Book Information

Author: J.K.Rowling
Genre: Fantasy, Children's Fiction
Published: Bloomsbury, June 1997

About the Book

Mr H. Potter
The Cupboard under the Stairs
4 Privet Drive
Little Whinging
SURREY

Harry Potter is used to a world without magic – his miserable aunt and uncle make sure of that. But then mysterious letters start arriving, each addressed to Harry in emerald-green ink. Change tingles in the air. Adventure awaits. For Harry Potter is no ordinary boy – he is a wizard and nothing will ever be the same again…

My Review

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone is one of the first books I remember becoming obsessed with and I still am to this day. I got lost in the magic of the wizarding world. I fell in love with the story. The characters were ones I could see myself as, ones that I thoroughly enjoyed reading about.

The book is the first of seven, as we start to follow Harry Potter’s journey into the wizarding world. After an encounter with Voldemort as a baby, he becomes an orphan and lives with his Aunt Petunia, Uncle Vernon and his cousin, Dudley. He is miserable for 11 years until a giant called Hagrid tells him that he’s a wizard.

In the first instalment of this incredible series, he begins his life at Hogwarts, begins to learn magic, plays Quidditch and becomes friends with Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger.

One of my favourite things about the book is discovering the wizarding world alongside Harry. Everything is new to him, so we get to experience Hogwarts, Diagon Alley, Quidditch and magic for the first time with him. I loved discovering all the little details that make the world feel so real, from the moving staircases at Hogwarts to the magical shops and the different subjects Harry learns. It is so easy to get completely lost in the world, which is probably one of the reasons I have enjoyed rereading it so many times.

Character-wise, my favourite is definitely Hermione Granger. To those who don’t know her, she seems to be a bossy know-it-all, who excels at her studies, but once she befriends Harry and Ron, you quickly discover that she is so much more than that. Kind. Intelligent. Brave. Those are just a few of the very many words I could use to describe her. The author, JK Rowling, said that “Hermione really is an exaggeration of me”, and I feel the same. I also really like the lovable character of Rubeus Hagrid, who helps the trio discover the goings-on concerning the Philosopher’s Stone. Of course, he told the trio things he shouldn’t have! I also really liked the characters of Professor Minerva McGonagall and Headmaster Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore.

I think one of the reasons I love Hermione so much is that she isn't simply the clever one of the trio. She is incredibly loyal and brave, and although she can sometimes be bossy, she is also willing to admit when she is wrong. I love watching the friendship between Harry, Ron and Hermione develop throughout the book, because they each bring something different to the trio. Hermione's knowledge and ability to think logically often get them out of difficult situations, while Harry and Ron have their own strengths too. Together, they make such a brilliant team.

Overall, I love this book and it takes a special place in my heart, 5 stars and the shelf reserved for my favourites. If you are lucky enough to own the illustrated or MinaLima editions, you must agree that the artwork is beautiful. I have reread this book eight times, and am in the process of reading it for a ninth time!

Look out for the other reviews on the remaining 6 books, the scripts for the Fantastic Beasts series and the script for The Cursed Child.