Review of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

 

Review of “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone” by J.K. Rowling

I was surprised to find that the first book, The Sorcerer's Stone was very much in line with the movie version, with some minor plot changes. Probably because the first book is not very long. I know they'll have to cut out more in the movies as the books get longer. One of the things that I liked in the book, was the characterization and time spent with the Durselys. They are quite despicable people, and the reader quickly understands why Harry hates living with them. The book also explains how the Dursley's ended up in a stone house on an island, which I always wondered from the movie.

Every time I would tell someone that I haven't read the Harry Potter books, I would get people looking at me like there was something wrong with me. Many friends and family have told me that I should read them because they are great books, despite being for children or young adults. Now, after all these years I have finally gotten around to reading the Harry Potter books. For a long time I was turned off by the length of the last few books, it is intimidating. For years I had a rule of not to read anything over 500 pages. But recently I have gotten into audio books; which makes long books easier to get through for me. Having grown up liking the movies, I was familiar with the overall story of Harry Potter. That made it easier to visualize the wizarding world of the books.

The book does a good job of showing how Harry, Ron and Hermione spend their time during the school year. Some thing I think the movies have a more difficult time establishing. Author J.K. Rowling balances introducing the audience to the world, but doesn't get bogged down in minuscule details. We know only what we need to know for the story with a few extra details just for fun. One of the big changes with the book from the movie, is that we get more time with some of the other students, some of which are barely mentioned in the movies. This adds to the world building and makes Hogwarts feel like a diverse school. One of the characters that was cut out of the movies is Ron's older brother Charlie. He's mentioned a few times in the movies but we never see him. So, I was surprised to see that Charlie appears, briefly, in this first book.

Having seen the movie, I already knew that professor Quirrel was the bad guy and not Snape. However, even knowing that, Rowling does such a good job not over playing professor Quirrel's role and really making Snape a suspicious character. As the story goes on, you learn that is just how Snape always acts. I also love the relationship between Hagrid and Harry (as well as Ron and Hermione) that is established in this book. Hagrid is Harry's first guide into the wizarding world and the school of Hogwarts. He also inadvertently aids the kids with information as they try to unravel the mystery of the sorcerers stone.

With all of the hype about Harry Potter over the years, my expectations for the books were high. I think my viewing of the movies have sort of tempered how I can experience the book, because I already know how important Harry Potter is, both in the universe and in pop culture. So, reading the first book, it just felt just a good YA fantasy novel, but because I know it's special, I didn't get that wonderment that people would have had when the book first came out. I am excited to read the next books, though. I happy I am finally getting around to reading Harry Potter.

You can buy "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" here or read it for free with Amazon Prime.

Thank you for reading and be sure to check back every week as I dive into the wizarding world. I'll be reviewing all 7 books and other stories from the PotterVerse, such as Fantastic Beasts (not the screenplay) and The Tales of Beedle the Bard. So stay tuned to the blog for new posts every week until Christmas! Thanks for reading and be sure to follow the blog on social media for all the updates. 

Read my review for Neil Gaiman's fairy tale "Troll Bridge".

If you like to read stories on WattPad, then you're in luck! Because I have recently posted some short stories on WattPad! Get ready for Halloween by reading my spooky/thriller inspired stories. 

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