

Pingback: The Top 15 Best Selling Series of All Time - Books of Brilliance

I also saw the movies first. It wasn’t until after “The Goblet of Fire” film came out that I started reading the books. But I read the 4th one first, and the rest out of order, until “The Deathly Hallows” book was released. Not too long ago, I started rereading the 1st “Harry Potter” novel, and picked up on some new details and moments that I’d missed before, including some dark ones.

Rereading them now and there’s a lot that you realize that you missed. Rowling thought it all out!

Pingback: Best Books to Read On Kindle Unlimited - Books of Brilliance
Pingback: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets: Book Review - Books of Brilliance
Pingback: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban: Book Review - Books of Brilliance
Pingback: Harry Potter Autographed Set Fails to Sell at Auction - Books of Brilliance
Pingback: Harry Potter Book Guide - Books of Brilliance
Pingback: Margot Robbie's Favorite Books - Books of Brilliance
Pingback: Emma Watson Discusses Friendship with Costar Tom Felton in His New Book - Books of Brilliance
Pingback: This is the Most Abandoned Book! - Books of Brilliance
Pingback: Stephenie Meyer Announces Two New Twilight Books - Books of Brilliance

I love Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s stone also known as. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.

Pingback: Trevor Noah’s 10 Favorite Books - Books of Brilliance
Pingback: Short Stories from Hogwarts of Heroism, Hardship and Dangerous Hobbies: Book Review - Books of Brilliance

The cover was good, but I read a little, and I thought that if I read more it would be more interesting. Well, beyond interesting, but my new favorite book!

Pingback: New Harry Potter Book Announced Celebrating Harry’s First Christmas at Hogwarts - Books of Brilliance

DickWizardry

Covering All Things Fantasy

Find articles on fantasy related news events!

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone Book Review

The Harry Potter series has been around for awhile now and has cemented itself into the fantasy genre. Though some may not take the series at the same level as a Lord of the Rings or a Wheel of Time, it deserves its own place at the table of fantasy book series. Today we are going to be looking at the first installment to the series Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone and let you know what really makes this book magical.

Introduction to Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone

This book’s first edition was released in October of 1998 and was written by J.K. Rowling. The book is 309 pages long not including any table of contents. The pages are spread by 17 chapters. My copy has the illustrations at the top of each chapter, I am not sure if this is something that has changed in the many editions that have been released since.

The book starts off introducing the wizarding world from the vantage point of the Dursley’s who we later find out are the Aunt and Uncle of Harry Potter, a boy who’s parents were murdered while he managed to survive. The attack on Harry’s parents left a signature lightning bolt scar on his forehead.

This was a fantastic way to introduce a new different world to an audience and is done in a very creative way. I must applaud J. K. Rowling for setting up the story in this way as even though this book is fast paced, it steeps the reader into the world from a perspective that would likely be more like our own.

The story then takes a time leap to when Harry has grown up and gets a letter of acceptance into the magical school called Hogwarts. The Dursley’s are very against this and do whatever they can to keep Harry a normal boy in their eyes. They fail in this after taking drastic measures to stop the letters from being sent in larger and larger quantities. So the rest of the book is Harry Potter’s introduction to the the magical world that is unknown to us “Muggles” (the name given to non magical people).

Strengths of The Sorcerer’s Stone

This book has a lot going for it that will be reiterated as we continue on through the story. The descriptions are very vivid of locations and items as well as character motives. This leads to a pretty laid back and easy read. Understandably these books are children books, anyone of any age can enjoy these books though and really appreciate everything else they have to offer for a relatively small time commitment based on this books size.

The school year structure of this book and the subsequent books makes for a really easy method to control pace for the story. The ending ties in many story notes from earlier on in the book such as learning magical spells that come in handy at the end of the book, playing a game of chess. Paying attention in potions class. Even getting onto the schools Quidditch team (Which can be best defined to me as football on brooms.) plays a role in the end. Though it may seem silly how many points in the story are later used at the end to accomplish the overarching story, it satisfies me knowing that next to every chapter has meaningful content to the end goal in some way or another.

Character Introductions In Sorcerer’s Stone

Character introductions are very well done. It takes very little for each character to be painted into the mind of the reader as well as share the base level motives and beliefs of each. Though later books handle these ideas in a more deep and complex manner, the method that is done in this book tends to match the age of the characters in the book which is around 11. The way J K Rowling rights this allows for easy understanding and the same level for children around the age of these characters as they can relate to what is happening in the book easily.

Ron Weasly’s introductions feel like a introduction of kids becoming friends on their first day of school, and that is exactly what it is. Most people can relate to an introduction like that cause we have all experienced it in a way ourselves.

Hermione’s introduction is well handled also. Though not the same experience as Ron, we are treated to her joining the group later on in the story. I feel that this was a good idea as to not overload the reader with new characters right away. This allows for the descriptions of Hogwarts to fill in that space and establish the world better instead of create a bogged down character spaghetti.

Weaknesses of The Sorcerer’s Stone

Reading the book as an adult can make the resolution of these books seem childish and that is something that will continue on through most of the series as the characters are literal children. For this book specifically it would make one wonder why grown adults that have been through school themselves would not be able to accomplish simple puzzles that the trio Harry, Ron, and Hermione could do.

The book ends rather abruptly. The last chapter contains the end of the story as well as the final confrontation. This seemed rather jarring to me. I feel that it could have been handled with whole additional chapter that expands slightly on Harry’s return to the muggle world and show that he has learned that not all is the same as when he left. That he as a character has definitively grown apart from the wishes of his Aunt and Uncle and has a hunger to return back to the wizarding world.

Plot of The Sorcerer’s Stone

The plot of the book once the book has made it to the wizarding world and Hogwarts is very school oriented as well as getting Harry Potter situated in the wizarding world. When Harry finds that Hagrid, the groundskeeper of Hogwarts has helped the headmaster named Albus Dumbledore hide a mysterious item, he and his friends jump into action figure out what the item is and protect it. Along the way they get into trouble a few times leading them to go into several restricted sections of the castle that only increases their curiosity.

Throughout the book Harry also learns a lot about who he is and about his parents since they went to the same school of Hogwarts as himself. He also needs to come to terms with being a celebrity in the wizarding world that he has only just now discovered.

In the end, this book is an example of a series that can be enjoyable for children and adults. It’s a perfect book to grab and start reading to your kids, but also is a strong escapism book. It’s incredibly easy to get enveloped in the story and the characters. Everything is so well crafted and put together. Descriptions are rich and characters are well thought out and developed, especially for just the first book in a series of books.

If you want to find out where this book ranks in the series you can check out our ranking list for the Harry Potter book series here !

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone is a must read. Regardless of your age. If you have not read this book please take the time to do so, if just to understand why so many people love this series. If you want to pick up this book for yourself, you can use our affiliate link here. It helps out the site at no extra cost to you. I personally have all my books in a hard cover due to wanting them to all be in the same print format and the larger books tend to have weak bindings over time.

If you enjoyed this review, please share this around and comment below. What are your thoughts on the book? How does it compare to later books in the series? Comment below and let us know! We plan to review this entire series and then review all the movies as well. So check back, for more on this series in the future!

Reviewing all things Fantasy

December 2023 1
December 2022 2
September 2022 1
April 2022 1
January 2022 1
December 2021 2
August 2021 1
April 2021 10
February 2021 6
January 2021 5
December 2020 6
November 2020 3
October 2020 2
August 2020 6
July 2020 6
June 2020 7
April 2020 10
March 2020 12
February 2020 5
January 2020 15
December 2019 10
November 2019 9
October 2019 6
September 2019 5
August 2019 8
July 2019 11
June 2019 9
May 2019 10
April 2019 8
March 2019 9
February 2019 1
January 2019 6
December 2018 3
November 2018 3
October 2018 1

We respect your privacy.

Thank you for subscribing! If there is any content that you would like covered you can reach out to us at [email protected]

Book Review: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

For people who want to enjoy an intriguing, fast paced novel, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone is the perfect book to read. It keeps you involved throughout the book as most chapters have cliffhangers at the end. This novel is the first of the seven famous Harry Potter books by J.K. Rowling.

The book is about 11 year old Harry Potter, who receives a letter saying that he is invited to attend Hogwarts, school of witchcraft and wizardry. He then learns that a powerful wizard and his minions are after the sorcerer’s stone that will make this evil wizard immortal and undefeatable. Harry decides to go after the sorcerer’s stone before the wizard reaches it, but his loyal friends, Hermione and Ron don’t let Harry face this danger alone.

This book is full of fantasies and imagination like at one point, Harry Potter is asked to catch a flying golden ball while flying on his broomstick. Eventually Harry Potter stands on his broomstick and tries to reach for the ball, but he falls off the broomstick in a very tense moment. He unexpectedly throws up the golden ball winning the game for his team.

Harry Potter and a sorcerer stone is a good book to spark joy and imagination for anyone, regardless of age. But I would say it is most enjoyable for elementary school students, who can very well relate to the fantasy world. So I would say that it is a must read for younger audiences, but it’s a good read in general.

BOOKS AMEYA

For the voracious indian reader.

Book Reviews

[Book Review] ‘Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone’ by J.K. Rowling

Download Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone PDF by J.K. Rowling

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

J.K. Rowling needs no introduction. She is, of course, the author of the famous Harry Potter series . She was born on July 31, 1965 at Yate General Hospital near Bristol, and grew up in Gloucestershire in England and in Chepstow, Gwent, in south-east Wales. Rowling conceived the idea of Harry Potter in 1990 while sitting on a delayed train from Manchester to London King’s Cross. Over the next five years, she began to map out all seven books of the series. She wrote mostly in longhand and gradually built up a mass of notes, many of which were scribbled on odd scraps of paper. The result is known to us all – a series of unparalleled fame and popularity that we all enjoy. Under the pseudonym Robert Galbraith , J.K. Rowling also writes crime novels, featuring private detective Cormoran Strike.

“The truth.” Dumbledore sighed. “It is a beautiful and terrible thing, and should therefore be treated with great caution.”

Harry Potter books tell the story of orphan Harry James Potter, the discovery of his secret magical powers and the role he plays in the safety of the hidden world of witchcraft and wizards.

After being raised in the miserably unfair home of his Uncle Vernon Dursley, Harry practically begins life anew when he discovers that he is a wizard and is invited to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry . Among Harry’s first-year adventures are making new friends (Hagrid, Ron and Hermione), standing up to the torments of school bully Draco Malfoy, and becoming the star player of his Quidditch team (the favored sport in the magical world). Harry’s life as a Hogwarts “first-year” is more interesting than that of most attendees, because he is already famous for surviving the attack of the evil Lord Voldemort, who tried to kill him as an infant. Everyone in the wizard world knows more about Harry’s family and his story than he himself does.

Download free PDF Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone J.K. Rowling

This first book – Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone – introduces you to this magical world for the first time, and it does so in a smooth and comfortable fashion, introducing both you and Harry to strange wonders never yet experienced. This makes the transition into the world of magic an easy and pleasant experience. Rowling has built a strong and multi-layered world with immense amounts of detail , yet it is written in such a way that it doesn’t feel tedious or as though you are being fed all the information at once, as is the case with many fantasy novels . Through Harry’s eyes, you encounter wands, monsters and spells with their magical properties, purposes and history laid out in small, easily consumable chunks. This means that the book never ceases to envelope you in its world or characters, whereas many epic fantasies have a habit of pulling you aside in a rather obvious fashion and indulging in the rather fruitless exercise of explaining every newly encountered item.

All the characters, teachers, students and bad guys alike have truly believable personalities, eccentricities and flaws, which, more often than not, helps to make them the truly lovable and long-standing characters that they have gone on to become. These friendships and relationships drive the book forward, providing comical respite and emotional engagement along the way.

It takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to our enemies, but just as much to stand up to our friends.

There are characters in this book that will remind us of all the people we have met. All of us have known a spoilt, overweight boy like Dudley, or a bossy and interfering (yet kind-hearted) girl like Hermione. A large number of the younger readers will also be able to easily identify with Harry, especially with his initial feelings of isolation and a sense of not belonging, and then through to his excitement at finally leaving that life behind in favor of one where he does belong and will be happy.

Hogwarts is a truly magical place, not only in the most obvious way but also in all the sheer detail that the author has gone to describe it. It is the place that everybody wishes they could have been to when they were eleven , for that’s where many adventures befall the trio (Harry, Ron and Hermione), and the stone in the book’s title is center to all the events that unfold as the plot progresses. The story builds toward the exciting conclusion that has the ultimate feel-good factor.

In conclusion, this epic journey out of the Muggle world and into the school and world of witchcraft and wizardry bags 4 out of 5 stars. Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone is a must-read for anyone within the age-group of 8 to 600 years (for those who have used the stone :p) who want to be mesmerized by an enigmatic world.

…now that you’re here

As you might know, Ameya runs on a purely non-profit basis. With no tangible products on offer, advertisements and donations are our only two sources of keeping this blog up and running. You could convey your support to us with something as little as $5 - that's less than what an average Starbucks would cost!

7 thoughts on “ [Book Review] ‘Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone’ by J.K. Rowling ”

Add Comment

Pingback: [Book Review] 'Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire' by J.K. Rowling
Pingback: Designing Destiny
Pingback: Pranav SriKrishna | Readers’ Story of the Week | Story #129
Pingback: The Lemonade | Kankane Rakhi Surendra | Short Stories
Pingback: Quote #156 | Mark Twain | If you tell the truth, you don't have to (...)
Pingback: Balakrishna Prabhu B. N. | Readers’ Story of the Week | Story #160
Pingback: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them | Book Review | 2001 | J. K. Rowling

Regular Features

Author spotlights, "bookreporter talks to" videos & podcasts, "bookaccino live: a lively talk about books", favorite monthly lists & picks, seasonal features, book festivals, sports features, bookshelves.

Coming Soon

Newsletters

Weekly Update
On Sale This Week
Spring Preview
Winter Reading
Holiday Cheer
Fall Preview
Summer Reading

Word of Mouth

Submitting a book for review, write the editor, you are here:.

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets...

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Book 2

In this sequel to HARRY POTTER AND THE SORCERER'S STONE, we find Harry spending the summer vacation with his awful relatives, the Dursleys, following his first year at the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The Dursleys are so fearful of Harry's growing magic talents that they lock his school books and wand away in a closet and even lock Harry in his tiny bedroom. Harry worries he'll never get back to Hogwarts and his friends, until he's rescued by his best buddy, Ron Weasley, who arrives in a flying car to take Harry away.

The second year at Hogwarts should be smoother sailing, right? Not so. First, Harry receives a strange warning from a house elf named Dobby. Then, when he arrives at Hogwarts Harry must face a vain new professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts, a spirit named Moaning Myrtle who haunts the girls' bathroom, and his old enemies, Malfoy and Snape. And, even more troublesome this year, some evil force is turning Muggle-born students (those born to humans, without magical blood, including Harry's pal Hermione) to stone. Who could be doing such a thing?

While Harry and Ron try to unravel the mystery of petrification, they discover information about the Chamber of Secrets, a hidden room in Hogwarts that is rumored to be home to a horrible monster. Old legends, clues, and research eventually lead Harry and Ron to the Chamber of Secrets for a showdown with evil like they've never seen before. And Harry must triumph over the Dark forces in order to save Ginny Weasley, Ron's younger sister (now a first year at Hogwarts), who has been taken over by a nasty wizard. See if he succeeds in this rollicking, spine-tingling adventure. You're sure to love all the fast-moving action, magic and fun in every chapter.

Reviewed by Shannon Maughan on August 15, 2000

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Book 2 by J. K. Rowling

Publication Date: June 26, 2018
Genres: Fantasy
Paperback: 368 pages
Publisher: Arthur A. Levine Books
ISBN-10: 1338299158
ISBN-13: 9781338299151

Younger Readers

I finished writing the final Harry Potter book in 2007, which seems a very long time ago now. And before that, I had been immersed in Harry’s world for nearly 20 years – since 1990, in fact, when the idea of a boy who doesn’t yet know that he is a great wizard first bubbled up in my brain. But what makes me happiest is that new readers, all over the world, are still discovering Harry Potter for the first time, today.

The short introductions here to each of the seven Harry Potter stories will give you a flavour of the adventures ahead of you. I’ve also tried to answer some of the questions I’m most often asked in the numerous letters and emails that I continue to receive from fans.

I could not have imagined in my wildest dreams just how popular my Harry Potter books would become and at times it was truly overwhelming. Below is a snapshot of what happened when the books were first published.

If you would like to find out more, why not visit Wizarding World.com , the official hub for fans of Harry Potter and the Fantastic Beasts film series.

Enjoy your reading!

The Harry Potter Stories

From Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone , where the story begins, through to Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows , here’s a brief introduction to the seven books that have made Harry the world’s most renowned wizard.

9 and 3/4 Questions

J. K. Rowling answers some of the questions she’s most often asked by fans about Harry Potter and the wizarding world she created.

The Magical Journey…

Since the first book appeared in 1997, Harry Potter has not just enchanted readers worldwide, but become a true publishing phenomenon. Find out more here.

Explore More About The Wizarding World

Whether you love Harry Potter and have read every book twice, or you are just starting out on your journey, a visit to Wizarding World.com will answer all your questions, fire your imagination, and draw you deeper into the magic!

Which Hogwarts house would you be in?

Gryffindor, I hope. I value courage beyond almost anything. But I’d be quite a good fit in Ravenclaw, too.

What’s your Patronus?

I used to think it would be an otter, which I gave to Hermione in the books, because I love otters so much, but I’ve got a feeling that if I ever managed to produce one, it would be some kind of large bird. Possibly an owl.

Where do the names of the spells and potions come from or are they made up?

They’re mostly made up, though some derive from old charms people thought genuinely worked, such as Avada Kedavra, from which came ‘abracadabra’. I used a good bit of pig Latin and took liberties with archaic words, too.

Where do wizards go to school before going to Hogwarts?

If they’re Muggle-born, they’ll go to regular schools. Wizarding families tend to home school their children until they’re ready for Hogwarts.

Which Harry Potter character would you most like to meet and why?

I think it would have to be Dumbledore. We’d have a lot to discuss and I would love his advice; I think that everyone would like a Dumbledore in their lives.

Does Harry Potter still have his owl (Hedwig) and does Hermione still have her cat (Crookshanks)?

Poor Hedwig died in book seven, but I like to think Harry would always have a snowy owl in her honour. Crookshanks lived to a ripe old age, but I’m afraid he’s no longer with us.

Will Harry Potter and the Cursed Child ever be made into a movie?

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child was conceived and written as a stage play. It was always intended to be a stage play and nothing else, and I’m afraid there are absolutely no plans for it to become a movie, a novel, a puppet show, a cartoon, a comic book series or Cursed Child on Ice!

Will there be another Harry Potter book – about the Marauders or the Founders of Hogwarts, for instance?

I have always refused to say ‘never’ to this question, because I think it would be foolish to rule out something I might want to do in the future. The play Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is a prime example. I was intrigued to do something new. Working with Jack Thorne (the playwright) and John Tiffany (the director) was one of the most satisfyingly creative experiences of my working life. We developed the story together and I couldn’t be more thrilled with the result.

What happened to some of the other characters like Dudley Dursley, Neville Longbottom and Luna Lovegood?

I think Dudley’s out there living a happier and better life for having known Harry. He wouldn’t be nearly as hidebound and fiercely conventional as his parents. Neville became a Herbology teacher at Hogwarts, where I think he’d be hugely popular.

Luna married a descendant of Newt Scamander and became a magizoologist.

Review of the Harry Potter Book Series (Spoiler Free) | Favbookshelf

Post category: Book Reviews / Fiction
Post comments: 1 Comment
Post author: Favbookshelf

In this article on the Harry Potter book series, we have given a spoiler-free book review of this famous series. It is a fantastic read and is full of magic, drama, adventures, and intrigue.

About the Harry Potter Book Series

Title: Harry Potter

Author: J.K. Rowling

Genre: Fantasy Fiction

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing (UK)

Type: Series

No. of books: 07

Books in the series: #1 Philosopher’s Stone, #2 Chamber of Secrets, #3 Prisoner of Azkaban, #4 Goblet of Fire, #5 Order of the Phoenix, #6 Half-Blood Prince, #7 The Deathly Hallows

Goodreads rating: 4.7/5

Harry Potter was given a scar by Voldemort the night his parents sacrificed themselves. And from that night onwards, he was no longer an ordinary boy but the Boy who lived . When Harry turns 11, he receives a letter from Hogwarts, a school for witchcraft and magic. He is very excited to go there and escape his cruel aunt and uncle. And soon, Hogwarts becomes his home, a place where he could be himself, explore his capabilities, make new friends, and find happiness. But this happiness is short-lived, as Voldemort wants to finish what he had started eleven years ago-to kill Harry. However, his friends will not let this happen. They are there to support him and protect him. And so begins the journey of Harry, from learning wizardry to excelling in Quidditch, making friends, finding love, and even flying cars!

If you liked Percy Jackson and the Olympians, The Mortal Instruments, or The Folk of Air, you will enjoy this series too.

Harry Potter Book Series Review

Harry Potter is an amazing series of love, friendship, and magic, and is definitely one of my favorite series of all time. Once you enter the world of Harry and Hogwarts, it becomes nearly impossible to escape it. And I, never in my wildest dreams had thought that a collection of these seven books will make me a fan of witchcraft and wizardry.

What is amazing is that – all the characters in the book are as interesting and are as involved as the main character. Also, they all show not just their strong points but as well weak points, and that is appreciable. Another amazing thing about this series is the infamous trio – Harry, Hermione, and Ronald aka Ron. Their friendship is beautifully portrayed and, it builds up over the series taking its own time.

And as you go on in the series, you will be left with surprises and will be shocked by the twists and turns. Suspense in the whole Harry Potter book series is well-kept and, it is quite hard to figure it out until you reach the end.

The writing style of J.K Rowling is as well admirable. You can see a proper flow and structure in the story. And also, there is an amazing build-up and revelations.

One of the capturing and fun things about this series is how catchy all the spells are! From Stupefy, Expelliarmus, Expecto Patronum, Avada Kedavra, Wingardium Leviosa, and many more. And all of them are unique. Hats off to J.K Rowling for coming up with such words. She has done a great job in keeping the audience curious and interested.

All of Harrys’ ventures are crazy enough to keep you entertained and it is a series you will want to read and re-read again and again. It allows you to escape reality and enter another world filled with magic, friendship, drama. Sounds pleasing, right?

Overall, the Harry Potter book series is fascinating, dramatic, tragic, emotional; honestly, it’s an infusion of all.

If you want to read the first book in the series, Philosopher’s Stone, click on the link below:

And below, we have given a mini-review of each book in the Harry Potter book series:

Review of Each Book

Book #1 – philosopher’s stone, about the book.

Title: Harry Potter and The Philosopher’s Stone

Publisher: Bloomsbury (UK)

Goodreads Rating: 4.5/5

This is an introductory book to the wizarding world and the life of Harry Potter. In this book, Harry realizes that he is no ordinary human but a wizard. He is exposed to the wizarding world by Hagrid. In this book, the friendship between Ron, Harry, and Hermoine develops, and he has his first encounter with Voldemort.

Mini-Review

This book is very descriptive, and it is very easy to enter Harry’s world. It also comes with many surprises and wonders. But as this is the first book in the series, many new elements are introduced, and this can be confusing and sometimes hard to remember. Apart from that, this is an amazing book!

Rating: 4.5 / 5; Our Rating Guide

Recommendation: YES!

Buy the 1st book, Harry Potter and The Philosopher’s Stone now:

Book #2 – Chamber of Secrets

About the book.

Title: Harry Potter and The Chamber of Secrets

Goodreads Rating: 4.4/5

Harry receives a warning from a strange creature who says that if Harry returns to Hogwarts, disaster will strike. All of Harry’s well-wishers and Dobby, a house-elf try to stop him from returning to Hogwarts. But Harry chooses to ignore all their warnings and goes to Hogwarts. This year he enters the school with a bang, literally, and his year goes very much like that, full of surprises and twists and turns every next moment. But then the real trouble begins – someone is turning Hogwarts students to stone. Could it be Draco Malfoy, a more poisonous rival than ever? Could it possibly be Hagrid, whose mysterious past is finally being told? Or could it be the one everyone at Hogwarts most suspect – Harry Potter himself!

This book is full of funny moments and drama. Harry’s rivalry with Draco Malfoy brings more charm and drama. Hermoine’s character is revealed more in the book giving the story more upliftment. Overall, this book did an amazing job in character building and making me smile.

Rating: 5 / 5; Our Rating Guide

Recommendation: Definitely!

Buy the 2nd book, Harry Potter and The Chamber of Secrets now:

Book #3 – Prisoner of Azkaban

Title: Harry Potter and The

Goodreads Rating: 4.6/5

This year, Sirius Black, a follower of Voldemort and a mass murderer, escapes the prison of Azkaban. Some say that he is coming after Harry. So Dementors- extremely terrifying creatures who can suck your soul through a simple kiss, are appointed to guard the school and catch Sirius. Harry is very scared of them. And, this is going to be a year that Harry finds out more about his past- his parents, and their relationships with their friends.

This book is far more interesting than it seems. Compared to other books, this book has more magic and involvement of more characters. It also comes with much more suspense and mysteries that are well-kept until the end. All in all, this book is fantastic, entertaining, and full of surprises.

Recommendation: YEEESSS!!

Buy the 3rd book, Harry Potter and The Prisoner Of Azkaban now:

Book #4 – Goblet of Fire

Title: Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire

Goodreads Rating: 4.6/10

The Triwizard Tournament is one of the most celebrated tournaments in the entire wizarding community. It is to be held in Hogwarts this year. Only wizards above the age of 17 can participate in it. So, when Harry finds out that he is selected for the tournament, he is nothing but surprised since he doesn’t fit in the age group. Still, he decides to compete and now is faced with near-death situations.

This book left me speechless. It kept me on my toes till the end and was one of the most emotional books in the series. The bond between Ron and Hermoine strengthens a lot here. And what happens in this book is unimaginable and extremely shocking. So for me, this book is one of the most well-written books.

Recommendation: Definitely Yes!

Buy the 4th book, Harry Potter and The Goblet Of Fire now:

BOOK #5 – Order of the Phoenix

Title: Harry Potter and The Order of Phoenix

There is a door at the end of a silent corridor. And it’s haunting Harry’s dreams. Why else would he be waking in the middle of the night, screaming in terror? As well, Dementors attack Harry’s cousin Dudely, who is not a wizard, which is uncommon. Now, to protect himself from such dark forces, Harry is forced to let Professor Snape teach him magic. In this book, Voldemort comes back, only this time stronger than ever before. Harry, on the other hand, is struggling to protect himself from him.

It takes you through the journey of how complicated dark arts can be. Hogwarts has never been duller. This is the book that brings me immense satisfaction every time I read it as all the dullness and pain disappear.

Recommendation: You can guess… It’s a YES!

Buy the 5th book, Harry Potter and The Order of The Phoenix now:

Book #6 – Half-Blood Prince

Title: Harry Potter and The Half-Blood Prince

Hogwarts is not safe anymore, not just for Harry but for every student. Malfoy joins the death eaters like his father and follows Voldemort’s army. Harry will need powerful magic, more powerful than before, to protect himself from all the negative energy and betrayal around him.

The title of this book is very interesting. And this book keeps its mystery until the end. This is also a fairly comic book that has its own few moments of laughs. The climax, however, is the best part.

Recommendation: A HUGE YES!

Buy the 6th book, Harry Potter and The Half-Blood Prince now:

Book #7 – The Deathly Hallows

Title: Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows

Goodreads Rating: 4.6

As seen in the title, this book contains mass destruction. Hagrid, the Weasleys, and all of harry’s friends and loved ones are persistent and continue to stand by Harry. The final battle is about to begin and the protection charm is broken, which leaves Harry on his own. He must know how to protect himself to come out alive during the battle.

As the final book, I could not have imagined a better ending for this series. Every time I read it, my heart breaks. The mystery and the truths are revealed, the interconnection to all the books and all of it was just perfect! As much contentment the end brought me, the same amount of sadness took over as I realized the series has come to an end.

Buy the 7th book, Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows now:

About The Author

J. K. Rowling, is a British author, philanthropist, film producer, and screenwriter. She is the author of the popular and critically acclaimed Harry Potter series, which has won multiple awards and sold more than 500 million copies as of 2018, and in 2008 became the best-selling book children’s series in history. The books are the basis of a popular film series. She also writes crime fiction under the pen name Robert Galbraith.

Buy The Harry Potter series (box-set) now:

Articles you will enjoy:

12 Best Friendship Books to Read (Amazing Reads)
List of 15 Best Reverse Harem Books to Read Now
Book Review of Circe by Madeline Miller (Spoiler Free) | Favbookshelf
11 Best Classic Books Of All Time (Read Now) | Favbookshelf

Videos you might like:

The Hunger Games Book review (Spoiler-Free)
10 Books to Read on a vacation | Have Fun

Are you an author or a publisher? If yes, then you must check our servic es for promotions and marketing. They will undoubtedly benefit you.

Disclosure : All our reviews are honest. Also, some links in this post may be affiliate links, which means we receive a commission if you click a link and purchase something that we recommend.

Which is your favorite fiction book? Do comment below. We would love to know your favorite one.

Subscribe to our newsletter to never miss our updates and book recommendations

Do follow us on Instagram , Twitter , Pinterest, Youtube, Facebook , and Goodreads .

P.S. If you share it, it will make our day.

Happy Reading and Keep Smiling!!

Favbookshelf

The 10 Best Domestic Psychological Thrillers by Favbookshelf

Book Review of Corners Untouched by Madness (Spoiler – Free)

Is Rich Dad Poor Dad a good book? – Favbookshelf

This post has one comment.

Thanks a lot for the blog.Really thank you! Want more.

14 Hidden Messages in the Harry Potter Books You Never Noticed

The house colors represent the elements.

I n Harry Potter’s magical world, nothing is as it seemsand that goes for the books themselves. Master storyteller J.K. Rowling wove in all kinds of mysterious meanings, surreptitious signs, and cloaked clues that, when deciphered, illuminate the themes of the story.

For example, everyone knows that students are sorted into the four houses of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry based on their personalitiesbut did you know the house colors have a deeper meaning? “The four Hogwarts houses have a loose association with the four elements, and their colors were chosen accordingly,” Rowling wrote on the official Pottermore site. “Gryffindor (red and gold) is connected to fire; Slytherin (green and silver) to water; Hufflepuff (yellow and black, representing wheat and soil) to earth; and Ravenclaw (blue and bronze; sky and eagle feathers) to air.” For each book’s 20th anniversary, new U.K. editions are being released in all the house colors and crests, with special house-specific content inside. Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (the U.K. name for the first book in the series) and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets ‘ house editions are out now and available on Amazon; Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban releases this month.

Harry has two contrasting father figures

Colors also come into play with orphaned Harry’s father figures in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone : Rubeus (or “red”) Hagrid and Albus (or “white”) Dumbledore. Rowling points out that red and white are complementary colors in the mystical science of alchemy, and represent different stages of spiritual transformation. “Where my two characters were concerned, I named them for the alchemical colors to convey their opposing but complementary natures: Red meaning passion (or emotion), white for asceticism; Hagrid being the earthy, warm, and physical man, lord of the forest; Dumbledore the spiritual theoretician, brilliant, idealized, and somewhat detached,” she wrote on Pottermore . “Each is a necessary counterpoint to the other as Harry seeks father figures in his new world.”

Names reveal whoor whatpeople really are

Several of Rowling’s characters’ names have hidden meaningsand in many cases, if you know what they are, you can uncover the plot. For example, in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban , beloved teacher Remus Lupin is discovered to be a werewolf, and Harry’s godfather Sirius Black is revealed to transform into a dog. Remus’s name refers to the Roman myth of Romulus and Remus, two brothers who were raised by wolves; and Lupin comes from the Latin word “lupinus,” meaning “wolfish.” Sirius , on the other hand, is the name of the “dog star” in astronomy, part of the Canis (i.e., canine) Major constellation. Check out more surprising Harry Potter details you may have missed the first time you read the books .

Lupin’s condition is a metaphor for HIV

Speaking of Lupin, Rowling revealed a deeper layer to his werewolf disease and the secrecy surrounding it. “Remus Lupin’s affliction was a conscious reference to blood-borne diseases such as the HIV infection, with the attendant stigma,” Rowling wrote on Pottermore . “The potion Snape brews him is akin to the antiretroviral that will keep him from developing the ‘full-blown’ version of his illness.” Unfortunately, the discrimination Lupin unfairly faces when his condition is made public is the reason he has to leave Hogwarts. “The sense of ‘apartness’ that the management of a chronic condition can impose on its sufferers was an important part of Lupin’s character,” Rowling wrote. In the Prisoner of Azkaban movie , the filmmakers wanted to present Lupin’s condition as an illness, so he appears pallid, unwell, and sad.

Names also reveal the characters’ true natures

Some characters’ names give readers clues to their hidden motivations and feelings. J.K. Rowling is proficient in French, and that shows in her naming of Draco Malfoy and Voldemort . In French, mal foi means “bad faith,” fitting for a character whose family follows the evil wizard He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. Voldemort’s name comes from the French vol de mort , or “flight of death,” which makes sense as he fears dying and does everything in his power to gain immortality. Of course, as Chamber of Secrets reveals, “I am Lord Voldemort” is also an anagram of the Dark Lord’s original name, Tom Marvolo Riddle. Rowling assured fans she had no “anti-French feelings” in naming Voldemort. “I needed a name that evokes both power and exoticism,” she said while receiving the French Legion of Honor. (Fun fact: In accordance with French pronunciation, Rowling revealed the last “t” in Voldemort is silent, meaning we’ve been saying it wrong all these years.)

Hedwig symbolizes the comforts of childhood

Although Rowling herself hasn’t elaborated on the meaning behind Harry’s pet owl, the Catholic St. Hedwig had seven children and took care of orphans. Who does this sound like? Harry’s best friend Ron’s mother, Mrs. Weasley, mother of seven who sheltered Harry whenever he needed somewhere to go, sure fits the bill. Hedwig the owl likewise cared for Harry: In Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix , he said she was “the only friend he had at number four, Privet Drive [his Muggle relatives’ home].” And perhaps that’s why fans were so saddened when she was killed in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows . “The loss of Hedwig represented a loss of innocence and security,” Rowling said . “Voldemort killing her marked the end of childhood.”

Dementors personify depression

The soul-stealing dementors, creatures that suck hope and happiness out of anyone they’re near, first appear in Prisoner of Azkaban . According to Rowling, they’re a physical manifestation of what it’s like to experience depression. “It’s so difficult to describe [depression] to someone who’s never been there, because it’s not sadness,” Rowling said in an interview with Oprah Winfrey . “I know sadness. Sadness is to cry and to feel. But it’s that cold absence of feelingthat really hollowed-out feeling. That’s what dementors are.” For Harry, dementors also cause him to relive the trauma of his mother’s death at the hands of Voldemort: When dementors are near, he hears her screams. If you just need to read something silly, check out these Harry Potter jokes .

Harry bears a resemblance to another “chosen one”

A sword with magical powers that only can be summoned by a special someonenope, we’re not talking about the legendary King Arthur’s Excalibur, but the sword of Gryffindor. If Harry’s sword bears resemblance to Excalibur, though, does that mean Harry is King Arthur ? Arthur, after all, was also an orphan from humble beginnings who was chosen to possess a powerful sword and become a leader. (Not to mention Dumbledore could be Arthur’s wizard mentor, Merlin, and Hogwarts could be Camelot.) “Gryffindor’s sword owes something to the legend of Excalibur, the sword of King Arthur, which in some legends must be drawn from a stone by the rightful king,” Rowling said on Pottermore . “The idea of fitness to carry the sword is echoed in the sword of Gryffindor’s return to worthy members of its true owner’s house.” Rowling included another intentional throwback to the Arthurian legend. “There is a further allusion to Excalibur emerging from the lake when Harry must dive into a frozen forest pool to retrieve the sword in Deathly Hallows ,” she says. “In other versions of the legend, Excalibur was given to Arthur by the Lady of the Lake, and was returned to the lake when he died.”

Bathrooms are another kind of “room of requirement”

Rowling hasn’t revealed exactly why this is, but bathrooms are really, really important to the Harry Potter books. Nearly everyone has a major scene taking place in the “loo,” as the British call it: the troll fight in Sorcerer’s Stone ; the home of ghost Moaning Myrtle and the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets ; Harry solving a Triwizard Tournament clue in a bathtub in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire ; Harry’s wand battle with Draco in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince . Plus, one of the first hints of the hidden Room of Requirement , which changes to fit the seeker’s needs, is Dumbledore mentioning coming across a room full of chamber pots when he had to go the bathroom in Goblet of Fire . Perhaps this potty preoccupation exists because, before bathrooms, wizards apparently went wherever they pleased, cleaning it up with a flick of the wand. “Hogwarts didn’t always have bathrooms,” revealed Pottermore in a tweet that caused a fan frenzy. “Before adopting Muggle plumbing methods in the eighteenth century, witches and wizards simply relieved themselves wherever they stood, and vanished the evidence.”

Snape’s first words to Harry were about his mother

As Pottermore explains, the Harry Potter books often employ floriography, or conveying meaning through flowers, a pastime popular with the Victorians. So, the first words cold Professor Snape says to Harry in Sorcerer’s Stone ”What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?”aren’t just a way to humiliate Harry by asking him about a potion he hasn’t learned yet. Asphodel is a type of lily and means “my regrets follow you to the grave”; wormwood is also associated with regret and bitterness. Snape, who was in love with Harry’s mother, Lily, is telling Harry he bitterly regrets her death. (By the way, the answer to the question is the Draught of Living Death, which Professor Slughorn’s class attempts to make in Half-Blood Prince .) Dive deeper into Snape’s first words to Harry here .

Seven is the most powerful number

In numerology, numbers have mystical meaning, as they do in Harry Potter . Lucky number seven, for example, pops up everywhere : seven Potter books, seven children in the Weasley family, seven players on a Quidditch team, seven years at Hogwarts, seven Horcruxes containing pieces of Voldemort’s soul, and more. In Hogwarts lore, a 13th-century witch named Bridget Wenlock was the first to discover the magical properties of seven. Another number that pops up often? The trinity, or number three: three Deathly Hallows, three unforgivable curses, the three-headed dog, three tasks and three schools in the Triwizard Tournament, and the core trio of Harry, Ron, and Hermione.

Wizards like Starbucks?

The books aren’t the only places secret messages turn up. Look closely in the Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix film , and you’ll see what looks like a Starbucks logo in the Black family tapestry at Sirius’s former home and current Order of the Phoenix safe house, 12 Grimmauld Place. (Check it out on the bottom left side of the tapestry in this photo on Pottermore.) Could the filmmakers be paying homage to the coffee shops where J.K. Rowling wrote the early books? In truth, Rowling favored Edinburgh’s The Elephant House, not Starbucks, as the spot to craft her tales. Perhaps the tapestry’s creators at graphic design firm MinaLima were just really in need of caffeine.

There’s a secret Daily Prophet character

The cheeky artists at MinaLima didn’t stop there: There’s subliminal advertising for a wizard perfume called Divine Magic in the Half-Blood Prince and Potter spin-off Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them movies. But perhaps the designers’ boldest move is the creation of a whole new character who appears in the Daily Prophet and New York Ghost newspapers throughout the Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts movies: a mischievous criminal called the Ginger Witch . Could this be a long-lost relative of the red-haired Weasley clan? According to MinaLima’s Eduardo Lima , she’s based on a friend of theirs named Debbie.

Mirrors are the window to the soul

Even in the Muggle world, mirrors seem enchanted, but they take on an even greater significance in the wizarding world, reflecting crucial truths about the characters. First in Sorcerer’s Stone , Harry becomes entranced by the image of himself with his parents in the Mirror of Erised (“desire” spelled backward). But the lesson the mirror represents, Rowling says , is that “life can pass you by while you are clinging on to a wish that can never be.” In Goblet of Fire , Harry comes across a Foe-Glass, which reveals your enemies. Then in Order of the Phoenix , Sirius gives Harry a two-way mirror for them to communicateonly to meet his own death soon after. But even after Harry shatters the mirror in frustration, he sees an eye staring back at him in a shard: Harry later discovers it’s Aberforth, Dumbledore’s brother, who helps him to safety using the mirror in Deathly Hallows . If you picked up on these meanings already, try our Harry Potter quiz that only diehard fans can ace .

Every product is independently selected by our editors. If you buy something through our links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

The post 14 Hidden Messages in the Harry Potter Books You Never Noticed appeared first on Reader's Digest .

'Harry Potter': Horcruxes and You, a Guide to Splitting Your Soul Through Murder

How did this complicated piece of magic help keep Voldemort alive?

The Big Picture

Horcruxes are pieces of a wizard's soul that allow them to live on even after their physical body is destroyed, making them effectively immortal.
Creating a Horcrux requires committing an act so heinous that it tears apart the creator's soul, usually through cold-blooded murder.
Harry Potter himself unintentionally became a Horcrux for Voldemort when the Dark Lord's killing curse backfired, which ultimately led to Voldemort's defeat.

Although Voldemort does not appear in every Harry Potter film , he is the main antagonist of the series — an omnipotent presence that keeps returning after every so-called defeat. For the first five films, we never truly understand how Voldemort was able to survive after a baby Harry seemingly destroyed him. But in The Half-Blood Prince , Dumbledore introduces Harry to the complicated piece of magic known as Horcruxes.

Listing out all the Horcruxes is like doing a cartwheel. Any Harry Potter fan will know, you need to do it every so often to reassure yourself that you still can do it. For some, maybe less ardent fans, there is always one that escapes you. So, if you ever need a refresher on them, here is your complete guide to all things Horcrux.

Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince

As Harry Potter begins his sixth year at Hogwarts, he discovers an old book marked as "the property of the Half-Blood Prince" and begins to learn more about Lord Voldemort's dark past.

What Are Horcruxes?

Simply put, a Horcrux is a piece of one’s soul . If a witch or wizard creates a Horcrux, then they can never truly die until said Horcrux is destroyed as well. A person’s physical body can be destroyed, but their soul can live on. So, when Voldemort’s killing curse backfired after attempting to murder young Harry, his physical body was destroyed. However, since Voldemort had numerous other Horcruxes, he was not truly dead.

How Does One Create a Horcrux?

In order to create a Horcrux, the witch or wizard must distort their soul to such an extent that it is torn apart . Dumbledore suggests that one of the only ways to do so is cold-blooded murder. However, there could be an argument that numerous other acts can create a Horcrux as well, assuming that they are so gruesome that your soul literally cannot handle it.

How Do Harry and Voldemort Find Out What Horcruxes Are?

Creating a Horcrux is a dark and incredibly difficult piece of magic. Knowledge of how to create one is forbidden and rarely talked about. In the sixth book , Dumbledore asks Harry to convince Professor Slughorn to reveal a particularly sensitive but important memory. Once he succeeded, Harry and Dumbledore discovered that it was Professor Slughorn who revealed to a 16-year-old Voldemort at Hogwarts how to create a Horcrux .

How Can Horcruxes Be Destroyed?

Since Harry’s destiny as “the Chosen One” is to defeat Voldemort, he embarks on his mission to destroy all of the Horcruxes along with the help of Harry and Hermione. Horcruxes can only be destroyed in specific circumstances that allow its complete and utter destruction. In the movies , the Horcruxes are destroyed in these ways:

The killing curse — “Avada Kedavra.”
Fiendfyre — a curse that creates powerful and magical flames.
Godric Gryffindor’s sword — one that was pulled from the Sorting Hat.
Basilisk’s venom — acquired from a tooth of the giant Basilisk snake in the bowels of Hogwarts.

What Are Voldemort’s Horcruxes?

Although it is incredibly difficult to create even one Horcrux, Voldemort purposely created six Horcruxes within his lifetime, in order to stave off his chances of truly dying. Since they are of utmost importance to him, Voldemort decided to turn important pieces of Hogwarts and magical history into Horcruxes. As an orphan who never truly felt at home until he discovered he was a wizard and went to Hogwarts, like Harry, Voldemort is deeply attached to his school. Additionally, Voldemort is a descendant of Salazar Slytherin, one of the founding members of Hogwarts and Slytherin house . Voldemort decided to turn objects that solidified his magical heritage and importance into Horcruxes . This was the ultimate confirmation of his magical status, a promise to his angry, forgotten younger self . Here is a breakdown of each of his Horcruxes:

Tom Riddle's Diary

In Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets , Tom Riddle’s diary from his days at Hogwarts finds itself among the possessions of Ginny Weasley. Since it holds a part of Voldemort’s soul, the diary can talk and influence Ginny, convincing her to open the Chamber of Secrets and unleash the Basilisk upon Muggle-borns at school. During the climax of the film, Harry manages to destroy the Horcrux with venom from the fang of a Basilisk . We later learn that this was the first Horcrux that was destroyed, which prompted Dumbledore to explore the idea that Voldemort might have created multiple ones.

The Cheeky Easter Egg Hiding in the Harry Potter Movies

Marvolo gaunt's ring.

The second Horcrux that was destroyed was Marvolo Gaunt’s ring. As we learn more about Voldemort’s life during the sixth movie , we discover his family history with the Gaunts. Marvolo Gaunt was Voldemort’s grandfather, who possessed the ring as a family heirloom. When Voldemort returned to his hometown to murder his father and paternal grandparents, he took the ring and turned it into a Horcrux. Dumbledore eventually retrieved the ring and destroyed it with the sword of Godric Gryffindor.

Salazar Slytherin's Locket

Voldemort turned another family heirloom into a Horcrux — his mother’s locket that originally belonged to Salazar Slytherin. One of the main plot points in the sixth movie revolves around Dumbledore and Harry recovering the locket to destroy it. After managing to escape Voldemort’s magical defenses and taking the locket, Harry discovers that the locket they recovered was fake, first stolen by Regulus Black, Sirius Black’s brother and a reformed Death Eater. Harry, Ron and Hermione finally re-discover the locket in the final book, in the possession of their former Headmaster, Dolores Umbridge . In another dangerous and extended plot, the golden trio goes undercover at the Ministry of Magic to steal the locket. Afterward, Ron destroys the Horcrux with the sword of Godric Gryffindor.

Helga Hufflepuff's Cup

Shortly after he graduated from Hogwarts, Tom Riddle found himself in the company of Hepzibah Smith, a wealthy and frivolous woman who collected precious and expensive antiques. She had in her possession the cup of Helga Hufflepuff, one of the founding members of Hogwarts and Hufflepuff house. Coveting the cup, Voldemort stole it and killed Smith, creating yet another Horcrux. In Deathly Hallows - Part 2 , Harry, Ron and Hermione deduce that the cup is being stored in the Gringotts vault of the Lestranges, a family deeply dedicated to Voldemort. After breaking into the vault and stealing the cup, Hermione destroys this Horcrux in the Chamber of Secrets with a Basilisk fang.

Rowena Ravenclaw's Diadem

How Voldemort retrieved Rowena Ravenclaw’s diadem is not quite clear, but he most likely recovered the long-lost artifact in Albania. Rowena Ravenclaw was the final founding member of Hogwarts and the Ravenclaw house. Harry realizes the diadem is a Horcrux by talking to Rowena’s daughter Helena, who remains as a ghost at Hogwarts. Helena reveals that she stole her mother’s diadem out of jealousy, and reveals that Voldemort later turned it into a Horcrux.

Helena surreptitiously hints that the diadem is still in Hogwarts, in a place where lost things can never be found. Harry correctly guesses that Tom hid the diadem in the Room of Requirement , a secret room in Hogwarts that can turn into any location needed by the user. Harry finds the diadem in the version of the room that hides lost items. While Harry, Ron and Hermione are searching for the diadem in the room, they are discovered by Draco Malfoy and his cronies, Crabbe and Goyle. Emboldened by learning more Dark Arts, Crabbe uses the Fiendfyre curse, a fire curse that creates powerful and uncontrollable flames, ones strong enough to destroy the diadem accidentally.

Destroying the final Horcrux is less dramatic than the others, although the road to get there was long. Just before Harry heads into the forest to sacrifice himself, he runs into Neville. Harry quickly tells Neville that he must destroy Nagini, Voldemort’s snake. Nagini is the last Horcrux that Voldemort created and the last one to be destroyed. During the final battle of Hogwarts, Neville pulls the sword of Godric Gryffindor from the Sorting Hat and beheads Nagini , destroying the last Horcrux. This allows Harry to finally kill Voldemort after the latter’s killing curse poetically backfires when Harry uses a disarming spell on him.

The Secret Horcrux — Harry

Voldemort only ever intended to make six Horcruxes, with the possibility that maybe he could create more in the future. However, when Voldemort attempted to kill baby Harry that fateful night, his killing curse backfired instead. Voldemort’s soul splintered then, killing his physical body and splitting his soul into a new Horcrux. Since he had just murdered Harry’s parents in cold blood and attempted to kill a defenseless infant, there was enough justification for the creation of a Horcrux. At that moment, Voldemort’s soul latched onto the only living thing in the building — Harry himself.

For almost his entire life, Harry was a Horcrux. This explains Harry’s ability to speak Parseltongue — the magical ability to understand and talk to snakes — an ability Voldemort has as a descendant of Salazar Slytherin. Additionally, Voldemort and Harry have been mentally connected, able to see and sense things only the other could know. Therefore, when Voldemort used the killing curse against Harry in Deathly Hallows - Part 1 , he was actually killing part of his own soul, and Harry was able to survive . And after Neville killed Nagini, all Horcruxes were destroyed. Harry finally put an end to Voldemort and was able to live in peace for the rest of his life (assuming you don’t consider The Cursed Child as canon).

All the Harry Potter movies are available to stream on Max in the U.S.

Watch on Max

Uh-oh, it looks like your Internet Explorer is out of date. For a better shopping experience, please upgrade now.

Javascript is not enabled in your browser. Enabling JavaScript in your browser will allow you to experience all the features of our site. Learn how to enable JavaScript on your browser

Harry Potter Hardcover Boxed Set: Books 1-7 (Slipcase)

What Do You Do With an Idea? Only $9.99 With the Purchase of Any Kids' Book

Other Format

$226.93
SHIP THIS ITEM Not Eligible for Free Shipping Choose Expedited Shipping at checkout for delivery by Thursday, April 11 Instant Purchase

Available within 2 business hours

Want it Today? Check Store Availability

Related collections and offers

Product details, about the author.

Date of Birth:

Place of Birth:

Related Subjects

Customer reviews, related searches, explore more items.

Harry Potter: Moaning Myrtle Bathroom Guest Book

Australia edition
International edition
Europe edition

Messianic purpose … Daniel Radcliffe in Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone

Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone review – 20 years on, it’s a nostalgic spectacular

The first film in the franchise is re-released into a very different world – but it’s as entertaining and exhilarating as ever

T he very first Harry Potter film, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (or “Sorcerer’s Stone” for its release in the United States, where audiences were assumed to be unfamiliar with this alchemical term) is now re-released after 20 years, into a rather different world. Sadly, the actors who played the original Dumbledore, Snape, Uncle Vernon and Mr Ollivander – Richard Harris, Alan Rickman , Richard Griffiths and John Hurt – are no longer with us. The Harry Potter franchise itself is still a colossal commercial entity, an IP Shangri La, although its creator JK Rowling is now at the centre of an acrimonious gender politics debate – undreamed of in 2001 – and the world of children’s and YA fiction, which she almost singlehandedly revived all over the world, is strongly policed on just these issues.

It’s amazing and poignant to remember the sheer excitement of that HPATPS premiere in November 2001: I myself called it an “old-fashioned pre-September 11 news event”. Harry Potter emerged into cinemas as we were still all stunned by 9/11, but yet to see the retaliatory “war on terror”. This film, emerging four years after the original novel, marked the birth of a new consolatory pop culture myth, to rival Sherlock Holmes and James Bond, and the circumstances of its own arrival became mythic, from Rowling’s own early poverty to the snapping up of film rights.

Warner Bros had gambled on three cherubically young actors to carry the series through their own adolescence to its finale: Daniel Radcliffe as Harry, Emma Watson as Hermione and Rupert Grint as Ron. Opinions on the acting may divide here, and it was admittedly Robert Pattinson (playing Cedric Diggory in Goblet of Fire), who had the real career staying power. But I can’t think of these characters played by any other actors: the thought of the stories being remade or re-adapted with a different cast is heresy. I even grew to like Grint’s very broad, goofy acting, in which he was encouraged by director Chris Columbus at the outset. Radcliffe’s bespectacled moon face looks heartbreakingly unformed.

In the film we see Harry Potter coming to terms with his messianic purpose: he is released from his Dickensian incarceration in the Dursley household and sent for his first term at Hogwarts with its public-school/Oxbridge traditions. Harry learns how to play quidditch (like Tom Brown learning rugby) and he and his three pals are sorted into their various houses; they encounter the formidable teaching staff, including Professor McGonagall (Maggie Smith), Professor Quirrell (Ian Hart) and Professor Snape (Alan Rickman) and then meet the challenge of a deadly assault on Harry.

And it’s still a very entertaining and spectacular movie, with a rush of nostalgia to go alongside the exhilaration of fun, even though some of the “flying” effects during the big quidditch match aren’t quite what we’re used to in 2021. “Wingardium Leviosa,” says the earnest, wide-eyed Hermione … and the story is airborne again.

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
Harry Potter (Books)
Harry Potter (Film)
Daniel Radcliffe
Emma Watson
Rupert Grint

Comments (…)

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

Bundle and save, customers also watched.

Cast and Crew

Other formats

88751 global ratings

How are ratings calculated? Toggle Expand Toggle Expand

Amazon Newsletter
About Amazon
Accessibility
Sustainability
Press Center
Investor Relations
Amazon Devices
Amazon Science
Start Selling with Amazon
Sell apps on Amazon
Supply to Amazon
Protect & Build Your Brand
Become an Affiliate
Become a Delivery Driver
Start a Package Delivery Business
Advertise Your Products
Self-Publish with Us
Host an Amazon Hub
› See More Ways to Make Money
Amazon Visa
Amazon Store Card
Amazon Secured Card
Amazon Business Card
Shop with Points
Credit Card Marketplace
Reload Your Balance
Amazon Currency Converter
Your Account
Your Orders
Shipping Rates & Policies
Amazon Prime
Returns & Replacements
Manage Your Content and Devices
Recalls and Product Safety Alerts
Conditions of Use
Privacy Notice
Consumer Health Data Privacy Disclosure
Your Ads Privacy Choices

IMAGES

Wanderer's Pen: A Book Review of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by
Harry Potter book review
BOOK REVIEW: Harry Potter and the chamber of secrets
Farhana Reads: Book Review: Harry Potter and The Philosopher's Stone by
Harry Potter And The Sorcerers Stone Book Review : Book 1 Harry Potter
[Book Review] 'Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone' by J.K. Rowling

VIDEO

Book Vs. Movie: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
Book Review HARRY POTTER by Palak Sinha & Anjali Kumari 9B
Rare Harry Potter Book Negotiation! (£10,000!?) 👀📕 www.cbestores.com
Harry Potter Book set
Book Review
Book review:- Harry Potter and the philosophers stone

COMMENTS

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone Review
Lasting effect on the reader. 4.5. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone Book Review. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by J K Rowling is a thrilling read that hooks the reader from page one. Published in the year 1997, it is one of the highest grossing novels ever written. Some elements of the novel like its elaborate yet ...
Book Review: The Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone is the first book in the series. I gave it 5 stars. From the first chapter you are drawn into this fantastic world and that you just want to be part of. An adventure from the beginning to the very end. The friendship between Harry, Ron and Hermione is also developed so naturally.
Harry Potter Series by J. K. Rowling
J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone: 1/7 (Harry Potter 1) WARNING: THIS REVIEW MAY BREAK THE HEARTS OF HARRY POTTER FANS EVERYWHERE (but that is not the intention)
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by J.K. Rowling
The first book is Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. The story starts with Number 4 Privet Drive about a boy called Harry Potter who lives in the cupboard under the stairs of a house owned ...
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by J.K. Rowling
At Hogwarts Harry realises he's special and his adventures begin when he and his new friends Ron and Hermione attempt to unravel the mystery of the Philosopher's Stone. I can read this book over ...
HARRY POTTER AND THE SORCERER'S STONE
BOOK REVIEW. by Soman Chainani ; illustrated by Julia Iredale. In a rousing first novel, already an award-winner in England, Harry is just a baby when his magical parents are done in by Voldemort, a wizard so dastardly other wizards are scared to mention his name.
A review of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone By J. K. Rowling
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone By J. K. Rowling Bloomsbury Pub Ltd Paperback: 224 pages, Feb 2000, ISBN-13: 978-0747532743. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by J. K. Rowling is a book about bravery and courage. As Professor Albus Dumbledore, the Headmaster at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, says "It takes a ...
"Harry Potter" Book Series Review
Despite my mixed feelings about the books and films, the 2002 Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets video game was quite fun. It has a compelling Legend of Zelda æsthetic and a memorable score by composer Jeremy Soule. By far my best memories of the Harry Potter series are of playing that janky old game.
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (Harry Potter,…
J.K. Rowling. 4.47. 10,033,968 ratings161,993 reviews. Harry Potter thinks he is an ordinary boy - until he is rescued by an owl, taken to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, learns to play Quidditch and does battle in a deadly duel.
Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling
Harry Potter Series. Orphan Harry learns he is a wizard on his 11th birthday when Hagrid escorts him to magic-teaching Hogwarts School. As a baby, his mother's love protected him and vanquished the villain Voldemort, leaving the child famous as "The Boy who Lived." With his friends Hermione and Ron, Harry has to defeat the returned "He Who Must ...
Harry Potter And the Sorcerer's Stone: Book Review
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone novel by J. K. Rowling. Suspicious activity at Hogwarts like a three-headed dog guarding a trap door and a troll somehow entering and attacking Hogwarts makes the trio suspicious. Harry, Ron, and Hermione soon discover Professor Dumbledore is hiding something at Hogwarts and someone is trying hard to ...
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone Book Review
The school year structure of this book and the subsequent books makes for a really easy method to control pace for the story. The ending ties in many story notes from earlier on in the book such as learning magical spells that come in handy at the end of the book, playing a game of chess. Paying attention in potions class.
Book Review: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
Review. For people who want to enjoy an intriguing, fast paced novel, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone is the perfect book to read. It keeps you involved throughout the book as most chapters have cliffhangers at the end. This novel is the first of the seven famous Harry Potter books by J.K. Rowling. The book is about 11 year old Harry ...
[Book Review] 'Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone' by J.K. Rowling
The story builds toward the exciting conclusion that has the ultimate feel-good factor. Ameya Rating: . In conclusion, this epic journey out of the Muggle world and into the school and world of witchcraft and wizardry bags 4 out of 5 stars. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone is a must-read for anyone within the age-group of 8 to 600 ...
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Book 2
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Book 2. by J. K. Rowling. Publication Date: June 26, 2018. Genres: Fantasy. Paperback: 368 pages. Publisher: Arthur A. Levine Books. ISBN-10: 1338299158. ISBN-13: 9781338299151. In one of the most highly anticipated sequels ever, J.K. Rowling takes up where she left off with Harry's second year at Hogwarts.
A Book Review of J.K. Rowling's "Harry Potter" Series
Both singly and as a series, the Harry Potter books are extremely well-plotted. A good plot is at once unguessable, and, in the end, inevitable. An excellent plot achieves this not primarily by ad hoc events that force the story along, but by the unexpected resolutions of the combined weight of its characters' choices.
PDF Book Review: The Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling By Rachel Loveday
Book Review: The Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling By Rachel Loveday J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter is the most successful fiction book series in history. It has sold millions of copies worldwide, in several languages and the films that have been made, based on the books have also achieved massive success and fandom.
Harry Potter
I finished writing the final Harry Potter book in 2007, which seems a very long time ago now. And before that, I had been immersed in Harry's world for nearly 20 years - since 1990, in fact, when the idea of a boy who doesn't yet know that he is a great wizard first bubbled up in my brain. But what makes me happiest is that new readers ...
Review of the Harry Potter Book Series (Spoiler Free)
Goodreads rating: 4.7/5. Harry Potter book series. Harry Potter was given a scar by Voldemort the night his parents sacrificed themselves. And from that night onwards, he was no longer an ordinary boy but the Boy who lived. When Harry turns 11, he receives a letter from Hogwarts, a school for witchcraft and magic.
Thinking Fast and Slow, Book by Daniel Kahneman, Self-Help Book
For More Book Reviews Visit - www.ehardback.com. Share Add a Comment. Be the first to comment Nobody's responded to this post yet. ... Harry Potter and The Sorcerer's Stone, Book by J K Rowling, Fiction Book upvote r/ehardback. r/ehardback. eHardback is a sprouting Book Review Platform that is designated to foster internet's Book Community. ...
14 Hidden Messages in the Harry Potter Books You Never Noticed
The house colors represent the elements. I n Harry Potter's magical world, nothing is as it seemsand that goes for the books themselves. Master storyteller J.K. Rowling wove in all kinds of ...
Harry Potter Paperback Box Set (Books 1-7) Paperback
J.K. Rowling is the author of the enduringly popular Harry Potter books. After the idea for Harry Potter came to her on a delayed train journey in 1990, she plotted out and started writing the series of seven books and the first was published as Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone in the UK in 1997. The series took another ten years to complete, concluding in 2007 with the publication ...
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Harry Potter, Book 3
J.K. Rowling is the author of the enduringly popular Harry Potter books. After the idea for Harry Potter came to her on a delayed train journey in 1990, she plotted out and started writing the series of seven books and the first was published as Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone in the UK in 1997. The series took another ten years to complete, concluding in 2007 with the publication ...
Harry Potter Horcruxes Explained
As Harry Potter begins his sixth year at Hogwarts, he discovers an old book marked as "the property of the Half-Blood Prince" and begins to learn more about Lord Voldemort's dark past. Release ...
Harry Potter Hardcover Boxed Set: Books 1-7 (Trunk)|Hardcover
J.K. Rowling is the author of the enduringly popular Harry Potter books. After the idea for Harry Potter came to her on a delayed train journey in 1990, she plotted out and started writing the series of seven books and the first was published as Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone in the UK in 1997. The series took another ten years to complete, concluding in 2007 with the publication ...
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone review
T he very first Harry Potter film, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (or "Sorcerer's Stone" for its release in the United States, where audiences were assumed to be unfamiliar with ...
Watch Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
Join Harry Potter, the boy who lived, as he discovers his magical heritage and enters a world of adventure, friendship and danger. Watch Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, the first movie based on the bestselling book series by J.K. Rowling, on Prime Video.

Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone

Discovering the Story World and Magic as a Metaphor

Good vs Evil and Heroism

Sacrifice in Harry Potter

Why was Harry Potter banned?

Is Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone worth reading for an adult?

Should I read Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone or watch the movie?

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone Review - A Thrilling Read

About Mohandas Alva

Cite This Page

Block Member?

muddledmumbles

Share this:

HARRY POTTER AND THE SORCERER'S STONE

THE SCHOOL FOR GOOD AND EVIL

THE LAST EVER AFTER

Please select an existing bookshelf

Please sign up to continue.

Almost there!

Sign in using your Kirkus account

A review of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone By J. K. Rowling

Post navigation

“Harry Potter” Book Series Review

On Divisions

Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone

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

The Death of Sirius

The Prophecy

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

The Problems

Ron and Hermione

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Props Die. Weep, Dammit!

Killed to Compensate

“I’ve Always Thought…”

Post-Mortem Motivations

Begging for a Twist

The Unforgivable Curses

The Flaw in the Plan

Epilogue: Nineteen Years Later

Slavery Isn’t Funny!

The Society for the Protection of Elfish Welfare

“They Like Being Enslaved”

Ambivalence

The Potential for Greatness

Share this:

Harry Potter Series

Shelve Harry Potter: The Prequel

Shelve Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone

Shelve Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

Shelve Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

Shelve Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

Shelve Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Shelve Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Shelve Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Shelve Harry Potter and the Cursed Child: Parts One and Two

Books of Brilliance

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone Summary

Follow us on Instagram and Facebook !

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

DickWizardry

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone Book Review

Introduction to Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone

Strengths of The Sorcerer’s Stone

Character Introductions In Sorcerer’s Stone

Weaknesses of The Sorcerer’s Stone

Plot of The Sorcerer’s Stone

Book Review: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

BOOKS AMEYA

[Book Review] ‘Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone’ by J.K. Rowling

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

…now that you’re here

Share this:

7 thoughts on “ [Book Review] ‘Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone’ by J.K. Rowling ”

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Regular Features

Newsletters