harry potter philosophers stone book review

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[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.

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

harry potter philosophers stone book review

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 and the Philosopher's Stone by JK Rowling (Harry Potter: Book 1)

The Philosopher’s Stone is the first in J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series of seven novels that have made her the most successful literary author of all time, selling in excess of 400 million copies world-wide. The books are read and enjoyed by children and adults alike and have also been made into hugely popular films.

Do the Harry Potter books live up to the hype? When I first began reading the Philosopher’s stone I was immediately struck by how good - and laugh-out-loud funny - the humour was. You usually need to read a Terry Pratchett novel to ensure constant laughter throughout but Rowling has managed to infuse this book with a lovely wit and charm that will both amuse and delight adults and children.

Here is an example, with the ending being particularly good:

"Harry was frying eggs by the time Dudley arrived in the kitchen with his mother. Dudley looked a lot like Uncle Vernon. He had a large, pink face, not much neck, small, watery blue eyes and thick, blond hair that lay smoothly on his thick, fat head. Aunt Petunia often said that Dudley looked like a baby angel – Harry often said that Dudley looked like a pig in a wig." Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone: The Vanishing Glass

There are characters in this book that will remind us of all the people we have met. Everybody knows or knew 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 not belonging, and then through to his excitement at finally leaving that life behind in favour of one where he belongs and will be happy.

When Harry begins his first term at Hogwarts (a wizarding school) he is not alone in being overawed:

‘Yeh’ll get yer firs’ sight of Hogwarts in a sec,’ Hagrid called over his shoulder, ‘jus’ round this bend here.’ There was a loud ‘Oooooh!” The narrow path had opened suddenly on to the edge of a great black lake. Perched atop a high mountain on the other side, its windows sparkling in the starry sky, was a vast castle with many turrets and towers. Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone: The Journey From Platform Nine and Three-Quarters

Hogwarts is a truly magical place, not only in the most obvious way but also in all the detail that the author has gone to describe it so vibrantly. It is the place that everybody wishes they could of gone to when they where eleven. And there many adventures befall the trio (Harry, Ron and Hermione) and the stone in the book's title is centre to all that happens. The story builds towards and exciting conclusion that has the ultimate feel-good factor.

J.K. Rowling should be commended for getting so many people reading and excited by books. The biggest surprise must be the effect that this novel had on the adult population, both male and female - at the time the books were published many a commuting train was spotted with Harry Potter books providing world-weary workers with a wonderful sense of escapism. This book is highly recommended to anybody between the ages of 8 and 80.

Is all the hype about the Harry Potter books justified? In a word, yes, the books are a joy to read and possibly the most rewarding young adult’s book since The Hobbit.

9/10 A rewarding read, a classic for children.

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Review by Amanda White

136 positive reader review(s) for Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone

380 positive reader review(s) in total for the Harry Potter series

JK Rowling biography

Noona from Australia

This book is satisfyingly good, the entire idea of having a young boy who’s parents die in the hands in an blood thirsty super villain isn’t that unique... *cough* *cough* *Batman*. But she makes it so original with hoggwards and the mirror makes this book so good

Athena-Jayde from New Zealand

Best book of all time love the writing and the dream J.k Rowling is my all time favorite writer

Anon from UK

I never thought I'd enjoy Harry Potter so much! It's become my favourite series and absolutely LOVE the magic and everything about the book honestly. You can never get bored and all the chapters always leave you asking tons of questions! Love it! P.S. Joanne Rowling- I love your books. Keep on doing, what you're doing! You are such an amazing author and angel. 😃

Samuel from Australia

Could not tear my eyes away from this book.

Haniya from Pakistan

Harry Potter is the best English novel I read.

Priyal from India

We all know that the book is fab, but have you ever wondered , what if J.K. Rowling ended the book with the the last line saying- '' and then Harry woke up from the dream lying in the cupboard under the stairs....''

Great book for young and old, I have read it so many times i could say it word for word. I think that it is one of the best books that I have ever read.

Anonymous from Rather not Say

An interesting beginning for the award-winning series. This, unlike the other Harry Potters, wasn’t that good. Nearly each on got better. But some kids may find this book boring and lose interest. It just doesn’t have the action and sci-fi like the rest. Philosopher’s Stone: 6/10 Chamber of Secrets: 7/10 Prisoner of Azkaban: 9/10 Goblet of Fire: 9/10 Order of the Phoenix: 10/10 Half-Blood Prince: 6/10 Deathly Hallows: 9/10 Cursed Child: 2/10 Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them: 5/10 The Tales of Beedle the Bard: 4/10

Beauty Queen from India

It was very nice book. I am still reading it even after 100 times. It interesting you see I am a fast reader so I completed the book in 1 day. It tells about how Harry Potter a wizard and how his parents were murdered so he had only one relative his mom's sister Aunt Petunia and her family. Then a letter arrives at his house but his uncle won't let him see it but a giant named Hagrid the gamekeeper says the truth that he was an wizard like he studied in the school Hogwarts the magic school and made some friends too. But he needed to save the philosopher stone from the deadly wizard named Lord Voldemort but the problem was his least favorite teacher Snape who Harry thinks works for Voldemort but that isn't the end but I don't want to be a surprise spoiler so read it yourself I felt it was a good book. How about you?

Anoymous from Somewhere

Very good book. I had read it for more than 5 times.

Anonymous from Somewhere

It’s OK. There’s been better Harry Potters. But Artemis Fowl is more enjoyable.

Mia from Australia

This is the Summary Harry Potter he a kid on his eleventh birthday a big giant man name Hagrid told him that he was a wizard and his parents were witch and wizard too he never knew that he was famous. He started at Hogwarts. Harry made some new friends name Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger there found a three head dog name Fluffy and there need to find out what in that trap door let the magic begin. This is plot When Harry Potter start Hogwarts school of wizard and witchery and Find out what happen to his parents and he find the murder of his parents his name is Voldemort. This is imagery and symbolism That in Harry Potter has a lot of bright colours and some dark colours. Book is mostly about how Harry starts and through the year of Hogwarts. One of the may symbols are Harry scar because he the boy who lived right after Voldemort disappeared. Themes are magic, Friendship and Love because it shows the magic in Hogwarts, friendship between Harry, Ron and Hermione and love between Harry and his mother and father who Harry lose.

Bill from UK

Harry Potter are the greatest books ever. I really enjoy these books the most book I like is The Prisoner of Azkaban because Buckbeak who is a magical creature is cute and the best it is the best book I have.

Sanu from Australia

It enthralled me and I finished all the books in grade 3. But I re-read them and still do! These wonderful masterpieces are perfect for kids and adults. Take a look at it.

Samiya from Bangladesh

Only one thing can say, the book is awesome and every moment and every chapter is incredible. It is the best book I ever read.

Harry Potter are the greatest books ever. I really enjoy these books, the book I likemost is The Prisoner of Azkaban because Buckbeak, who is a magical creature, is cute and the best. It is the best book I have.

Rose from Holly wood

Maria from Pakistan

This book has had me taken into another land in which i remain till now...even though i finished the whole series! I simply cannot get enough of harry potter and i highly recommend this book if you guys love fantasy and a bit of wizard action!😍😍😘😊

Rachel from United Kingdom

Simply the best!

Anna from United States

I don't like fantasy books. This is my one time I have to go against it. Harry Potter is in my top 2 favorite books of all time. It's amazing with all the unique things that you see around the magic world. You will have to think again when you chose a favourite book.

Suzanna from Wales

One of the best book series ever!! Charming and Witty, you just cant put the book down.

Nicole Fernando from Sri Lanka

Harry’s perfectly normal life at number 4 privet drive becomes extraordinary when he finds out that he is a wizard and Hogwarts school of witchcraft and wizardry will teach him all he needs to know.Ignoring his aunt’s and uncle’s(Mr. and Mrs.Dursley) screams of protests Harry ventures into the wizarding world. But even in The wizarding world bad things happen like, the evil wizard ,Voldemort who killed who many innocent people( including Harry’s parents ) coming back to life.Even though Harry escaped from Voldemort once, Harry is not certain he can do it again.Join Harry Potter and his newly found friends Ron Weasly and Hermione Granger to save the wizarding World.Can they do it? Find out in Harry Potter and the philosopher’s stone . This book is great for all ages.The author J.K Rowling created a world full of adventure,fun and mystical places and creatures.This is only the first book from a set of seven.People all around the world would love this series.This book is one of the greatest books I have ever read.

Anna from UK

It’s very good because I enjoy it and it makes me wanna read it a lot and see what happens next.

Anjitha from India

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone is one of my favourite books in the Harry Potter series. Reading this book has made me crazy about Harry Potter and I wish to be one among the magical community. I can't imagine how thrilled I would be if I get a letter from Dumbledore saying that I am admitted to Hogwarts!!!!!!!

Cira from Canada

This book made me feel like I was taken to another land. I love it and others should too. I really enjoyed the humpr and thrill that were somehow mixed together into a perfect story. J.K Rowling has that little touch that makes everyone LOVE her books. EVeryone needs to buy it!

Risha from India

One of the best books I've read. Highly recommend it. It's for all ages and it's the best! Humour, thrill, action and a little love. A combo of everything.

Amber from India

It was the best book I had ever read. The first book was a blast. J.k Rowling has really outdone herself this time.I am reading the 7th book now, and it seems to be really interesting. Young readers, I am advising you to start reading Harry Potter, as it is truly amazing and interesting to boost your imagination..... The magical world of Harry Potter is includes dangerous, fun and legendary adventures, starring Hermione Granger, Harry Potter and Ron Weasley, who are three best friends in this fabulous story. They fought together against many fantastic and dangerous creatures, and came across many obstacles. Finally, it was the time, for Harry Potter to fight against the most powerful, dangerous wizard all the magical people could think of. You wanna know more about this legendary adventure, then reading the Harry Potter series is the best way possible.

Jotaro from Japan

It is very good.

Samit from India

Truly amazing

Neil from Malta

Purely amazing.

Sofia from Mexico

It was good.

Ava from Australia

Get ready to wave your wand, for this wizardry adventure. It start off with a young boy not knowing that he's a wizard until his 11th birthday, on his journey to Hogwarts Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) makes amazing friends with Hermione Granger (Emma Watson) and Ron Wealsy (Rupert Grint). On learning how to prounce the famous spells like wingardium leviosa, lumos and alohomara, but in every story there's a troubling part were Harry fights for his life.

Jade from UK

This book is the only book I read because nothing else is interesting for me and I could never stop re-reading it.By now I must of read the Harry Potter series 20 times,they are just WOW and AMAZING.I would recommend this book to anyone!

Aoife from Ireland

Just perfect.

Amaal from Austrailia

It is definitely the best book I've ever read! I need to read all!!!! :) SO AMAZING! I now know 100% understand why J.K. Rowling is the most successful and richest author there is! 9.9 STARS!

Palak from India

i have read harry potter book it was amazing i like it

Sofia from USA

Harry Potter and the philospher's stone is one of the best series I have read it more than 8 times

Namratha from India

This is amazing I love it 😙😙😙😙😙😙

Shravani from India

I really loved Harry Potter series. It is one of the greatest fictions for children. The writing, the character development is very good. I really liked it.

Harry from Australia

Best book series if you ask me. I have read each book over 15 times except The Order of the Phoenix and Goblet of Fire. JK Rowling's writing is better than any other writing. I love Emma Watson / Hermione Granger. I have loved Harry Potter since I was in year 2.

Manya Rathore from India

It is the most interesting book I have ever read and It is a wizard story and is a inspirative story.

carissa from singpore

I LOVE harry potter so much that I can read the whole book series like about 20 times. I think that everyone should a lest try reading Harry Potter .

Mubeen from India

When i started reading harry potter and the philosophers stone i was unable to stop myself by reading i read it continously and i hd cmpltd it in just one day without getting bored.....these are the amazing book series i hv ever read....i would luv to read it again and again..

Juveriya from India

I love the harry potter series

Katie from 1 Direction Fandom

Get ready for swish and flick and wingardium leviosa! The best part is the last against Lord Voldemort.

Imogen from UK

Good book =-)

Electra from Greece

I love Harry Potter and I love the Philosopher's Stone so much because it is the book where all the magic began.

Olivia Myers from Australia

I love Harry Potter but I would rather watch the move than read the book :}

Heramb from Australia

Harry Potter was the best book series I've ever read and it is beast. If I could I would rate this 2,000,000 stars out of ten!

Ben from UK

Definitely advise reading these books.

Sanjanaa from India

I like Harry Potter.

Thomas from America

AMAZING! RECOMMEND IT!!!

Aaradhana from India

Whatever it has use for us , whatever it teaches , friendship , believe in magic , confidence in ourselves , whatever , its the craziest thing i have ever read or ever known in my life...I just go mad and imagine myself in that world and actually i wont ever be tired of reading it if its even 100 times 😃😃😃😇😇😌😌 I just love it n u r the most imp part of life-review of others who just shown me that its what makes the harry potter the best story ever atleast fr me... its my life. If i would even be of 50 yrs or more i won't stop admiring it and readinb... yes i am not the best fan but fr me its the best book/series 😁😁 Love u harry pottrr stories.... and yeah 1 thing i forgot to tell u i am really a great fan of Draco Malfoy/TOM FELTON....😍😍�...😄......was that too much to read!!!!�......

Rachana from India

What a nice book it was!

Keira from Canada

This book review is magical and helps me understand what this book is about. Also in my class we are making book reviews and you have helped me alot with exmaples! Thanks.

Frutopia10 from New Zealand

It was awesome! A book that is unforgettable! Even though the series gets better and better this book is a all time favorite for me.

Hemanth from India

This is the book that everyone has to read in their lifetime and the graphics are awesome. Thanks to J. K. Rowling for giving us a awesome book and after reading I realised why the book is so famous.

Akash from India

This book is so amazing. That I can't narrate and Ys I have decided to know what people are so much crazy about these series. At last the thinking of writer is lunatically awesome!!!!

Abcd1234 from Israel

An amazing start for an equally amazing series . The plot is immersive, it takes you by the hands and pulls you into the books. I Read the whole seven books in a row. Must read!!!

Lily from Australia

OMG! this book is amazing. JK Rowling is really good with words i have read this book 100 times i love it keep up the good work JK

Sahla from UK

The magic begins!!! This book is bewitchingly beautiful. I have read all of the Harry Potter books including the Cursed Child and I have to admit that this one never gets old! All book lovers across the world, children or adults, can enjoy this book. Honestly I believe no one can ever say they hate this book true to their heart unless their pathological liars.

Annie from India

This book is amazing. I really like that and I think everyone also like this boo . This book show a philosopher's stone that amazing and their wand spells superb . Thanks to J.K Rowling that gives us very interesting book.

Savannah from Australia

This book is amazing.

Satwika from India

AMAZING!!! I love the book. It is my all time favorite. I am dieing to go to a magical school like Hogwarts. I am inspired to write a fantasy novel.

Harry Potter Fan😍 from Hogwarts

I love this book. I saw the movie and have read the book a million times now!!! (LOL)😍😃😘

Ahmed from Saudi arabia

Awesome Book but chapter one was very boring plzz in the next series dont write all those kind of stuffs. Plzz begin the story neatly and nicely

Sohini from India

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone is written by J.K Rowling. Even By reading this small summary I am well liked of the story. And really from now I like Harry Potter.

N from Ireland

AMAZING 😁

Sophie from UK

It was Fantastic!

MAISHA from INDIA

It's a fabulous book, I had heard about it from my friends, and when I found it very interesting. It was like I am in the story watching everything happening. I will now start to read the second book. From my point of view, I feel that JK ROWLING IS THE BEST WRITER IN THE WORLD IN THIS GENERATION.

David from US

The first book in the Harry Potter series has much going for it but I think it is the humour that stands out most for. It is many things but I just found it plain funny. Consistently. This is fantasy in its purest form and it offers wonderful escapement and wish-fulfilment. When a book becomes as massively popular as this those who do not like it tend to really hate it. But make up your own mind - if a school for wizards and oodles of adventure and excitement sound like your type of thing then your not going to find much better than this.

Great story mixed with fantastic world - building combine to form a literary classic of immense proportions.

Emma from America

Chamber of Secrets is the classic that started a classic story about the boy who lived. The book features well rounded characters, a mysterious plot, and heartwarming world-building.

Jessica from Australia

It's amazing! I recommend this book to all ages ❤️

Indrajeet from India

Best book in my life I have ever read before and I have all the version in my home and I read it in leisure time.

Sindhu from India

This wonderful book takes us on a magical journey you can't help falling in love with. The plot, the characters, the tiny details that Rowling so masterfully brings together... mindblowing. Easily the best book series I've ever read. Recommended for everybody- young and old.

ledi from Albania

I love this book because it is a very interesting, mysterious and thrilling book.

Lavisha Malik from India

I like this book. I thank the writer to write such a interesting type of book.

Houssem from Tunisia

What an amazing and fascinating book ! Wow. The journey passed so fast, how you dive into the pages,sink in the events and travel with the characters, how fantastic that is, purely wonderful ^^

Sashreek Havelia from India

This was an amazing book and was my second novel ever. I find myself in a stronghold of books just because of this wonderfully written and out of the box book. I must congratulate author J.K.Rowling on the success of all her books and her skill as an author.

Disha from India

It is very nice.

Harry from UK

I quite liked the book it was interesting I am now on the 2nd book of Harry Potter.

Trevor from US

The only people who don't like Harry Potter books are adults who seem to think that admitting they like Harry Potter makes them less of an adult. Oh, it's a great children's book. STFU. It's not a great children's book. It's just a great book. PERIOD.

Safia Ali from India

I just want to say that I AM MAD ABOUT THIS MAGICAL WORLD AS IT DID A GREAT MAGIC ON MY MIND AND HEART. JUST LOVE IT!

Brychan from UK

An excellent book combining magic and reality in a sensational mix. J.K Rowling has definitely succeeded in writing a brilliant book perfect for all ages. She has created a combination of happy, exciting and sad scenes to create an amazing book. If you have not already read the series then I definitely recommend that you read it as soon as possible. 9/10

Jasmine from India

This book is the best book I have read in a entire life. Love u JK Rowling.

Potter fan from India

Good book but lacks action...

Navneet from India

It really is the most fantastic book which I have ever read in my life.

Michael Anthony from US

Great book!!! Love it.

Himansh from India

Great book! I had read this book almost 10 times but am not at all bored of it. People who feel bored are dumb. The only word for this book is - awesome!!! But the Deathly Hallows is the last part. I'll miss Harry Potter!!!

#potterhead from Pakistan

Oh my god! These books are life. I just cannot describe how amazing they are. I've read them like a million times and I'm still not tired of them. Favourite books and I also lovvveeeee the movies. Potterhead for life!

Priyanka from Dubai

It is such an awesome book, I felt so sad when it was coming to an end. I wish there were more than 7 Harry Potter books.

Gordon from England

It is very funny those who give this book a bad review have a very poor grasp of the English language. Maybe they lack the intellegence to appreciate literature beyond wiser and chips? Totally awesome book.

Faizan from India

Excellent! Wonderful! I love the series of Harry Potter. I have read it 7 times continuously. No words to appreciate. Just enjoy the fantasy world of magic.

Sheepish from India

It is a nice and thrilling book which I had never read in my life. I love this book, thanx for this, bye.

Anakha from India

I love it. An amazing book!

Annastacia Buckley from Singapore

I absolutely loveee this book!! But, I would give it a 10 if the review was longer and have more coverage! Awesome book!

Gregory from Australia

This book was very impressive... how can people hate this book?

xxpa from canada

Great book, I couldn't put it down once I started reading this book. Dark, amazing, fast and thrilling. A must read for all!

Jack from US

It's so good, thanks, you gave me an idea for a book review.

Gunnhildur from Iceland

I loooooved this book! Those dumb Harry Potter haters don´t understand what they are missing! I really hope J.K. Rowling writes more of these, I have read all of them twice! Maybe some stories about Harry and Ron doing Aura business and other stuff!

Deepika from India

The only review is that they are... AWESOME!!!

Pinky from India

I can't give 10 points because it's not enough! Hey! I've started reading Chamber of Secrets. After I completed reading I came to this website. Ah! This book has fans all over the world.

Ramya from India

The best ever book I've read. Fascinating, mesmerizing, so on!!! No other words I've to describe it. I normally hate books but this is the one which gave me the interest to read novels. I'll say this book is best because it's SIMPLY GREAT GREAT GREAT... VERY GREAT!!!

Trina from US

You can't put it down. I really recommend this book, it's filled with enjoyment and it's fascinating. OK, I don't want to say really smart words but just kick back your feet and read - it is so good.

Harry Potter (wink wink) from Privet Drive

i just finished it and it only took me a day.... i couldn't put it down it was AMAZING. I came to this website before I read it just to be sure it is worth while. If you're doing this now... STOP and read it. No words can explain how good it is, I have already started Chamber of Secrets. There is so much detail in JK Rowling's books! I recommend read this first then watch the movie. It's a great book for all ages :)

Aymar from Canada

Honestly loved the first the most. But the entire series was the best series I have a ever read!

Xavier from Austria

Although I am not totally enamoured by the series as a whole I think the Philosopher's Stone is a beautiful stand-alone book. It oozes charm and offers wish fulfilment on a level I've only ever encountered in the Lord of the Rings. At turns funny, heart-warming, exciting and full of tension it is a book that everyone should read. Even if it is just to find out what the fuss is all about. A great book to read every Christmas.

Ilma from Bangladesh

The best book I've read!

Himika from India

This book taught me to love fantasy! I have read many books ever since, but HP for me is always special!

Rithu from India

The most exciting and interesting to all class of people.

Dang Trung Hieu from Vietnam

Great book!

Iris from Mexico

It was the book that taught me to love reading. And discover the feeling not to be able to leave the chair until you have finished the book. Highly recommended.

Harihara from India

No words can say how much I like this. The best series ever.

Sweata from India

It is a very thrilling book and also it has an interesting mythology... I loved this book very much... I thank J.K. Rowling for writing such a great book...

Samantha from Canada

Amazing, gripping, magnificent.

Sathwik from India

Harry Potter is awesome. It has a lot of action.

Joshua from England

Harry Potter to some is a "boring", "overexaggerated" book with no life in it whatsoever. Those people are absolute idiots. J.K. Rowling's books are gripping, stunning and filled with so much literature. The magic between the pages is just thrilling, when I started reading this particular book in my youth - around 4 years ago, I'm 13 now - it was impossible to put down, I would not sleep until it was finished. Lucky for me I'm a fast reader. In a few words Harry Potter is amazing: gripping and intelligent.

Shubham Mk from India

Just one word... CLASSIC!!! Thumbs up!!

Sarah from Pakistan

I liked this book very much, but this is my first book in the Harry Potter series and now I am very excited to read Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets which I've got to read in the school holidays but this book is really awesome and I hope Chamber of Secrets will also be as interesting as this!!!

Julia from America

I thought it was brill!

Jimwel from Philippines

I really love the Harry Potter books, in fact I already finished reading all those 7 series and I really crave for more books. Hope J.K. Rowling make additional series but I don't suppose she will. But who knows?

Tom Marvolo Riddle from England

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone is the best book of all time!

Ieuan Jones from UK

I love Harry Potter but I think the first one lacks some action, where as the others have a lot of action from near the start, like Chamber of Secrets - there's the bit near the end where Harry kills the Basilisk and the Prisoner of Azkaban, there's the Womping Willow, whereas the first one isn't very exiting because all it is the first part of the end they get through that in like 2 mins of the film and then all they do is play chess and then Harry goes on to get bought in a fire for like a minute and then all it is is him in bed and Dumbledore steeling his sweet. So yeah, it isn't the best book but I think I would put it about 6th out of the eight :D

Amelia from Australia

I LOVE THIS BOOK AND ALL THE OTHER BOOKS IN THE SERIES!! They are so engaging and make the reader actually want to be a wizard!! I am absolutely crazy about Harry Potter!! My room is filled with Harry Potter stuff because I am so in-love with these books!!!

Andy from Reading

I have heard a lot of criticism of these books by quite a few adults, and whilst the writing may not be the best they are quite clearly wrong. These books have successfully engaged not just millions of young people across the world but millions of adults as well. Any author who can achieve such a following must be doing something right. Sometimes you just have to enjoy the story and go with the flow, yes there are shortcomings, however in this case it doesn't really matter if it gets millions of people engaged in reading.

Sarah from London

GREAT! That's all I can say!

Cat Fitzpatrick from London

A children's classic, what more can you say? Luckily I was eleven when the first book came out so I was the right age to follow them over the years, but I go back to them again and again even though I'm an adult because there's so much joy to be had in this magic, vivid world. It's funny, charming, heart-breaking and utterly wonderful.

Visenna from Poland

Really great, but still rather for younger readers.

Ankita from India

I love to watch the Harry Potter series.

Adam from Gregory

J.K. Rowling has sharp, lucid prose that carries Harry Potter beyond the realms of simple children's fantasy and into that of timeless literature. It's accessible and clear but at times it can be poetic and downright funny. In addition to her concise writing style, Harry Potter is populated with interesting and relatable characters that the reader can (and will) fall in love with. Yes, you could argue the plot devices are nothing we haven't seen before. Sometimes they even border on cliche. And yes, you could also argue that the villain is a bit too simple on the morality side of things. But none of this really matters, because the Harry Potter series are a helluva lot of fun to read and have a blast-ended-skrewt-sized heart.

Ian from Lisburn

The greatest fantasy series of a generation. If you haven't read these books yet please come out of your cave and rejoin the rest of the world!!! They reminded me why I love reading and fantasy.

Sharnali from London

The Harry Potter books to me are AWESOME!!! They are legendary. J.K Rowling is an inspiration, a William Shakespeare of the present day! ;]

Leisale from Vanuatu

The only word I have for the Harry Potter series is that they are... AWESOME!!!!

Kaan Can from Turkey

Harry Potter's magical world was created perfectly by JK Rowling. It's really interesting!!! The book series and movies are great!! This is a world phenomenon!! Read these books!

Samir from Oran

I wasn't going to read the Harry Potter series because I thought it was an overrated children's book. But one day, I decided that I had to see for myself why so many people liked this series. I couldn't be more wrong. It's an amazing fantasy series with a very solid and interesting mythology. The first book is great but the following books are even better.

Laura from England

I love Harry Potter, I started reading it in primary school and I keep re-reading the whole series - it's amazing! I love the magic of it all, it's so unique. I must have read the series through at least 6 times now, and I don't get bored! They are brilliant. I love all the characters, they're so interesting. This book is just....wow! Not my favourite of the series but I still love it... I like it when they go through the trap door, it's hard to stop reading :)

9.7 /10 from 138 reviews

All JK Rowling Reviews

Harry Potter (Harry Potter)
The Tales of Beedle the Bard (Harry Potter Companion)
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (Harry Potter Companion)
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (Harry Potter: Book 1)
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Harry Potter: Book 2)
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Harry Potter: Book 3)
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Harry Potter: Book 4)
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Harry Potter: Book 5)
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (Harry Potter: Book 6)
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Harry Potter: Book 7)

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About the Book

Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone

By j.k. rowling.

Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone is the first installment of the popular Harry Potter book series by J.K. Rowling. It follows the events of Harry Potter’s first year at Hogwarts.

Written by Mohandas Alva

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

This novel works as an introduction to the world of magic. The story plays from the perspective of Harry Potter , who is also just discovering magic. Therefore, the reader, like Harry Potter, is introduced to the nuances and establishments of the magical world in this book.

Like the main character Harry Potter , as the reader advances in the book, they are tackled with a vast history of magic, magical beings, items of magical significance, and cultural nuances that are very interesting to read. Furthermore, the story also has a tight-knit plot which sometimes digresses to describe the world of magic but eventually falls back and moves forward without effort.

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone Summary

‘Spoiler-Free’ Summary of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone

‘ Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone ‘ begins with one-year-old Harry Potter being brought to his Aunt Petunia’s home after his parent’s death. He eventually grows up to be eleven years old. He is treated very badly by Uncle Vernon, Aunt Petunia, and his cousin Dudley. He then meets Hagrid, who informs him that he is a wizard and delivers his letter of acceptance from Hogwarts. Harry attends Hogwarts and is thrilled to see how interesting this new world of magic is. He becomes close friends with Ron and Hermione, who spend most of their time together as they are all in Gryffindor House. Harry develops a great interest in flying on a broomstick and also discovers the game of Quidditch. He finds out about his history, the death of his parents, and the Dark Wizard called Lord Voldemort , who is responsible for it. He also figures out the origin of the famed scar he got from this confrontation with Lord Voldemort . He discovers several secrets and events surrounding a mysterious object which prompt him to attempt and solve them with his friends Ron and Hermione.

Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone Summary

Spoiler Alert: Important details of the novel are revealed below

‘ Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone ‘ by J. K. Rowling starts with an unusual day for Mr. Vernon Dursley from Privet Drive, who sees a lot of strange things like people in weird cloaks and a cat reading maps and signboards. Eventually, it is revealed that these people are all wizards or witches and are celebrating a great historical event – that of the vanquishing of the Dark Lord Voldemort. James and Lily Potter are killed tragically by Voldemort, but he is unable to kill their son Harry Potter.

Albus Dumbledore, the headmaster of Hogwarts, orders Hagrid to safely get Harry Potter from the wreckage of his house and then leaves him at the doorstep of the Dursleys, who are Harry’s only blood relatives.

After about 10 years, on another unusual day, a lot of letters addressed to Harry are delivered by owls to Privet Drive. Uncle Vernon takes his wife Petunia, his son Dudley and his nephew Harry Potter far away, hoping to prevent these letters from coming. However, Hagrid finds the place, delivers Harry’s letter despite protests from Uncle Vernon, and conveys to Harry that he is, in fact, a wizard.

The next day Hagrid and Harry travel to London to purchase his school items. They visit several places, including the Gringotts bank , where Harry gets his money to buy things. Hagrid also visits a vault and collects a small package from there and claims that it’s ‘top secret’ when Harry asks him about it. Harry also gets his new wand from Ollivanders and is told by Mr. Ollivander that his wand is related to the wand of Lord Voldemort and that both their cores contain phoenix feathers from the same bird.

Harry then boards the Hogwarts Express and meets a boy named Ronald Weasley , who ends up becoming his best friend. He also meets Hermione Granger , a girl who is slightly bossy in Harry’s opinion, and knows a lot more about magic even before joining Hogwarts. Harry also meets another boy called Draco Malfoy, whom he doesn’t like much.

In Hogwarts, Harry is sorted into the Gryffindor house along with Ron and Hermione. During their flying lessons, Draco Malfoy, who has bullied a boy named Neville before, snatches his ‘Remembrall’ and challenges Harry Potter to fly and catch it. Harry does so with great ease, and Madam McGonagall is impressed with his flying abilities. Harry Potter is recruited into the Gryffindor Quidditch team and becomes the youngest Quidditch player in a century, and helps his team win the first game.

A newspaper report about a break-in into the Gringotts bank piques his interest as he had been to Gringotts with Hagrid the same day as the break-in. It also occurs to him that Hagrid had cleared the contents of a vault, and the report mentions that nothing was stolen during the break-in.

Eventually, Harry, Ron, and Hermione end up encountering a dangerous huge three-headed dog when they get lost in the third-floor corridor, which is out of bounds for students. In another instance, they fight off a troll . The encounter with the troll cements their friendship, and the three spend most of their time together after this. Hagrid tries to tame a dragon, which he received from a stranger in a pub, names it Norbert, but is unsuccessful in taming it and is forced to send it to Ron’s brother, who works with Dragons in Romania. Also, Harry is gifted with an Invisibility Cloak for Christmas by someone who claims it was Harry’s father’s and that he is merely returning it to him.

Meanwhile, they suspect their potions teacher Snape as the perpetrator of all these incidents to get to the stone. They encounter several occasions where Snape tortures and questions another teacher, Professor Quirrell. Harry, Ron, and Hermione run into a lot of significant clues to deduce that several of these events must be related and that the dog is guarding something that was in the Gringotts vault. After some research, they find out that the item in question is something called a Philosopher’s Stone, which is very valuable. It is said to transform other base metals to gold and produce the Elixir of Life , which makes its drinker immortal.

Harry and Hermione, along with Neville and Malfoy, are caught roaming in the castle at night and are sent for detention in the Forbidden Forest with Hagrid. There, they encounter a dead unicorn and a cloaked figure drinking its blood. Harry’s scar starts hurting as the figure approaches him, but he is saved by a centaur called Firenze. Firenze tells Harry that the cloaked figure was the spirit of Lord Voldemort. He also hints that Lord Voldemort is trying to steal the Philosopher’s Stone from Hogwarts to regain his physical form.

Back in the castle, Harry, Ron, and Hermione realize that the stone is not safe and that they have to act. They bravely cross several magical barriers laid by the teachers of Hogwarts to prevent anyone from getting to the stone, and finally, Harry reaches the last barrier and is surprised to find Professor Quirrell there, who it turns out was the culprit all along. Quirrell is unable to get the Stone because of the challenging hurdle in the form of the Mirror of Erised about which Harry had previously discussed with Professor Dumbledore.

It is revealed that Lord Voldemort possesses Professor Quirrell and that Voldemort’s half-formed face had been strategically hidden under Quirrell’s turban in the back of his head. Finally, Harry thwarts this attempt to steal the Stone by touching Quirrell’s hand and realizing that it disintegrates on contact with Harry’s skin. Finally, the whole school is in praise of Harry, and his friend’s bravery, and Gryffindor gets a lot of points for this and eventually wins the House Cup.

What happens at the end of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone ?

Harry Potter, with the help of Ron and Hermione, stops Lord Voldemort from stealing the Sorcerer’s Stone. Professor Quirrell, who was possessed by Lord Voldemort, is unable to touch Harry’s skin as Harry is protected by his mother’s love from Voldemort. Gryffindor house wins the House Cup.

Why is Harry Potter 1 called the Sorcerer’s Stone?

‘ Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone ‘ was re-titled in the USA as Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone because the publishers in the USA thought that the word ‘Sorcerer’ would associate more with magic than the word ‘Philosopher’. They assumed that the word ‘Philosopher’ would imply that the book is about the discipline of Philosophy which is not a popular reading category in the demographic of children or young adults.

Who dies at the end of Harry Potter 1?

Professor Quirinus Quirrell dies at the end of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. He is possessed by Lord Voldemort, and when he tries to attack Harry, his skin starts flaking rapidly. This is because anything Voldemort possesses cannot touch Harry’s skin. After all, he is protected by the old magic of love from his mother.

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 Summary 🪄 " Book Analysis , https://bookanalysis.com/jk-rowling/harry-potter-and-the-philosophers-stone/summary/ . Accessed 25 March 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.

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Harry Potter And The Philosopherʼs Stone Book Review

Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone Book Review: A Magical Journey

Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, the first book in the beloved Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling, takes readers on a magical adventure filled with friendship, courage, and the power of love. The story follows a young boy named Harry Potter who discovers he is a wizard on his eleventh birthday and is whisked away to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, where he learns about his past and his destiny to defeat the dark wizard Lord Voldemort.

The book was first published in 1997 and has since become a global phenomenon, captivating readers of all ages with its enchanting tale of good versus evil. In this article, we will delve into the world of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, exploring nine interesting facts about the book and its impact on popular culture.

1. The Origin of the Philosopher’s Stone

The title of the first book in the series, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, was changed to Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone for its American publication. The original title, “Philosopher’s Stone,” refers to a legendary substance that is said to grant immortality and turn base metals into gold. In the book, the Philosopher’s Stone is sought after by Lord Voldemort in his quest for eternal life.

2. J.K. Rowling’s Inspiration

J.K. Rowling drew inspiration for the character of Harry Potter and the magical world of Hogwarts from her own experiences and imagination. She began writing the first book in the series while on a train journey from Manchester to London, and the idea for the story came to her fully formed. Rowling has said that she wanted to create a world where magic and reality coexist, and where ordinary people can do extraordinary things.

3. The Boy Who Lived

Harry Potter, the protagonist of the series, is known as “the boy who lived” because he survived an attack by Lord Voldemort as a baby, leaving him with a lightning-shaped scar on his forehead. Harry is raised by his cruel aunt and uncle, the Dursleys, who treat him poorly and keep him unaware of his magical heritage. When he receives his acceptance letter to Hogwarts, Harry’s life is forever changed.

4. The Hogwarts Houses

At Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, students are sorted into four houses: Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Each house has its own unique traits and characteristics, and students are sorted into their houses by the magical Sorting Hat on their first day at school. Harry is sorted into Gryffindor, known for its bravery and courage.

5. The Golden Trio

Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone introduces readers to the iconic trio of Harry, Hermione Granger, and Ron Weasley, who become fast friends and embark on many adventures together throughout the series. Hermione is known for her intelligence and quick thinking, while Ron is loyal and brave. Together, they make up the “Golden Trio” and face many challenges with courage and determination.

6. Quidditch

Quidditch is a popular sport in the wizarding world, played on flying broomsticks with four balls and four goal hoops. Harry discovers his talent for Quidditch as the youngest Seeker in a century and leads the Gryffindor team to victory in his first year at Hogwarts. Quidditch becomes a central part of the series, with thrilling matches and high-stakes competitions.

7. The Mirror of Erised

In Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, Harry discovers the Mirror of Erised, which shows the deepest desires of whoever looks into it. Harry sees his parents standing behind him in the mirror, as he longs for a family and a sense of belonging. The mirror plays a significant role in the story, as Harry learns the importance of accepting reality and finding happiness within himself.

8. The Forbidden Forest

The Forbidden Forest is a dangerous and mysterious place on the grounds of Hogwarts, home to many magical creatures and dark forces. Harry and his friends venture into the forest on several occasions, facing danger and uncovering secrets that will shape their destiny. The Forbidden Forest becomes a symbol of the unknown and the challenges that lie ahead for Harry and his friends.

9. The Power of Love

Throughout Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, the theme of love is a powerful force that drives the story forward. Harry’s mother, Lily Potter, sacrifices her life to save him from Lord Voldemort, leaving a protective charm that keeps him safe from harm. The power of love is central to Harry’s journey, as he learns to trust in the bonds of friendship and family that give him strength in the face of darkness.

In conclusion, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone is a timeless classic that continues to captivate readers with its magical world and compelling characters. The book’s themes of friendship, courage, and the power of love resonate with readers of all ages, making it a beloved story for generations to come. As we follow Harry on his journey from an ordinary boy to a hero destined to defeat the dark forces of evil, we are reminded of the importance of standing up for what is right and believing in the power of hope.

17 Common Questions About Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone

1. Who is the author of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone?

J.K. Rowling is the author of the Harry Potter series, including the first book, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone.

2. What is the Philosopher’s Stone in the book?

The Philosopher’s Stone is a legendary substance that is said to grant immortality and turn base metals into gold. It is sought after by Lord Voldemort in his quest for eternal life.

3. What is the main setting of the book?

The main setting of the book is Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, where Harry Potter learns about his magical heritage and embarks on many adventures.

4. Who are the main characters in the book?

The main characters in the book include Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley, and Lord Voldemort, among others.

5. What is the significance of the lightning-shaped scar on Harry’s forehead?

The lightning-shaped scar on Harry’s forehead is a result of an attack by Lord Voldemort when he was a baby. It is a mark of his survival and his connection to the dark wizard.

6. What is Quidditch and why is it important in the book?

Quidditch is a popular sport in the wizarding world played on flying broomsticks. It is important in the book as Harry discovers his talent for the sport and leads his team to victory.

7. What is the Mirror of Erised and why is it significant?

The Mirror of Erised shows the deepest desires of whoever looks into it. It is significant in the book as Harry sees his parents in the mirror, revealing his longing for family and belonging.

8. What are the Hogwarts houses and how are students sorted into them?

The Hogwarts houses are Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Students are sorted into their houses by the Sorting Hat based on their traits and characteristics.

9. What is the Forbidden Forest and why is it dangerous?

The Forbidden Forest is a mysterious and dangerous place on the grounds of Hogwarts, home to many magical creatures and dark forces. Harry and his friends venture into the forest on several occasions, facing danger and uncovering secrets.

10. What is the power of love in the book?

The power of love is a central theme in the book, as Harry’s mother sacrifices her life to save him from Lord Voldemort, leaving a protective charm that keeps him safe. Love is shown to be a powerful force that gives Harry strength in the face of darkness.

11. How does Harry discover he is a wizard?

Harry discovers he is a wizard on his eleventh birthday when he receives his acceptance letter to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He is then whisked away to a magical world where he learns about his past and his destiny.

12. What are some of the challenges Harry faces at Hogwarts?

Some of the challenges Harry faces at Hogwarts include dealing with bullies, facing dangerous creatures, and uncovering secrets about his past and his connection to Lord Voldemort.

13. What is the significance of the title “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone”?

The title of the book refers to the legendary Philosopher’s Stone, which is sought after by Lord Voldemort in his quest for immortality. The stone plays a central role in the story and is a symbol of power and magic.

14. How does Harry’s friendship with Hermione and Ron shape his journey?

Harry’s friendship with Hermione and Ron is a central part of the story, as they support each other through challenges and adventures. Their bond of friendship gives Harry strength and courage to face the dark forces of evil.

15. What are some of the magical creatures Harry encounters at Hogwarts?

Harry encounters many magical creatures at Hogwarts, including house elves, hippogriffs, and dragons. These creatures add to the enchanting world of the book and provide opportunities for adventure and discovery.

16. How does Harry’s upbringing with the Dursleys affect his character?

Harry’s upbringing with the Dursleys, who treat him poorly and keep him unaware of his magical heritage, shapes his character and his longing for family and belonging. Despite his difficult past, Harry remains brave and resilient in the face of adversity.

17. What is the central theme of the book and how does it resonate with readers?

The central theme of the book is the power of love, friendship, and courage in the face of darkness. These themes resonate with readers of all ages, reminding them of the importance of standing up for what is right and believing in the power of hope.

In conclusion, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone is a timeless classic that continues to enchant readers with its magical world and compelling characters. The book’s themes of friendship, courage, and the power of love resonate with readers of all ages, making it a beloved story for generations to come. As we follow Harry on his journey from an ordinary boy to a hero destined to defeat the dark forces of evil, we are reminded of the importance of standing up for what is right and believing in the power of hope. Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone is a magical journey that will stay with readers long after they turn the final page.

The Reading Platter

More than just a blog!

Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone – Book Review

Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone is a YA magical fantasy written by JK Rowling. It was first published in 1997. It is the first book in the Harry Potter series.

Synopsis (acc. to Goodreads)

Harry Potter’s life is miserable. His parents are dead and he’s stuck with his heartless relatives, who force him to live in a tiny closet under the stairs. But his fortune changes when he receives a letter that tells him the truth about himself: he’s a wizard. A mysterious visitor rescues him from his relatives and takes him to his new home, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

After a lifetime of bottling up his magical powers, Harry finally feels like a normal kid. But even within the Wizarding community, he is special. He is the boy who lived: the only person to have ever survived a killing curse inflicted by the evil Lord Voldemort, who launched a brutal takeover of the Wizarding world, only to vanish after failing to kill Harry. Though Harry’s first year at Hogwarts is the best of his life, not everything is perfect. There is a dangerous secret object hidden within the castle walls, and Harry believes it’s his responsibility to prevent it from falling into evil hands. But doing so will bring him into contact with forces more terrifying than he ever could have imagined. Full of sympathetic characters, wildly imaginative situations, and countless exciting details, the first installment in the series assembles an unforgettable magical world and sets the stage for many high-stakes adventures to come.

I read this book in February. I thought that I will write reviews for all the books together in a week but I can’t stop. This book is just amazing. I am reading the series 1 st time. Yes, I haven’t read it yet neither have I watched any movie because I was waiting to read the books first.

I loved the book, I loved the characters and I loved the world it was set in. The story was full of surprises and plot twists and the end was so worthed. I gave it a 5+ rating because it was amazing and I couldn’t stop myself from continuing the series. But I took a month break from the series because I tend to get overwhelmed when I read a particular series together in one go. I did not want to get bored from this particular series.

I am currently reading the second book in the series and I am loving it too. I definitely recommend this book and the series too.

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Book Review: Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone

Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone is J.K. Rowling’ debut novel, the first novel in the Harry Potter series, first published in 1997 by Bloomsbury. It was published a year later in the United States as Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by Scholastic Corporation.

The novel won most of the British book awards that were judged by children and other awards in the US. It has been translated into at least sixty-seven other languages and has been made into a feature-length film of the same name, as have all six of its sequels.

Read this book review by Paris, aged 11, to get a feel of this timeless, classic novel.

Characters :

Harry Potter, who is a brave, new wizard. Mr and Mrs Venom, who give anything to their son and never punish him. Dudley, son of Mr and Mrs Venom, Ronald Weasley, Harry Potter’s best friend, who has smart thinking. Dumbledore, Heasdmaster and guardian of Hogwarts.

Harry Potter lives with horrible people when he gets mail and realizes he’s a wizard. Harry goes to a magical school called ‘Hogwarts’, which has an entrance invisible to muggles (meaning humans). Dumbledore is protecting a stone at the school, which will make you immortal. There are soul sharing bodies trying to get to the stone. Harry fights one-on-one with just his body. His mother, before dying, gave him a hug which makes the soul in a body suffer from pain, if he just touches Harry. He defended the stone using every power of his, but unfortunately the stone broke.

I love the book because I really like hearing about magic and the sport Quidditch. It is an absolutely amazing adventure book and deserves to be popular.

Recommendation:

I think this book should be read by everyone: adults and children. Not just this book…all of the series! Amazing books!

Do you own some old Harry Potter books? Click on this link to see if your Harry Potter books are worth up to 40,000 pounds!

Till next time…

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Screen Rant

Harry potter: 10 differences between the philosopher's stone book & the movie.

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone was the first movie/book in the franchise. The film was loved by fans, but deviated from the source material.

No book-to-film adaptation is perfect, but for a long time, Harry Potter fans have felt that The Philosopher’s Stone was the closest to perfect that fandom got. The film honored the integrity of the book and even lifted dialogue directly from the source material. It also did a good job of launching the movie fandom — without the success of The Philosopher’s Stone , the rest of the movies might never have been made.

RELATED: Harry Potter: 10 Plotholes From The Sorcerer's Stone That Were Never Resolved

But the movie does make some changes from the book. Some are huge, some are less important, but diehard Potterheads — and especially the Ravenclaws out there — have noticed all of them.

Harry’s Eyes

Technically, we could mention this difference for every movie, but we’ll only count it for Philosopher’s Stone . Throughout the books, author J.K. Rowling made a big deal of Harry’s green eyes that were just like his mother’s. In fact, Harry’s eyes become a downright plot point in the seventh film, when Snape’s true motivations are revealed.

You might have noticed, however, that Daniel Radcliffe has blue eyes. Is this the end of the world? No, of course not. Especially because Geraldine Somerville, the actress that played Harry’s mother, also has blue eyes. So the logic still follows: Harry’s eyes are just like Lily’s, which weighs heavily on Severus Snape.

Hagrid Takes Harry to King’s Cross

In the film, when Hagrid bursts into Harry’s life on his 11th birthday and changes it forever, it’s July 31. After they shop in Diagon Alley the next day and get Harry everything he needs, the next thing we see is Hagrid dropping Harry off at King’s Cross for the train.

But the train leaves from Platform 9¾ on September 1. Did Harry spend the full month of August with Hagrid? In the book, Harry is returned to the Dursleys’ house to eagerly count down the days until he can leave for Hogwarts. They take him to King’s Cross on September 1 dropping him off without making sure he safely finds his train, as the Dursleys are wont to do.

When Harry Met Draco

Speaking of that trip to Diagon Alley... film-Harry doesn’t meet Draco at Madame Malkin’s Robes For All Occasions. In the book, Draco Malfoy is a snide boy who is getting his robes hemmed at the same time Harry walks in. They don’t exchange names, but Malfoy does say some mean things about Hagrid, causing Harry to dislike him immediately. They meet again on the Hogwarts Express, where Draco tells Harry not to make friends with “the wrong sort.”

RELATED: 10 Differences Between The Philosopher's Stone and The Sorcerer's Stone

In the movie, Harry and Draco don’t meet until they’re already in the castle. Draco still says his line about the Weasleys, and Harry still gets to snap back at him with one of his signature witty retorts.

McGonagall’s Sass

In the books, especially Philosopher’s Stone , McGonagall is a wonderful professor and watches out for Harry, but she’s also a bit of a worrier. The first chapter opens with her questioning Dumbledore’s decision to leave Harry with the Dursleys. (She had a point.) In the movie, she’s less openly worrisome and is a bit sassier. Who could forget the classic exchange she had with Ron Weasley when he and Harry were late for class? She mused about transfiguring them into pocket watches so they might be on time.

RELATED: Harry Potter: 10 Hogwarts Classes & Which Student Should Teach Them

It’s too bad this amazing exchange never happened in the books because it makes us all love McGonagall just a little bit more.

Underplaying Hermione’s Role

In the fight against Professor Quirrell in the book, there is one more challenge after the giant chess set: Harry and Hermione have to use logic to outsmart Snape’s protective barrier to the Stone. It’s a riddle of seven potions, one that moves the drinker forward, one that sends them back, one that kills them, and four others that are fairly innocuous but also useless to them in the journey. In the book, Hermione figures it out while Harry stands by helplessly.

No such challenge exists in the movie. After the chess game, Harry immediately confronts Quirrell, eliminating the moment when we all realized how brilliant and useful and utterly necessary Hermione was going to be for Harry’s journey. Maybe they made the change to alleviate the cruel moment in the books when Harry and Hermione left Ron behind after he was injured. Or maybe they just thought it would be boring to watch. Nevertheless, it’s a crucial moment of character development that was disappointing to lose.

That Heartbreaking Birthday Cake

After Vernon Dursley loses his mind and takes the family to an abandoned cabin on a rock in the ocean, Harry counts down to his birthday alone. In the book, he simply watches the minutes tick by on Dudley’s watch, wondering if the Dursleys will remember his eleventh birthday at all. But Hagrid arrives at the stroke of midnight, pushing that thought right out of Harry’s mind.

RELATED: Harry Potter: 10 Unanswered Questions We Still Have About Harry

In the movie, the moment is a yank-at-your-heart-strings sob fest. In the dirt on the disgusting floor, Harry draws himself a cake and writes “Happy Birthday” in it. He blows out the “candles” he created alone. If you didn’t cry when you saw this...how?

Ron’s Best Seven Words

In many ways, Ron Weasley is the character that loses most of his strengths in the book-to-movie adaptations. For people who’ve only watched the movies and never read the books, Ron seems like a moody and useless git. Not true in the books.

However, The Philosopher’s Stone does give Ron one amazing moment that he actually didn’t get in the book. In both versions, Hermione gets mad at the boys after their midnight adventure, saying, “I’m going to bed before either of you come up with another clever idea to get us killed. Or worse, expelled .” But it’s only in the movie that Ron replies, “She needs to sort out her priorities.” Iconic.

What Happened to Peeves?

Peeves the Poltergeist doesn’t make an appearance in The Philosopher’s Stone , which is a tragedy, because he was one of the best sources of comic relief in the books. Peeves' pranks and songs always struck the perfect blend of malicious-but-humorous. So why was he cut out?

Late British comedian Rik Mayall was actually cast to play Peeves in the movie but was cut after three weeks of filming. Apparently he kept making the extras giggle when they weren’t supposed to. Who knows if that’s actually why his part was cut, but he did later go on to say that “the film was s**t,” so maybe it was for the best after all.

The Welcome Feast

In the book, the first years are sorted into their new houses during the Welcome Feast. First, the Sorting Hat sings a song, then the first years are sorted alphabetically (putting Potter toward the end, which makes him nervous), then the Headmaster gives a speech. Dumbledore’s speech was particularly memorable if a bit strange: “Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak!” Finally, the school song is sung — and this only happens once in the books.

In the movie, however, a lot of that changed. The first years were sorted completely out of alphabetical order, then Dumbledore didn’t give his strange-but-amusing speech. Most importantly, The Sorting Hat didn't sing its song, which is too bad because we learned a lot about the difference Hogwarts houses through it. Obviously it all would have taken a lot of time, but losing it all takes a little of the silliness out of Hogwarts.

The Name of the Forest

At the welcome feast every year, Dumbledore gives a general speech. It often welcomes new students and reminds people of school rules, usually with a bit of a look at the Weasley twins to make sure they’re listening. In The Philosopher’s Stone , Dumbledore says, “First years should note that the forest on the grounds is forbidden to all pupils.” Later, readers learn that it’s called the Forbidden Forest.

In the movie, "Forbidden" became "Dark" for no clear reason. Except… perhaps calling it the Dark Forest makes more sense, because saying it’s forbidden, then sending students in there for detention — at midnight, no less — doesn’t make a whole lot of sense. But then again, there are a lot of things about the wizarding world that seem strange to us Muggles.

NEXT: Harry Potter: 10 Things In The Philosopher's Stone That Only Made Sense If You've Read the Books

Harry Potter And The Philosopher's Stone review

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It isn't stretching the truth to say that Harry Potter And The Philosopher's Stone has arrived with the weight of the world on its shoulders. There isn't a more adored chunk of literature than the boy-wizard series. There's a sense that, post-September 11, people need something to make them feel good again. And Hollywood has to redress the balance after an annus horribilis of shoddy budget-busters. The good news is that Harry Potter And The Philosopher's Stone gets so much right. The bad news is there's a hefty ""But..."" in there.

Where does Harry Potter conjure up the goods? Well, it's all about details, and the details in Harry Potter are superlative, from the suburban dreariness of Privet Drive, to teeming wizard street Diagon Alley, to Hogwarts itself, an exultant medieval citadel of soaring spires, shadowy passageways and swivelling staircases. The effects, too, are mostly knock out, be they throwaway (edible, hopping chocolate frogs; baby dragons) or essential (Harry's invisibility cloak; the much-anticipated Quidditch match).

The esteemed line-up of British thesps also fulfill their duty of breathing vivid life into their characters. Robbie Coltrane furnishes most of the laughs as genial lug Hagrid, Maggie Smith is a stern but benevolent Professor McGonagall and Alan Rickman, as sinister potions wizard Professor Snape, stops time dead each time he appears on screen. Okay, so he's a peripheral figure, but he is set up brilliantly for future chapters.

At the risk of sounding scrooge-y, it's the kids who don't hold the attention as well. Appearance-wise, Daniel Radcliffe is perfect, with all the charm and English moppet ingredients to make a great Harry, but he's not always so enchanting in the acting department. You can practically hear Chris Columbus barking directions: ""Open your eyes wide - - look surprised!"", ""Furrow your brow - - you're really mad!"" Rupert Grint, as Harry's best friend Ron Weasley, milks his comedy stooge moments, but spends much of the film with a look of mild indigestion on his face, leaving Emma Watson as bossy Hermione top of the class by default.

Thankfully, though, that's it as far as nasty surprises are concerned. Columbus sticks faithfully to JK Rowling's story, striking a neat balance between the action, the comedy and the book's darker traits. The challenge was always going to be to make an entertaining film out of Rowling's weakest book, as well as establishing the Hogwarts universe to the uninitiated. Along the way, he may have sacrificed the sense of wonder that, say, Terry Gilliam, would have brought, but will Harry Potter fans really give a hoot? No way. What's important is that all the novel's best bits are there on the screen, and that Harry Potter the movie is worthy enough to fulfill its destiny as a children's classic. Roll on The Chamber Of Secrets.

Harry Potter's adventures in wizard-land are cozy and comfortable in Chris Columbus' faithful adaptation. Daniel Radcliffe's not the greatest actor, but at least he looks the part. A rewarding and charming first stop on the HP franchise trail.

The Total Film team are made up of the finest minds in all of film journalism. They are: Editor Jane Crowther, Deputy Editor Matt Maytum, Reviews Ed Matthew Leyland, News Editor Jordan Farley, and Online Editor Emily Murray. Expect exclusive news, reviews, features, and more from the team behind the smarter movie magazine.

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Book Review: Harry Potter And The Philosopher’s Stone by J.K Rowling

"Read ten thousand books, and your pen will be guided as if by God" is an ancient Chinese idiom.

J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone is a timeless masterpiece that has enchanted readers of all ages since its publication. This debut novel introduces us to a world where magic is not just a concept but a way of life, blending the ordinary with the extraordinary in a seamless tapestry of wonder and adventure.

The primary location in the story is Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, featuring four houses known as Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin, which were founded by the school's founders.

A life of adventure, choices, love, and sacrifice

The story begins with a miserable boy named Harry Potter, an orphan living with his neglectful aunt (Petunia), uncle (Vernon), and spoiled cousin (Dudley), in a non-magical world, commonly known as the Muggle community. They treat Harry terribly and have a strong disgust for the Wizarding World.

“There is no good and evil, there is only power and those too weak to seek it.”

Before Harry turned eleven, he got lots of letters inviting him to Hogwarts, but his uncle stopped him from reading them and fibbed, saying they were gone. In an attempt to evade the letters, the Dursleys go to extreme lengths, moving from one location to another, even staying in a shack on a rock in the middle of the sea.

However, the letters keep finding Harry, creating an air of suspense and anticipation. The tension builds as the letters become more persistent and unconventional in their delivery.

Finally, on the eve of Harry's eleventh birthday, the seemingly indestructible letters find him, and the door of the shack is knocked down by the imposing figure of Rubeus Hagrid, the Keeper of Keys and Grounds at Hogwarts. Hagrid bursts in with the long-awaited letter for Harry, revealing his true identity as a wizard and extending an invitation to join the magical world. The next day, Hagrid took Harry into the magical world.

Hagrid takes Harry to Gringotts, the wizarding bank, to access his vault. The visit to the vault reveals the vast wealth left to Harry by his parents, emphasizing his status as a wizarding celebrity.

After a month, Harry makes his way to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry for the first time. On the train, Harry meets Ron Weasley, who is also a first-year student. The camaraderie between Harry and Ron begins to develop as they share stories and experiences. Ron introduces Harry to the wizarding world, explaining various aspects and traditions.

At Hogwarts, Harry, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger accidentally discover a hidden room guarded by a three-headed dog. They realize it's safeguarding something valuable—the fabled Philosopher's Stone capable of reviving its possessor from death. Suspecting Severus Snape, the Potions Master, due to his injured leg, they believe he intends to steal it. To protect the Stone, the trio takes action. Despite facing numerous hurdles, Harry manages to enter the final chamber deep underground.

Harry stumbles upon the Mirror of Erised during a late-night visit to an unused classroom. The mirror is enchanted, and its purpose is to reveal the deepest, most heartfelt desires of the person looking into it. Harry, initially perplexed by the mirror, soon becomes entranced by what he sees in it. The mirror reflects an image of Harry with his deceased parents, James and Lily Potter. Overwhelmed by the sight of his family, Harry spends several nights returning to the mirror to experience the comforting vision.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione are determined to protect the Philosopher's Stone from falling into the hands of Voldemort. They decide to take matters into their own hands and head to the third-floor corridor where the trapdoor is located. The trio encounters a series of magical obstacles guarding the trapdoor, each designed to test the skills and qualities of those attempting to reach the Stone.

The trio discovers that Professor Quirrell is the one attempting to steal the Philosopher's Stone. He is working for Voldemort, who is revealed to be living on the back of Quirrell's head, hidden beneath a turban. Quirrell has been manipulated by Voldemort's influence, and he is determined to use the Stone to restore Voldemort to full power.

Harry, faced with the prospect of Voldemort's return, manages to grab the Philosopher's Stone before Quirrell can reach it. The touch of Harry's skin causes intense pain to Quirrell, preventing Voldemort from taking the Stone. Harry discovers that the reason he felt pain when he touched Quirrell was due to the protective power of his mother's sacrifice. When Lily Potter sacrificed herself to save Harry as a baby, her love created a magical protection that lingered in Harry's blood, causing pain to Voldemort when he tried to touch Harry.

Here, Voldemort is the person who killed Harry's parents but didn't succeed in ending Harry's life, marking him with a unique lightning-shaped scar on his forehead. Afterward, Voldemort loses his own body and most of his powers, but he's still around and is set on regaining his strength by getting hold of the Philosopher's Stone. Finally, at the story's conclusion, Harry overcomes Quirrel and Voldemort.

Fascinating characters

The main characters are Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger, and Professor Quirrel. Harry's courageous, with messy hair and round glasses framing his bright eyes. Ron, a red-haired boy from a modest family, is timid, kind, and afraid of spiders, but he's incredibly friendly to his pals.

Hermione Granger, a smart blonde girl, is a Muggle-born witch excelling in tests due to her hard work and love for reading. Sometimes, she can be bossy and intervenes in Harry and Ron's daring plans for their safety.

The main characters, Harry, Ron, and Hermione, are all close friends in the same Hogwarts house, while Professor Quirrel is their teacher, connecting them all in the story.

Apart from these, there are also other characters, like- Vernon, Petunia, Dudley, Rubeus Hagrid, Albus Dumbledore, etc.

My Lessons From Harry Potter and The Philosopher’s Stone

This is a classic story of a hero’s journey. Hero is called to a journey, but he can’t or doesn’t heed to it. A help arrives to help him embark on the journey. He meets his people. He hesitantly takes on the journey. He faces challenges and eventually manages to overcome them. The entire series is the chronicle of that journey. I’m currently reading the second book in the series. I will bring you what I learn from it as I finish reading it.
Persevere through challenges and adversity, whether they come from external struggles or life's trials.
Standing up for yourself is tough but it’s rewarding.
Don’t be afraid to ask for help.
“It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live.”
It’s important to remain humble.
Love conquers hate.
Friendship and loyalty beat wealth and status.
The importance of focusing on the present and not dwelling excessively on unattainable desires.

At its core, the novel explores universal themes of the hero's journey, friendship, bravery, and the choice between good and evil. Rowling's storytelling is infused with humor, heart, and a sense of wonder that transcends generations. The pacing is expertly executed, keeping readers engaged with a perfect balance of lighthearted moments and suspenseful twists.

At every turn, there's excitement, from facing trolls, and a three-headed dog, to Harry's confrontation with Lord Voldemort. I would recommend this book to everyone because it keeps you absorbed, making you never want to stop reading.

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Harry Potter And The Philosopher’s Stone Review

16 Nov 2001

152 minutes

Harry Potter And The Philosopher’s Stone

Sometimes the best plan is to do things by the book. With over 100 million Harry Potter readers desperate to rush down cinema aisles to see their hero on the big screen for the first time, you can't blame Chris Columbus for sticking close to J.K. Rowling's novel. It's one thing to let your imagination loose with the words on the page; it's another to have those images backed up by a multi-million dollar Hollywood budget. And from the very first sight of an owl perched on the Privet Drive road sign to the closing shot of the Hogwarts Express pulling away from the station with the majestic school sitting high on the hills behind, we know that every golden galleon has been well spent.

That's why this faithful adaptation won't fail to win over the book's fans with its 'wow' factor. It thrives on audience recognition. John Williams' score swells at the key moments - Here's your first glimpse of Hogwarts! Isn't Diagon Alley crammed with Dickensian detail! - as Columbus pulls back curtain after curtain to reveal all of the avid readers' favourite bits. The stand-out sequence is the Gryffindor versus Slytherin Quidditch match, a fast-paced medieval Rollerball with broomsticks. It soars where The Phantom Menace's podrace stalled on the third lap.

Harry Potter And The Philosopher's Stone has one advantage over so many other blockbusters: it already knows that it's the first in a series, so it doesn't have to become a self-contained hit movie before its sequels can receive the green light. This means it deliberately takes its time setting up the characters and the scenario before, like the book, pulling in a quest-cum-whodunnit plot to provide a climax. This structure is fine for the initiated, but it might leave first-timers feeling a bit uncomfortable with the shape of the movie. And because it's more of a kids film than the book was just a kids book, the two-and-a-half hour running time is bound to provoke some cinema squirming from young viewers.

That said, Columbus ensures there's a bit of on-screen magic coming our way every couple of minutes, and not just in the shape of expensive effects. Near-perfect casting ensures character colour from the adult actors and allows the central trio of kids (Radcliffe, Grint and Watson) to prove that three heads are better than one (unless your name is Fluffy).

Coltrane as cuddly giant Hagrid and Grint as Harry's cheeky chum, Ron, steal some scenes, but it's Radcliffe who leads us through Harry's journey from open-jawed underdog to pint-sized hero. Sympathetic and strong, brave and believably ordinary, he becomes the audience's counterpart in this weird world of witches and wizards.

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All ‘Harry Potter’ books ranked worst to best

From 'The Philosopher's Stone' to 'The Deathly Hallows'

Reading the last Harry Potter book is a vastly different experience from reading the first one, so we’ve attempted the impossible by ranking them with as much objectivity as we can possibly call up.

Maybe the passage of a decade turned Rowling into a different, and dare we say, progressively better author. Maybe the ambition of having to write the most popular book series of the time hadn’t yet bled into the pages of the story of the Boy Who Lived. Whatever the reason, it’s true that whenever I pick up The Half-Blood Prince to read my favorite chapters, what I’m confronted by in tone and theme is a far cry from that sweet, unassuming tale of an 11-year-old who gets invited to a world of magic and wonder, away from the cruel confines of his adoptive parents.

Writing this list presented me with a huge challenge. I might rank one book higher than another, but I find that it didn’t mean I like it any less. Even the worst Harry Potter book is still a very decent novel, and worthy of acclaim, at that. So have that in mind before taking a trip down memory lane and reviewing the wondrous adventure the Wizarding World took us on from 1997’s The Philosopher’s Stone to 2007’s The Deathly Hallows .

7. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

Surprisingly enough, The Chamber of Secrets also finds itself at the bottom (or top, depending on your perspective) of most Harry Potter movie lists. That alone proves the problem lies not with Rowling’s writing or expansion of this fictional world, but the story itself. There’s something deeply stale and uncompelling about The Chamber of Secrets , and no amount of Tom Riddle foreshadowing is going to fix that. Still, as I mentioned earlier, even the worst Harry Potter book is still a very decent read otherwise.

6. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

Potterheads usually praise the way The Goblet of Fire twists the narrative with its ending, and I couldn’t agree more with that sentiment, yet when all is said and done, the idea of spending the majority of the book in the Triwizard Tournament makes for a structure that’s awry and incongruous. Then again, maybe J.K. Rowling intended it to be that way from the beginning. Cedric Diggory’s sudden death marks a discernible change in tone for the series and continues to haunt Harry himself to the end of the series.

5. Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone

The Philosopher’s Stone is the book that started it all; the book that asked its readers to come aboard the express train and leave their disbelief behind, for on the other side of that mountain of pragmatism lay a world unlike anything they’d ever imagined. A world that restored the innocence of our youth and made it possible to believe — even if temporarily, even if for the brief while of holding the book in our hands — that magic was real. And yet, it is only a testament to Rowling’s literary and storytelling accomplishments with the rest of the series that I’m compelled to put The Philosopher’s Stone all the way up here.

4. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

The Prisoner of Azkaban is now considered a cult classic both in the cinematic medium and the literary domain that gave it birth, and it mostly has to do with the third act of the book, where Harry and Hermione use the latter’s Time Turner to save Sirius Black. That’s not the reason, however, that I think so highly of it. In fact, what I love about The Prisoner of Azkaban is what the second book, The Chamber of Secrets , failed to accomplish. In many ways, The Prisoner of Azkaban feels like a natural continuation of the Harry Potter series, not only building on its mythos, but also giving us more information about Harry’s past and legacy.

3. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

The Half-Blood Prince is probably the most controversial Harry Potter book, but the movie version has made Potterheads appreciate it for its subtleties. The memories we see of Tom Riddle in this book really build him up as a villain. If Voldemort was a cartoonish monster to be thwarted in The Philosopher’s Stone , and yet again several times after it, this is where readers began to fear his twisted mind truly. He Who Must Not Be Named is here, and fans are going to realize just what that means for the Wizarding World. (And yes, all those Harry/Ginny moments also contribute to The Half-Blood Prince ’s amazing pace, unlike the movie, which totally butchered their relationship.)

2. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

I love it when stories get political and show us the undercurrents of a fictional world, and The Order of the Phoenix certainly fits that criteria. Voldemort is back, but nobody is willing to believe Harry or Dumbledore. What’s more, the Ministry is actively trying to undermine Hogwarts and more specifically Dumbledore’s authority in it. This leads to the creation of Dumbledore’s Army by Harry and their eventual fight with the Deatheaters at the end of the book. The Order of the Phoenix marks one of the most emotionally devastating moments for Harry when Bellatrix kills Sirius, and that is followed up by an epic fight between Dumbledore and Voldemort. I mean, if you thought their fight in the movie was climactic, just wait until you read how it goes down in the books.

1. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Whenever a beloved series is coming to an end, there’s an incredible amount of pressure on its creator to deliver on the high expectations. For J.K. Rowling, that pressure must have been crippling. Yet the author confidently strides in with The Deathly Hallows and brings the story to a satisfying conclusion. Sure, some things would’ve worked better if they had more time to simmer, but with what she decided to work with, J.K. delivered an amazing final chapter to the story of the Boy Who Lived. Even now, I’m left utterly gobsmacked and in tears when I read “The Prince’s Tale” chapter. Yes, even after all these years. Always…

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 .

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

Harry Potter Retrospective The 80s and 90s Uncensored

Society & Culture

In 1997, a book was published that would sell millions of copies, spawn multiple sequels, spinoffs, fan fiction, movies, toys, and theme parks. And that book was “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone” or “Sorcerer’s Stone” for US readers. In this episode of “The 80s and 90s Uncensored” the guys discuss the Harry Potter books and the impact they had on the world. For More from the 80s and 90s visit Web: the80sand90s.com Instagram: @The80sand90sCom YouTube: The 80s and 90s Overlooked If you enjoy this episode, don't keep it a secret, tell a friend and/or share it on social media so others can experience it as well.

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Every Harry Potter Book, Ranked

Here is every book from the immensely popular Harry Potter franchise, ranked from worst to best.

The Hogwarts Library books are fun additions to the Harry Potter series, providing flavor to certain aspects of the lore and making great reads for fans.
Quidditch Through the Ages is the most interesting of the three Hogwarts Library books, detailing the evolution of Quidditch and providing great details about the beloved sport.
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is a companion book that explores the magical creatures of the wizarding world, offering fans a chance to learn more about these creatures portrayed in the Fantastic Beasts series.

The Harry Potter books are among the most successful of all time, and they continue to capture the minds of readers around the world to this day. Moreover, with the release of Hogwarts Legacy and the news that HBO will be making a TV series based on the books, Harry Potter is just as relevant as ever.

Harry Potter: The Best Everyday Magical Items

The seven main Harry Potter books follow Harry through his seven years at Hogwarts, and just as Harry's journey gets more complex over time, so do the books themselves. The best Harry Potter books are full of mystery, great characters, and a Hogwarts Express-load of nostalgia.

Updated March 18, 2024, by Joe Grantham: Although the books from the main series following Harry himself will always remain the best, there are a few other books set in the beloved wizarding world. The Hogwarts Library books, for example, are fictional books from the series that have since been brought to life by J.K. Rowling and published for muggles to read. As small, fun books that add flavor to certain aspects of the lore, these are great reads for Harry Potter fans.

10 The Tales of Beedle the Bard

A collection of magical short stories.

A Hogwarts Library book.
Published in 2008.

The Tales of Beedle the Bard is a collection of five fairy tales that would be read to wizarding children such as Ron Weasley. In Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows , Hermione Granger is bequeathed this book by Albus Dumbledore and subsequently reads out The Tale of the Three Brothers .

While the tales are rather captivating in their own right, it is arguably the least interesting of the three Hogwarts Library Books as other than the tale relating to the Deathly Hallows, the other stories aren't related as much to the aspects of the wizarding world that fans love.

9 Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

A great compendium for lovers of magical creatures.

Published in 2001.

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is a companion book for the Harry Potter series and a real textbook that Harry and other first-year Hogwarts students were expected to purchase. Written by Newt Scamander, who went on to become the main character of the film by the same name, the book is a history of magizoology, and accompanied by illustrations, details 85 magical creatures from all around the world.

It is a fun, witty book that fully encapsulates the magic and wonder of the wizarding world, and it is a perfect read in conjunction with the Fantastic Beasts series, as fans will learn so much about the magical creatures portrayed. Many of the cutest beasts in Hogwarts Legacy were also first documented in this textbook.

8 Quidditch Through the Ages

A brilliant insight into the history of quidditch.

The best Hogwarts Library book out of the three is Quidditch Through the Ages, which was written by J.K. Rowling under the pseudonym Kennilworthy Whisp an expert on the sport. In fact, Hermione Granger once read the book herself before learning to fly, before passing it on to Harry, who needed an introduction to the sport he was about to star in. Quidditch Through the Ages is a fairly quick read that details the evolution and subsequent rise of Quidditch from Queerditch Marsh to the number one wizarding sport around the world.

As Quidditch is one of the most beloved aspects of the Harry Potter series, many readers will love that the book is filled to the brim with plenty of great details about the sport that could not have been covered in the main series. It is also awash with anecdotes, including invented primary sources such as letters from medieval witches and wizards.

7 Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone

A cozy introduction to the series, perfect for children.

1st book in the Harry Potter series.
Published in 1997.

The first Harry Potter book is a great introduction to the wizarding world for both Harry and the reader. As the shortest book and one which was very much written for children, Harry Potter and t he Philosopher's Stone is fairly simple when compared with the later books. It also lacks the interwoven plots and three-dimensional characters that make the rest of the series so great.

Harry Potter: 17 Best Voldemort Quotes

Nevertheless, the joy of experiencing Hogwarts for the first time is something that can never be replicated, even two decades after its release. Furthermore, Harry and the first-time reader suspecting Snape only to be proven wrong not only works great for this book but the series as a whole.

6 Harry Potter and the Chamber Of Secrets

A fun mystery that introduces darker elements.

2nd book in the Harry Potter series.
Published in 1998.

In many ways, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets is the perfect sequel, building upon the foundations laid out in the first book. While still essentially a children's book, darker themes are played out as Harry, Ron, and Hermione try to figure out who is opening the Chamber of Secrets.

Still lacking the complexity of the books that follow, it is hard to compare the second book to its successors. That being said, it is easy to forget that nobody could have predicted the culprit was technically Ginny Weasley on their first read. Even more impressive is the fact that this book also sets up plenty for future books, such as Horcruxes and all of the Dark artifacts that Draco sees in Borgin and Burkes.

5 Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

The longest book, full of immersion & coming of age elements.

5th book in the Harry Potter series.
Published in 2003.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is the longest of the books, which can be off-putting for some, but diehard fans know it as one of the most immersive books and are thankful for all the detail. Its length also means that plenty had to be cut for the film , thus putting even more emphasis on cherished book-only scenes.

The weird thing with The Order of the Phoenix is that the main antagonist, Professor Umbridge, is so well-written that her irritating nature can be a little overbearing. Nevertheless, the spirit of comradery, which spawns in spite of her, produces some of the most wholesome moments in the entire series, from Professor McGonagall defending Harry's career interests to Peeves saluting Fred and George.

4 Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

The most underrated harry potter book full of mystery & characters missing from the film.

4th book in the Harry Potter series.
Published in 2000.

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire is one of the most underrated Harry Potter books, in part due to the film adaptation that failed to deliver on depth. When fans return to this book, they quickly realize just how much was missing from the film and how great of a book it is.

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Other than the wealth of characters and multiple plot lines that are woven together, one of the best things about The Goblet of Fire is undoubtedly the Quidditch World Cup final. The end of the book also signals a change for both the reader and Harry, with the death of Cedric Diggory setting the tone perfectly for the last three books.

3 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

An adventure away from hogwarts with an epic conclusion.

7th book in the Harry Potter series.
Published in 2007.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is the final book in the series and the perfect end to the story. Despite much of the book not taking place at Hogwarts, following Harry, Ron, and Hermione on their quest to find and destroy Horcruxes is a page-turning joy.

As the golden trio navigates the wider wizarding world, they also have to come to terms with being forced into adulthood early. One of the best Harry Potter book scenes not included in the movies is when Harry stands up to Lupin, who is shying away from his role as a father. Nevertheless, that cannot top the revelations about Snape and the sacrifices he made, putting moments from previous books into a whole new light.

2 Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

A perfect self-contained mystery with highly satisfying twists.

3rd book in the Harry Potter series.
Published in 1999.

Just like the movie, the Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban book is an absolute masterpiece and even works brilliantly as a standalone. With fantastic characters like Remus Lupin and Sirius Black introduced and an engaging plot full of twists and turns, it is easy to see why this book is a fan favorite.

The scene inside the Shrieking Shack, where everything comes together and all is revealed about Sirius' innocence, is one of the best moments in the entire book series and still delivers after multiple reads. The book also acts as a bridge between the first two installments, which are much more catered to a younger audience, and the rest of the series, which gets progressively darker. The Prisoner of Azkaban perfectly strikes a balance between the two.

1 Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

The perfect hogwarts story with flashbacks to voldemort's past.

6th book in the Harry Potter series.
Published in 2005.

Although all of them are great, arguably the best Harry Potter book is the sixth in the series, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince . By this point in the story, Harry has already come to terms with his fate, and he and the rest of the wizarding world are bracing themselves for the impending war. As the last book set entirely at Hogwarts, it brilliantly showcases the highs and lows of life at the esteemed school of witchcraft and wizardry.

One of the best aspects of the book is the time Harry and Dumbledore spend in the Pensieve looking into Tom Riddle's past, including the memory that delves into the sad lives of the Gaunt family. Draco Malfoy's struggle in The Half-Blood Prince also helps solidify this book as one of the best. Rereading this masterpiece after finishing the last book hits even harder and makes Dumbledore's "Severus, please" one of the best lines in the entire series .

Infinite Craft: How to Make Harry Potter

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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.

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Harry Potter Star Doubles Down on the Wizarding World Not Being for Adults: 'Grow Up!'

Miriam Margolyes has reasserted her belief that the Harry Potter franchise is just for kids.

Harry Potter actress believes the series is just for children, urging adults to move on from their obsession with the franchise.
Margolyes, who played Professor Sprout, thinks it's time to forget about Harry Potter , which was 25 years ago – "grow up!"
A Harry Potter reboot series is in the works for 2026, aiming to re-adapt the seven novels for both new and old audiences.

Wonderfully outspoken actress Miriam Margolyes has commented further on how, she believes, the Harry Potter series is just for kids, and that adults who remain tethered to the Wizarding World franchise need to “forget about it.” In an interview on Australia’s ABC News Breakfast , Margolyes shared her advice with grown-ups who continue to be obsessed with Harry Potter , saying...

“I’m not unhappy about it. I just think that it’s for children. And if your balls have dropped, then it’s time to forget about it. You know, go on to other things.”

Margolyes, who starred as Professor Sprout in 2002’s Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets and again in the 2011 finale Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 , said that she does think it’s “a great series, and “a wonderful set of films,” but thinks those of a certain age should get over it.

“But it was 25 years ago. Grow up!”

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Her most recent comments come following some earlier, equally frank remarks about the Harry Potter series being “for children,” and her concern for adults who still request Harry Potter-related things from her through Cameo for events such as weddings.

“I worry about Harry Potter fans because they should be over that by now. It was 25 years ago, and it’s for children. I think it’s for children. They get stuck in it. I do Cameos, and people say, ‘We’re having a Harry Potter-themed wedding, and I think, ‘Gosh, what’s their first night of fun going to be?’ I can’t even think about it. No.”

A Harry Potter Reboot Series Is Now in the Works

Harry potter.

Based on the novels by (the now divisive) author J. K. Rowling, the Harry Potter series is nothing less than a global phenomenon and one of the most recognized franchises in literary and cinematic history. Chronicling the adventures of a boy named Harry Potter, who discovers that he is really a wizard and is whisked away to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, the movies first began back in 2001 with Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone before ending with its eighth installment Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 in 2011.

While Miriam Margolyes thinks the world of Harry Potter is just for children, Warner Bros. and Max are hoping that’s not the case, with the studios now developing a new take on the novels . A series, which will be released on the streaming platform, has now been given a release window of 2026 , and will see the seven novels re-adapted for a new (and old) audience.

"We spent some real time with J.K. and her team,” said David Zaslav, President of Warner Bros. Discovery, about the series. “Both sides are just thrilled to be reigniting this franchise. Our conversations were great, and we couldn’t be more excited about what’s ahead. We can’t wait to share a decade of new stories with fans around the world on Max."

The Harry Potter reboot series is due to be released in 2026 on Max.

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COMMENTS

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone Review
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 ...
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
J.K. Rowling. 4.47. 9,989,586 ratings161,136 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.
[Book Review] 'Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone' by J.K. Rowling
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 years (for those who have used the stone :p) who want to be mesmerized by an enigmatic world.
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 and the Philosopher's Stone by J.K. Rowling
TMandy. One of my favourite books is Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by J.K. Rowling. It is a story about Harry Potter, an orphan brought up by his aunt and uncle because his parents were ...
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by J.K. Rowling
Emilypotter. Harry Potter thinks he is a perfectly normal boy. Unfortunately, he lives with his hot-tempered Uncle Vernon, his nosy Aunt Petunia and his bullying cousin, Dudley, who all make Harry ...
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
J.K. Rowling and Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. Rowling started writing ' Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone' around June 1990. When on a train journey to London, she suddenly conjured a story of a small, black-haired boy with spectacles going to a wizarding school. She took around 5-6 years to write this book.
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by JK Rowling book review
Find out in Harry Potter and the philosopher's stone . This book is great for all ages.The author J.K Rowling created a world full of adventure,fun and mystical places and creatures.This is only the first book from a set of seven.People all around the world would love this series.This book is one of the greatest books I have ever read.
Book review: Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by J.K. Rowling
I would recommend Harry Potter to absolutely everybody. It transcends the fantasy or YA genres some would argue it fits into. The Philosopher's Stone is a very solid first book and you can see why (after her many attempts to actually have it accepted by publishers - google it) J.K. Rowling hit a home run with this first novel.
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
Professor Quirinus Quirrell dies at the end of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. He is possessed by Lord Voldemort, and when he tries to attack Harry, his skin starts flaking rapidly. This is because anything Voldemort possesses cannot touch Harry's skin. After all, he is protected by the old magic of love from his mother.
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone is a fantasy novel written by British author J. K. Rowling. ... Newspapers outside Scotland started to notice the book, with glowing reviews in The Guardian and The Sunday Times and in September 1997 Books for Keeps, a magazine that specialised in children's books, gave the novel four stars out of five.
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, the first novel in the immensely popular Harry Potter series by British writer J.K. Rowling.It was first published in Britain in 1997 and appeared in the United States the following year under the title Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone.The book's imaginative story line about a boy wizard made it an enduring hit with both children and adults.
Harry Potter And The Philosopherʼs Stone Book Review
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, the first book in the beloved Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling, takes readers on a magical adventure filled with friendship, courage, and the power of love. The story follows a young boy named Harry Potter who discovers he is a wizard on his eleventh birthday and is whisked away to Hogwarts School ...
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone is a YA magical fantasy written by JK Rowling. It was first published in 1997. It is the first book in the Harry Potter series. Synopsis (acc. to Goodreads) Harry Potter's life is miserable. His parents are dead and he's stuck with his heartless relatives, who force him to…
Book Review: Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone is J.K. Rowling' debut novel, the first novel in the Harry Potter series, first published in 1997 by Bloomsbury. It was published a year later in the United States as Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by Scholastic Corporation. The novel won most of the British book awards that…
Harry Potter: 10 Differences Between The Philosopher's Stone Book & The
No book-to-film adaptation is perfect, but for a long time, Harry Potter fans have felt that The Philosopher's Stone was the closest to perfect that fandom got. The film honored the integrity of the book and even lifted dialogue directly from the source material. It also did a good job of launching the movie fandom — without the success of ...
Harry Potter And The Philosopher's Stone review
Oppenheimer wins big at the 2024 Oscars, with Poor Things and The Zone of Interest also picking up awards. . It isn't stretching the truth to say that Harry Potter And The Philosopher's Stone has ...
Book Review: Harry Potter And The Philosopher's Stone by J.K Rowling
"Read ten thousand books, and your pen will be guided as if by God" is an ancient Chinese idiom. J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone is a timeless masterpiece that has enchanted readers of all ages since its publication.This debut novel introduces us to a world where magic is not just a concept but a way of life, blending the ordinary with the extraordinary in a seamless ...
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by JK Rowling
Sun 27 Oct 2013 05.00 EDT. Harry Potter is an orphan brought up by his aunt and uncle who do not like him at all. Together with his cousin Dudley they wish that he didn't exist at all and make him ...
Harry Potter And The Philosopher's Stone Review
Sympathetic and strong, brave and believably ordinary, he becomes the audience's counterpart in this weird world of witches and wizards. Even though a few of the book's scenes have been cut, fans ...
An Ordinary Life That Sparks an Extraordinary Adventure: Harry Potter
Analysis of the theme of the book "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone" by J.K. Rowling is the first book in the immensely popular Harry Potter series, and it introduces several key themes ...
Should adult Harry Potter fans 'grow up and get over it'?
However, Lindsey Fraser who was one of the first book critics to write a review of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone in 1997 for The Scotsman said: "The books are definitely children's books.
All 'Harry Potter' Books Ranked Worst to Best
All 'Harry Potter' books ranked worst to best From 'The Philosopher's Stone' to 'The Deathly Hallows' Jonathan Wright Mar 21, 2024 2:32 pm 2024-03-21T14:33:09-05:00
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 ...
‎The 80s and 90s Uncensored: Harry Potter ...
In 1997, a book was published that would sell millions of copies, spawn multiple sequels, spinoffs, fan fiction, movies, toys, and theme parks. And that book was "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone" or "Sorcerer's Stone" for US readers. In this episode of "The 80s and 90s Uncensored" the guys…
Every Harry Potter Book, Ranked
6th book in the Harry Potter series. Published in 2005. Although all of them are great, arguably the best Harry Potter book is the sixth in the series, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. By ...
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone review
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 ...
Harry Potter Star Doubles Down on the Wizarding World Not ...
Harry Potter actress believes the series is just for children, urging adults to move on from their obsession with the franchise.; Margolyes, who played Professor Sprout, thinks it's time to forget ...