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Summary: Imaginative details and a touching hero are just the start!
Review: As a 22 year old college graduate who spent the last four years reading and reading and reading, this book was a best--a fascinating delight! Rowlings' ingenious names for everything from ghouls to wizard candies enliven each moment of the action. The places are wonderfully rare, the characters endearing, and the story captivating enough to hold the attention of just about any reader!
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Summary: Fabulous light read!
Review: As a 24 year old whose friends had chosen Harry Potter as the next selection for a not-so-intellectual book club, I admit that I wasn't expecting much. I cannot tell you what a pleasant surprise H.P. was. Sure, some of the plot is formulaic; it's a children's book. But it's more imaginative than plenty of fiction aimed at adult readers. I was especially impressed that Rowling does not shy away from dealing with topics that are difficult for youmg readers. Certainly read it with your kids, but if you don't have kids, don't wait!
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Summary: A grownup's nostalgic treasure
Review: As a 29-year-old graduate student in English literature, I approached this book cautiously, disdainful of anything stamped with the word "Bestseller." But this book is a sheer delight. It reminds me of the Xanth novels by Piers Anthony which I used to enjoy in my youth. I love all the unique devices the author invents (I wouldn't mind having a Nimbus Two Thousand of my own!) and the message that kids have "powers" cultivating which adults would do well to help along.I took away a star because as I've discovered, not all adults will like this type of fiction, though certainly all children will! If you've never enjoyed the fantasy genre, this isn't the book for you. For the rest of us, try to read slowly: there are only four books and they have to last until the fifth comes out!
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Summary: Top notch in the class with CS Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia!
Review: As a 40+ reader previewing for Christmas gifts,I was delighted to find these books to be all they've been raved to be.What a wonderful addition to the world of classic children's literature!Move over C.S.Lewis,Louisa Alcott and all my other childhood favorites that I still drag out to re-read every year!There's a new kid in town and his name is Harry Potter!
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Summary: Bedazzled....
Review: As a bookseller and a booklover I have been astounded with the incredible audience that HP has received. I must agree, that it is WONDERFUL! Adults and children alike have been spellbound by this delightful book. I cannot reccomend it enough.... (I do agree w/the writer from Britain as to the fact that the publisher should not have changed the name---Too confusing and what was the point?) Ms. Rowling--THANK YOU! A warning to would be readers: once you have read it, you WILL be bitten by the Potter bug.... :)!
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Summary: Brings back some wonderful memories
Review: As a child, I read the Chronicles of Narnia (Lion, Witch, and the Wardrobe) and my imagination was captivated. It started me thinking that anything was possible, that one moment I can be getting my clothes out of my closet for school and the next moment be transported to another world through the back of my closet where lions talk and witches are trying to do me harm. I found the same similarities in Harry Potter, and yes, I truly enjoyed it. Yes, Potter is a commercial hype machine. Yes, with more films to come, more toys, more and more franchised products (kitchen brooms anyone?) there is sure to be backlash. But if any book gets a child to read, and become a lifelong reader, more power to it. Cheers, Harry! I look forward to our next adventure.
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Summary: At a loss
Review: As a children's librarian, I am delighted to see kids going nuts about reading, especially a long book like this. To be sure, it is well done and entertaining. Yet I still feel at a loss to explain why this book in particular has become such a mania, especially among adults, when there are many other equally good books out there. Surely the fad aspect has something to do with it, though as I say it is nice to have a fad with something basically good at its heart. I just hope kids will be moved by this to find the myriad other magical books out there for their own discovery, and not to be pied pipered simply because everyone seems to be doing it in a kind of Oprahlike frenzy.
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Summary: A universally-appealing book...
Review: As a die-hard fantasy fan who has long outgrown his childhood, I first eyed the Harry Potter books with askance. They seemed to me to be more suitable for little kids and hardly the material that an adult would read, especially one who has long since been jaded by the typical fare produced by Tolkien-esque authors drawing upon Celtic-Nordic traditions. However, I was soon persuaded by the many positive reviews of this series, both by my friends and by book critics everywhere. Deciding that this would be a quick read and that I would not waste much time if it turned out to be another dud, I picked up the book...and didn't put it down until I finished it. While the fantasy genre is composed of hackneyed plots and themes, regurgitated by the many different authors out there, each cranking out thousand page novels, Harry Potter and the Sorceror's Stone proved that succinctness is indeed a virtue. All of the stereotypes are here, but instead of just rehashing the same old fare that Tolkien dished out, Rowling re-defines it. And while many readers, especially those, like me, who are well-read in this genre, will recognize in Rowling's novels elements that have appeared in countless other stories and myths, Rowling does not use these as crutches to drive her story where none existed; rather, these are bridges she uses to communicate to her readers, common archetypes that exist in the minds of all. Hers is far more than one author's interpretation; it is a book that has captured the imagination and echoes the awe of the fantastic that resides within all of us Seldom has an author written with such clarity that her words flow so smoothly from the page into our thoughts. The fantasy genre owes its revival in large part to Rowling's gift of gab. Instead of alienating most readers as many other authors do, Rowling appeals to the mundane, beckoning them, in their own language, to visit the world of the incredible, the fantastic, the impossible that nevertheless seems so real. Harry Potter is a character of the new millennium, and his exploits usher in a new philosophy of fantasy. An orphaned child living in adverse conditions, Harry discovers that he is truly extraordinary; he is a wizard. Thus begin his adventures and his escape from his cruel life. He makes us all seek within ourselves that spark of magic that will allow each of us to transcend the mundanity and normalizing pressure of society, to become true individuals, unique to one another, and special, each in our own way. Harry Potter and the Sorceror's Stone is a promising beginning to what I have found to be, thus far, a fantastic series, perhaps one day as defining as Tolkien's contribution to fantasy literature. Certainly, it is a worthy addition to everyone's bookshelves, young and old alike.
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Summary: Book 1 - Why we love Harry Potter.
Review: As a fantasy story-teller about the world of magic, J.K. Rowling has enjoyed remarkable success. The adventures of Harry Potter and his friends at Hogwarts, the school where young wizards learn the skills of magic, are highly imaginative and thoroughly enjoyable. It is no wonder that this series has captured the imagination of children and given pleasure even to adults. Many of Rowling's concepts are strongly reminiscent of the brilliant children's fantasy fiction by the British writers Enid Blyton and Roald Dahl, and she likely has been influenced by their work. But Rowling clearly has a style of her own, and in this fourth book of the Harry Potter series, has confirmed her reputation as a story-teller for children. This novel has all the ingredients of a good children's novel - suspense, imagination, and excitement. The remarkable popularity of the Harry Potter series has led to its author J.K. Rowling being frequently mentioned in the same breath as the fantasy greats J.J.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis. Yet this is not entirely deserved, because the works of Tolkien and Lewis go far beyond the level of story, imparting great truths about human nature and theology on a deeper level. Rowling's books do not have this deeper level, but are simply imaginative books that entertain. That is not to say that Rowling's novels are not good. They clearly are. The incredible sales record of the Harry Potter series tells its own story of success. The Harry Potter series has been much criticized for the extent to which magic has been incorporated into the story-line, and the increasing interest in the dark side of magic has left people wondering whether Rowling is leaving the door open to the occult. Rowling herself has publicly denied any personal interest in the occult, and explicitly repudiated being an advocate of the occult or intending to attract children to it. Most of the magic she describes is clearly fantastic and bears little relation to the magic of the occult. Yet it must be conceded that there is a growing contemporary revival of the occult, and that occultic themes and ideas are hardly absent from Harry Potter's world, but rather play a key role in it. When accompanied with an increasingly dark and macabre tone, this element did make me seriously question whether the Harry Potter books are suitable for children. But in the end it is not the magic of Harry Potter that has made it so successful. The real reason is that readers can identify with its characters. Although Rowling describes a fantasy world that exists only in her imagination and ours, it is clear that this fantasy world is largely a mirror image of our own 20th/21st century Western world. What makes this series so successful, is that we recognize ourselves in the novel - our system of education (Hogwarts), our ideology of human rights (Hermione), our worship of team sports (quiddich), our love for competition (school contests), our political world (ministry of magic), our media (interviews with the Daily Prophet), our concern with health and beauty, our fascination with love and guy-girl relationships, and our love of feasting and food (The festivities around The Sorting Hat). Unlike Tolkien's "Lord of the Rings" and Lewis' "Narnia Chronicles" which are more demanding and deep because they bear little resemblance to our world, Rowling's world of "Harry Potter" bears a great deal of resemblance to our contemporary godless world and its idols. Although "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" is outwardly about a fantasy world, beneath the fantastic trimmings it is essentially about our own world. And that is why we love it.
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Summary: A Review by Yong Cong Guan, Class 5-506
Review: As a fifth grader, I picked a book called Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. I picked this book because I wanted to compare the book to the movie. This book is mostly about Harry, Ron, and Hermionie trying to stop Snape, a Hogwarts teacher, from stealing the sorcerer's stone (which gives you never-ending life). One night Harry, Ron, and Hermionie went up to the third floor and saw a three-headed dog guarding the sorcerer's stone. They believed Snape was trying to get past the dog with Quirrell's help (a Hogwarts teacher, too) but is Snape really trying to steal the stone? Or is somebody else trying to steal it? Find out in the book called Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. I enjoyed reading this book about Harry Potter. I enjoyed reading this book because I like adventure and excitement and this whole book is full of adventure and excitement!! My favorite part was when Harry defeated Voldemort. It was my favorite part because Voldemort was evil and tried to trick Harry into giving the stone to him. But Harry knew that when Voldemort got the stone, he would get his own body and have never-ending life. Harry refused to give the stone to him. Then Harry got knocked down and choked by Quirrel (who was really Voldemort). Harry touched Quirrel on the hand and his hand magically turned to stone and fell into tiny pieces. Harry did the same all the way util Quirrel's whole body turned into stone because he wanted Voldemort to die with Quirrel's body. But Voldemort didn't die! If you want to find out why he didn't die, read the book by J.K. Rowling. This book is better for sixth, seventh, and eighth graders because sometimes I got stuck on two or three difficult words in the book (so then I had to look them up in the dictionary to find the meaning). I think it is better for them (than fifth graders) because maybe they will understand the story better than I did. I think it is a good choice for middle school and high school students becuase if middleschoolers can't understand the book than, maybe, highschoolers could figure out the words, what the book is all about, and the most important parts in the story (and not just the little details).
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