Harry Potter & the Philosopher's Stone - J. K. Rowling

RATING: FIVE STARS

Harry Potter is a normal boy, even if he is a bit downtrodden by the aunt and uncle he lives with. Harry's life at 10 Private Drive leaves much to be wanted: he is bullied by his family, forced to live in the cupboard under the stairs and has very few possessions, let alone friends! You can imagine Harry's surprise when he is visited by a giant of a man, a man who claims he is the grounds keeper for Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

For Harry is a wizard and his mundane life becomes one of spectacular imagination in an instant. Not only does he have magical powers which he can hone in one of the best wizarding schools in the world, but he quickly finds out that he's a celebrity. Harry Potter is the Boy Who Lived, surviving not a car crash as the Dursley's had told him, but being murdered by Lord Voldemort himself--the most powerful and evil sorcerer who has ever lived!

Yet not all of the attention Harry receives is for the best and, aside from new friends, he draws the eye of an evil that has been in hiding for the past 11 years. This evil, which should not be named, has its attention fixed on Harry, Hogwarts and a rare artificial of unimaginable power that is being hidden there--the philosopher's stone . . .

The Good
I grew up on Harry Potter as a child, being lucky enough to be at that perfect age when J. K. Rowling was actually writing them for my age! I remember falling in love with her characters and world from the first few pages of The Philosopher's Stone and reading this again (after about 10 years) was very nostalgic. What really impressed me though, was the sheer number of things I had missed or taken for granted as a child and I had forgotten what a talented writer Rowling actually is. Her characterisation and dialogue is simply stunning and she created a whole host of unique, believable characters that can easily be related to in a staggeringly short amount of time.

What's more, is now I know what's going to happen in the series (as I imagine you do), I was amazed at how ever clever Rowling's writing is. The book is filled with hints and clues to not only what's going to happen at the end of the first, but hints at what is going to happen in later books! Rowling clearly knew exactly where the series was going right from the start, which only adds to the depth of the world and proves the ability of her writing!

I don't really need to talk about the quality of the story here, since you'll be more than familiar with it, but why not? The Philosopher's Stone is an exciting book that's full of magic and imagination. It quickly drew me into the hidden world of wizards and witches and has left me with many day dreams of being a wizard at Hogwarts myself! This book is as good a reads for adults as it is for children and leaves the reader wanting for very little!

The Bad
It's a Harry Potter book . . . What more needs to be said?!

My Thoughts
Harry Potter & the Philosopher's Stone starts what is undoubtedly one of the greatest modern series in fantasy. The fact that it's so loved speaks as a testament to its quality and, if you're more familiar with the films than the books, it's high time you read them. Rowling writes with a fun, enjoyable style that you just breeze through and you can have read a dozen chapters before realising it. The book (and series as a whole) has a prized place on my Shelf of Fame and is truly deserving of that status!