Rating: 
Summary: What's the big deal?
Review: After all of the ranting and raving about the "Harry Potter" series, I decided to give the first book a try. To tell you the truth, although I'm in my early twenties, and maybe a little too old to enjoy this type of stuff, I really can't understand what the big deal is about Harry Potter. The story moves fairly fast, and centers on a teenage boy (Harry) whose parents are dead, and who is being raised by his horrible aunt and uncle, along with his bratty cousin. One day, after Harry learns that his parents had been "wizards," he is invited to attend a special school for wizards-in-the-training. Harry has also learned that he is very special, and has unique powers. When he arrives at the school, it is accidentally revealed to him that there is something special being stored in the school basement, that could affect his life. He finds himself getting into all sorts of trouble, as he decides to uncover what is being stored. Although the story was different than what you'll usually find in books, and not that bad, I still felt that this book was overrated.
Rating: 
Summary: Controversy over this book exaggerated! I enjoyed it!
Review: After all of the reviews and the scepticism of peers, I gavethis book a chance and didn't regret it. From cover to cover this book entertained me, taking me away from my daily hum-drum routine. I would recommend this book to anyone over the age of 10. Smaller children wouldn't understand all of the symbolism. Forget the warnings and endulge in a soon to be classic!
Rating:
Summary: Controversy over this book exaggerated! I enjoyed it!
Review: After all of the reviews and the scepticism of peers, I gavethis book a chance and didn't regret it. From cover to cover thisbook entertained me, taking me away from my daily hum-drum routine. I would recommend this book to anyone over the age of 10. Smaller children wouldn't understand all of the symbolism. Forget the warnings and endulge in a soon to be classic!
Rating:
Summary: Good but doesn't live up to the hype (could anything?)
Review: After all the hype and anticipation, I was somewhat disappointed by this. It's not that it's not a good book - it is - it's just not as enthralling or exhilarating as I expected it to be. The writing is excellent, starting out by depicting the painfully conventional family that Harry gets stuck with, then goes to Hogwart's, the wizard's school. But the plot is fairly predictable. Even the one twist I knew would be a twist, though I didn't suspect exactly how it would turn. And of course Harry (and friend's) heroics at the end earn their "house" the championship at the end of the school year. Entertaining, but it wasn't as good as I expected.
Rating: 
Summary: great for kids
Review: After all the hype, I finally decided to give it a try. Well... I see the interest it definitely has on children. The characters are present, and the read is easy and flowing.
I have to stop there when it is sold for grown ups though... it is too easy to see through it. Maybe one need a child soul to enjoy it... :)
Rating:
Summary: A disappointment
Review: After all the hype, this reader was expecting to be blown away. He wasn't.An anachronistic, ..., morally simplistic, not terribly engrossing tale. In short, good for kids or people who don't read many books. It makes me quite angry to think that JKR is one of the richest women in Britain when other, better authors are struggling in obscurity.
Rating:
Summary: Don't believe the hype; it's okay
Review: After all these weeks on the bestseller lists, I finally decided to pick up my brother's copy of HP&tSS and see what all the fuss was about. I didn't really go into it expecting a whole lot, and I didn't get it. Sure, this book is cute enough, with some likable interesting characters, and a few fun and zany ideas, but it was really nothing spectacular. Harry himself -- famous of no fault of his own, he does everything right, despite his lack of experience, seemingly by accident. This book has a lot of very stereotypical kids, and a lot of evil, Roald Dahl style grownups. This book wasn't bad, and is pretty entertaining and a quick read, but I have read many other, much better young readers books, including Thief of Always by Clive Barker, Neverending Story by Michael Ende, John Bellairs' House with a Clock in its Wall cycle, and Susan Coopers' Dark is Rising cycle, not to mention the classic Lion, Witch and Wardrobe series. This book was an okay example of YA literature, but it's nothing spectacular. There's plenty of much better fare out there, but there's also plenty worse.
Rating:
Summary: i finally read it
Review: After all this time I've finally started to read the Harry Potter series. I had planned on avoiding it still, but I figure anyone who makes a study of popular culture, the Potter series is a must. It surprised me by turning out to be quite good. I wouldn't have expected it to create the mania it did, but still I found it to be a well-written and entertaining book. Not at all offensive. And a little simplistic at times.
Rating:
Summary: Come on, this book is not really a classic
Review: After being bormbarded by the media for over a year now, with Harry making it even on the TIME Cover, I (Fantasy-Fan and 33) finally bought it. Hmmm. The conclusion is that if a so many people think that this is really a great book it is a very, very sad statement on the state of children's education and culture not only in the U.K. but in the industrialised countries worldwide. If you read something like Winnie or Alice or the Neverending Story, you wonder what is so special about Potter. Yes, the story is funny and fast-paced and there is mystery enough in it to make it successful. I can understand that. But I cannot understand people saying that it is actually a GOOD BOOK. It is not. It fails in a lot of aspects: Narration is sloppy, sometimes simply omitting story-lines in the middle of the book and sometimes things are not explained at all. (Like how did Harry get his cloak of invisibility back from the astronomer's tower?). The style of writing is ok, but neither good nor competent (I once counted 10 times "Harry said...", "Harry looked ..." etc. in one paragraph. The Verdict: Yeah, it's ok. You can buy it for yourself or your children. It was ok for me too and I bought #2 too (which is boring and I will not buy #3). I will give them to my nephew when he gets old enough. But it's really sad that people do not know any more what really good children's literature is like.
Rating: 
Summary: Glad I broke down and gave it a try!
Review: After being urged by everyone from my co-workers to my priest to give this book a try, I finally broke down and purchased it several months ago. Then I found ways to procrastinate by reading other books I had waiting ... until finally I was out of other options. Now I'm sorry I waited! The Amazon review pretty much tells you the story of Harry's amazing transformation from ordinary, unloved boy to renowned wizard. What it doesn't get across strongly enough is how much FUN it is to read about it! Although I'd been assured this was as much a book for adults as it is for children, part of my hesitation to read it was because I doubted that. I shouldn't have. There were several passages in the book that had me laughing out loud. I'm well into Book 2 now and loving every moment of Harry's adventures. If you haven't read Book 1 yet -- do it now. You won't be disappointed.
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