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Summary: Jim Dale makes a perfect narrator
Review: Being a huge fan of the books, I was a little sceptical about getting the audio version. I love hearing and visualizing in my own mind as I read. I have to say that Jim Dale is wonderful on this and the other recordings. He really brings the characters to life, and his flexible voice changes for each character. Highly recommended for traveling or those who have a hard time reading printed books.
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Summary: More than a bunch of hocus pocus.
Review: Being a lover of good books and a hater of trends and pop icons, I wasn't very interested in the Harry Potter craze. When I finally broke down, however, I was more than pleasantly surprised. Harry Potter is a bright character who's joy and sadness can reach out beyond the pages of the book and pull the reader into the world of Hogwarts. No, it's not The Lord of the Rings, but who would want it to be? It's meant as children's literature. The hyperbolic exageration is for effect, and thought it seems unrealistic, it merely makes the underlying morals and values less ostentatious. It's a story of friendship and of acceptance, of fitting in when you most want to be like everyone else, and yet still being an individual. I would recomend this book to anyone, any age. Everyone can learn from the innocent, childlike charm of the Boy Who Lived.
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Summary: Skeptic finds a fun, new world
Review: Being a rather serious, here-and-now sort of person, I had denied any interest in reading the Harry Potter books. I absolutely, outright, verbally refused to read them despite the insistence of my closest friends and did so for a very long time.One very recent morning I felt tired of the little everyday hassles of life and wanted to spend a quiet day reading peacefully. At a friends house I found a copy of "... and the Chamber of Secrets," which I finished that same evening. I was unable to put it down, literally laughing out loud at myself when I stood up to make some lunch and kept reading on the way to the kitchen! Since then, I have read all of the Potter adventures (including the lengthy "Goblet of Fire" in three evenings' time) and am seriously looking forward to the release of number five. These books are pure joy, suspense, happiness, fantasy, integrity, adventure and in a nutshell an entirely thought-out other world where there is something NEW around every corner. The characters actually have CHARACTER. There are SECRETS held over from "Sorcerer's Stone" that we still haven't found out the answers for after four books! The writing is incredibly DETAILED, although certainly not overly so; every word of every description is given to you for a PURPOSE. It is really remarkable how these books have held my attention so blatantly. I urge you: even if you don't think or expect or hope to enjoy it, pick up "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" somewhere -- if you don't want to pay for it, then borrow it from a friend -- and read the first chapter. [It doesn't matter much which one to begin with but starting at "Sorcerer's Stone" will keep everything in order in the long run.] I guarantee that you will complete all four books and add your name to the emailing list for Book Five notification faster than you will learn how to pronounce the name Hermione.
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Summary: I was very surprised at how good it was.
Review: Being a reader who has read many books, I thought that I was too mature to read these books and won't find them interesting. But when my little brother got one I took a look at the first chapter and started to read it. From that moment on I was hooked, the time I usually spent watching television was now being spent reading this book. I was so into it only took me 2 days to finsih it. This is a great book and a superior series. Any one of any age who loves to read should get this book.
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Summary: Makes me want a magic wand of my own!
Review: Being almost 25 years old I had heard about these books and didn't know what to think of them. But when friends of mine were raving about how good they were I couldn't help but pick one up to read it. I LOVED it! I found I couldn't put it down and read it in 2 days. To the people that think these books promote wizardry and the like, I say let children have a little fun...and let the parents do their jobs of teaching them the difference between real and make believe...do we stop reading fairy tales to our children because they are not real? No, just be aware of what the kids are reading and help them to understand it. I think this series is wonderful for children of all ages and encourages them to use their imaginations! Big kids included!
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Summary: casted a spell over me
Review: being an adult i hesitated at the thought of owning a harry potter book especially since it was a hit with critics....usually the critics choose boring books...finally i bought it and i am so glad i did.everyone always dreams about fantastic adventures and magic powers that will transport them out of there ordinary lives and place them in a world where anything is possible.it also shows you that even a so called "nothing" can end up great and so why judge a book by the cover...no pun intended..it was magical and whimsical and an over all good book and it was written by a female and it is not a romance...read this book young or old it can take you on the adventure people still dream about but never mention....
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Summary: Feeling Like a Kid Again!
Review: Being an adult, constantly reading about Harry Potter in the newspaper, seeing Harry Potter on the television, in the bookstores, the video store, etc. etc...I just had to see what all the hype was about! The series came HIGHLY RECOMMENDED from a dear friend (as well as from myself, after reading the books!) and was definitely due the praise. The adventures of Harry, Ron, and Hermione were spectacular. I had such trouble putting the book down, for I wanted to read more and more and see what adventure was up next! I love Rowling's writing style and I thought her characters had just the right amount of "depth" (the other adult reviewers have beaten the lack-of-depth concept (as well as the witchcraft concept, evil ways concept, etc. etc.) to a pulp!). Rowling's descriptions of the hallways, classrooms, dining halls, etc. at Hogwarts, the "special" platform at the train station, Quidditch (!), the treacherous Dursley's home, Hagrid's humble home, etc. etc. led my imagination to heights it hasn't seen in quite a while! I felt like a kid again when I read this book, so I recommend you pick it up and share the adventures with Harry, Ron and Hermione! Remember: we do not stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing!
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Summary: A Child at Heart
Review: Being an avid fan of the Rosie O'Donnell show I try and watch everyday. One day one of the guests on the show was J.K. Rowling, I was amazed by the response of the crowd when this English woman came out onto the stage. I almost changed the channel, but became hooked when this lady started reading from her book. I knew that I HAD to read this book. I became addicted to Harry and his adventures at Hogwart's with Ron, and Hagrid. I wanted to watch a Quidditch match, have an owl and an invisibility cloak of my own. Though I still believe that I am a child at heart, this book made me feel like a 10-year old again. It helped me to believe in magic again. I pretty near ask everyone that I meet if they have read Harry Potter. They give me this look of disbelief, as if to say, "Sarah, you are 19-years old, why are you reading a kiddy book." Then I give them my reasoning, I say,"Guys, if I were 12 and Harry were real, that kid would be my best friend." I not only recommend this book to the young at heart, I say, read this book if you want to fell 12 again, or want to feel your heart pound as you read about Harry going in search of the Golden Snitch or cross your fingers in hope that Harry becomes Gryffindors. I haven't felt so passionate about anything, the last time I can remember being this passionate about a book was in 4th grade when I wanted my teacher to read the class my favorite book "The Witches." If you don't do it for yourself, do it for your children. They will love it more than Pokemon.
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Summary: Original, and a good start to the series
Review: Being an older reader, I was not sure what to think of the craze for Harry Potter that was swirling around me. I was quite taken aback after reading this book. I definitely recomend it for readers of all ages, and I can say that 9 out of 10 readers will like it. I like those odds. The book is a good start to the series and the character development starts off with a bang as Harry Potter is introduced, and then Ron and Hermione, and everyone else at Hogwarts. All the characters you can relate to and imagine clearly in your mind with ease. The suspense of the book is also gripping and the ending is irresistibly good, and many plot twists are abound in the whole of the book itself. All in all, a truly good book, combining suspense, magic, and fantasy into a combo blend of good reading. Recommended.
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Summary: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
Review: Being the first in a wonderful children's series, I would highly recommend this book to any child, and yes any parent as well. This book gives us a look into the life of an extraordinary young man named Harry, and the fumbles and foils he goes through with his friends Hermione and Ron. I believe that it gives us the escape that we need in our busy every day lives, to remember what it is like to be young. I truly appreciate the work put into this brilliant series.
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