Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (Book 1)

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Summary: Seth Eshleman's book review
Review: Harry Potter is the only person who survived the curse of Voldemort, killing Voldemort as well, but leaving Harry with a thunderbolt scar on his forehead. after 11 years of torture from his aunt and uncle and his bratty cousin dudley, hogwarts sends for him to come to hogwarts school of witchcraft and wizardry. there he meets ron and hermione, his two first best friends, and Malfoy, his new rival. he also meets hagrid, who is the keeper of keys at hogwarts. throughout his first school year, he encounters a fight with a troll on halloween, quidditch games as the youngest seeker for gryffindor in a century, midterms and classes, horrible snape as his potions master, learning about the world his family was from, and trying to uncover the mystery of the sorcerer's stone, and why voldemort is after it.

this book is a very good book that will keep you reading it until you realize that it is one o'clock in the morning and you began reading the book and 7 o'clock at night. ok maybe not that much reading, but it is still a good book.

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Summary: The One Book that Started It All: the Harry Potter-Mania
Review: Harry Potter, a fatherless and motherless boy, has never seen a unicorn, has never heard of wizards or witches, and has not a clue what Quidditch means. The only thing that Harry has ever experience is the miserable life that the Dursley's have given him for the first ten years of his life. But everything changes when letters from no one start arriving at the Dursleys addressed to him. Also on the same day that Harry turns eleven years old, a giant of a man arrives at the place where Harry and the Dursleys are staying and tells Harry that he is a wizard and that him, Harry, has been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
At Hogwarts, Harry does not only meet new friends like Ron Weasly or Hermoine Granger, or enemies like Draco Malfoy, or learns about magic and how to fly on a broom. He also come face to face with Lord Voldemort, his life-time enemy and the person that killed his parents and tried to killed him but only managed to give him a scar on his forehead in the shape of a lighting bolt. But is Harry ready to survive this new life that has been hidden for him for a long time, and is he ready to take hold of the destiny that awaits for him...from now on?

And once "The Sorcerer's Stone" is picked up, can it be put down? Well, I know I could not do it. The world created by JKR is the most amazing and fantastical trance. I loved every single word found in this amazing tale of modern fantasy. Harry Potter is a true hero because is he not only a wizard but a teenager with human characteristics.

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Summary: An Excellent Introduction to an Unforgettable Story
Review: I have now read the entire series of Harry Potter books three times, and am in the process of reading them aloud to my six year old daughter. She and my four year old laugh out loud and really enjoy them, but they are also witty and well-written enough for me (obviously). These books are doing a lot to increase her vocabulary and develop a love for books, besides being funny and engaging stories. When my son was a newborn, this is what I read while pacing the floors with him at 6 am.

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Summary: A Thrilling Book That Should Be A Classic
Review: I'll be the first to admit that I am extremely late in joining the Harry Potter craze. My youngest daughter wanted to read it, so we read it together, and was I ever pleasantly surprised!

This book introduces us to the mysterious Harry Potter. He lives a somewhat normal and incredibly dull life with his aunt and uncle for eleven years, until he receives a letter from a wizardry school named Hogwarts. With some help from his new found friend, Hagrid, he learns that he is not so normal after all. He is, by heritage, a wizard, and he just happens to be famous.

This first book introduces us to many different and interesting characters, and sets Harry up with two really good friends in Ron and Hermione. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone allows every reader's imagination to run wild, as the descriptive scenes make for nice, fast reading.

J. K. Rowling put together a true masterpiece in this book. Not only did it set the stage for the following books, but it allowed the reader to feel like he was right there within the story. This is one well written book, as it has a little bit of everything: a myriad of well-developed characters, mystery, suspense, conflict of good vs. evil, and an amazing ending that I personally didn't see coming. This was a truly good book and a pleasure to read. This book should be enjoyed by readers of all ages.

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Summary: Introducing Harry Potter...
Review: It's difficult to put your finger on exactly what makes this series stand out from the hundreds of other books about children having magical encounters. The idea of having an unhappy boy leave a troubled home to spend time in an enchanted world isn't so incredible that it stands out from its peers. And given the premise of a wizardry school, all of the other charming elements (wizard professors, magical lessons, an evil foe better left unmentioned) seem almost automatic.

And yet, these books have captured the hearts of millions, this in a time when a book is hard pressed to make itself known among all of the other types of attention-grabbing entertainment.

I suppose the special magic of the Harry Potter series is the result of lots of little things done right. The dialogue is well done, sounding realistically British to my American ears.. The characters are well done, evoking emotion. The plot and pacing are well done, keeping us interested and turning pages even as new wonders are introduced for us to marvel at. Most of all, the little flourishes which flesh out the magical world are well done. Trading cards on which the pictures move. Goblins managing the bank vaults. The excitement of Quidditch, and the presitge associated with owning the most expensive model of broomstick. All of these touches are done in a way that seems very realistic, and there's a consistency within Harry's world which seems very realistic. The world of wizards is exactly like the world of Muggles, except that it has magic in it.

The annual cycle of the school year is also perfect for a series, allowing a formula for comforting elements, but enough variety to make each book stand on its own.

This first book sets up the series, and gives us a first glimpse at all of the characters that we will eventually come to love and hate. Harry, Hermione, Dumbledore, Hagrid, the Weasleys, Snape, Malfoy, the Dursleys, and you-know-who (among others) all make their first appearance to great effect.

This series may not come up to the level of the classic greats, such as the Chronicles of Narnia, but it is immensely entertaining, and very much worth reading, for children and adults alike.


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Summary: Good First Book
Review: Not a bad book. Very different from the movie in several distinctive places. Quick reading, very linear plot-line and simple character development. The book finishes on a high note that has you wanting more information on the characters, the school of Hogwarts, and really leaves you wanting more from the next book.

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Summary: Wow!
Review: OK, I'll admit I didn't read the Harry Potter books on purpose, and I thought the lines of people waiting outside bookstores at midnight for the latest release were just clever hype.

Then I thought, I might as well read the first one so I can cleverly rebut people who gush on and on about how wonderful the series is, and how much it motivated their kid to read when they've never cracked a book in their life.

Now, of course, I'm hooked.

The theme of the books is pretty standard: underdog hero overcomes incredible odds to achieve victory; good triumphs over evil. What I didn't expect is that the author, J.K. Rowling, has a rare talent that she shares, I believe, with such authors as Mark Twain: she brings characters to life, and she makes you want to read "just a little bit more" to see what happens next. These books are *compelling* reads! I now understand exactly why kids who are not "bookish" will wait in line all night to get the next one!

Highly recommended for all ages!

(...)

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Summary: Sorcerer's Stone - an enchanting read?
Review: The sorcerer's Stone is the debuet of the fantasticaly imaginative 'Harry Potter' series. As I live in England, I read the 'Philosiphers Stone' but I'm sure it's pretty much the same. The sorcerer's Stone is about a 10yr old boy called Harry Potter (in case you didn't know), a usual, boring sounding name....... but Harry is not an ordinary boring boy....... and his strangeness goes deeper than a lightening shaped scar.... The real talent by J.K Rowling is that she manages to break the usual stream of 'Fairy Tales' involving witches and wizards etc. Instead of being bored by a mundane novel involving totaly unbelievable blue-eyed fairies and wicked witches, you find yourself being swept up in a fast-moveing, detailed world where the idea of sudenly finding out you have magical powers seems completely normal. In fact, after reading this book you have to blink and re-adjust to reality. J.K Rowling manages to create a character who is so lifelike you find yourself feeling sorry for Harry as he falls headfirst into a dangerous adventure on his first term at the strangely named 'Hogwarts' school for wizards.........

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Summary: A Great Read for Children and Adults Alike
Review: The year 1997 was the beginning of a literary phenomenon with the release of the first Harry Potter book entitled "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone" (a.k.a. "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone") by J.K. Rowling. The story is about an 11 year old boy named Harry Potter, who is an orphan being raised by his very unpleasant Uncle Vernon Dursley and Aunt Petunia (his mother's sister). Unknown to Harry, he has magical powers and occasionally (and unknowingly) makes things happen that greatly upset the Dursley's. However, the Dursley's know that Harry has magical powers because Harry's deceased parents (James and Lily Potter) were a wizard and a witch. A very powerful wizard named Albus Dumbledore had left the infant Harry on the Dursley's doorstep following his parents' deaths. The Dursley's own son, Dudley, is the same age as Harry and treats Harry very badly.

Upon Harry's 11th birthday, he receives a letter: something that has never happened before. The Dursley's won't let him open the letter and become very upset when they read it, but more letters begin to arrive for Harry. In spite of Vernon's efforts, Harry finally gets to read the letter when Hagrid (the groundskeeper at the Hogwart's School of Witchcraft and Wizardry) bursts in to personally deliver Harry's letter, which is his invitation to attend Hogwarts. Harry at first doesn't believe that he is a wizard, but agrees to leave with Hagrid and his life is never the same again. He learns about muggles, goblins, wizards, witches and magic. He also gets to meet Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger, Albus Dumbledore, Professor McGonagall, and a host of other wizards and witches.

What inspired me to start reading the Harry Potter books was seeing the first two feature films based upon this book and the next book, "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets". I was very impressed with the amount of detail in the book that did not make its way into the first feature film and understood how much the film deviated from the original story. One of the biggest differences is the amount of attention given to characters in the book that only had minor roles in the film including Neville Longbottom, the Weasley twins and Dudley Dursley. Also, a few characters in the book don't appear in the feature film at all. The other major difference between the story presented in the feature film and the book is changing of when things are said and done, which is understandable considering the length of the film. (It took me about 8 hours to read the book and the feature film is 2.5 hours.)

Overall, I rate "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" with 5 out of 5 stars and highly recommend it to anyone that enjoys reading fun and exciting stories that encourage the imagination.

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Summary: The first year at Hogwarts
Review: This is Harry's first year at Hogwarts.Hagrid,finds Harry on his 12th birthday and tells him he is a wizard and he has been excepted to Hogwarts Witch craft and Wizardry.Harry and Hargid travel to the Leaky Coldrin were they unlock a way to buy the supplies for school. After that they go to the train station,then he meets Ron and Hermionie on the train.Through the book Harry learns alot about how his parents died and how the lightning shaped scar got on his forhead.Wile at school Harry, Ron ,and Hermionie adventure were no students are suposed to go.There they meet a three headed dog named Fluffy.Fluffy was garding a secret passage way that led to the Sorcerer's stone, there they incounter devil's snare,flying keys, "wizard chess",and Harry on his own has to face Lord Voldemort the one who put the curse on Harry.In the end Harry defeats Voldemort and Griffindor wins the house cup by 5 points thanks to Nevil who stood up to his friends.All is good for Harry, he found out he was a wizard,how his parents died, how he got the scar on his head and best of all he made friends.