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Summary: The Best Of J.K. Rowlings
Review: Well, If you like to use your Imagination you will love this book. It is about the great adventures of, Harry Potter. He lives with The Dursleys. All day long he is trapped in a cupboard. he has to where his cousin, Dudley's clothes which are way to big on him. One day he gets a invitation...... Too find out more go to your local bookstore or library.
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Summary: Why...?
Review: Well, kudos to Rowling for getting children away from the tv and into books. Now let's talk good children's books. The first thing i wondered after having finished this and the other books (up to number 4) in the series was "what is the appeal of this poorly-written fantasy (...)?" The second thought that astounded me was "why are adults across the country so fascinated?" Really, i am appauled. As i sped from book to book, trying to find something of worth in the two-dimensional blather topping the bestseller lists, i wanted to throw the book at the wall. However, since it was my younger brother's copy, I did not. The characters are two-dimensional, the problems and their solutions too obvious (will Harry be picked for the wizard championship thingy? i think no...) and althogether you could see everything coming from a mile away. Worst of all, Rowling has taken a simple fantasy book with a heart of gold and sold its soul. I think its wonderful that she has gotten children interested in reading again, and i dont care at all about the "pagan themes" and "evil witchcraft and wizardry" present, but once the kids are reading, why not get them to read something worth while? For ages 11 and under i recommend Tolkien's The Hobbit, while for older than that I recommend books such as Sabriel by Garth Nix, The Lord of the Rings by Tolkien, and perhaps most of all the His Dark Materials trilogy by Philip Pullman: The Golden Compass, The Subtle Knife, and The Amber Spyglass. RELIGIOUS PARENTS BE WARNED! The Philip Pullman books just mentioned deal with many issues you may not approve of. They are, however, the most wonderful books i have ever read(besides the Lord of the Rings) and they made me cry more than once. All in all, I think that Harry Potter had the right idea, but now that people are reading again, shouldnt they be reading something good?
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Summary: If I were allowed to give this book 6 stars, I would!
Review: Well, OK, so I'm 21 years old and you might wonder what I'm doing reading kids books but I picked it off the shelf in it's adult cover. It was the most entertaining novel I have read in many years! It made me forget all my studenty cynicism and apathy- pure life-inspiring adventure! one thing confuses me though- why is it called "Philosopher's Stone" in the UK and "Sorcerer's Stone" in the US ????
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Summary: EXCELLENT BOOK ! Well done J.K. Rowling!
Review: Well, there isn't much else I can say about this that you probably haven't already heard, but well, I LOVE THIS SERIES! Why? The characters, the plot, the innocence of Harry, the pace. Here's why I LOVED Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, and why if u read it, u probably will too! 1) Plot: Like you have probably heard dozens of times, there is a boy named Harry Potter in the Withcraft and Wizarding world. His parents, Lilly and James Potter, had been murdered that very night by the most evil wizard in the world...Lord Voldemort. Yet when Voldemort tries to kill him, Harry (only a baby) somehow survives with just a scar on his forehead, while Voldemort...is gone! He grows up in his Aunt and Uncle's house (his mother's sister (Aunt Petunia) and her husband, Uncle Vernon), where he is loathed, treated like a criminal, and hated for who he is. They tell him lies, that his parents died in a car crash, that they were low, good for nothing, people who didn't care about him at all. Basicly, Harry knows nothing of his true life and how much his parents DID love him, and grows up as one of the most miserable people in the world, with NO friends, no family, and no one that he knows of who loves him in the slightest. But then one day, a letter comes in the mail... Within a few weeks, Harry (with a little coaxing of his Aunt and Uncle, who are GLAD to get rid of him) is out of the house, headed to a place called Hogwarts. There, at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Harry learns to LOVE his new school, where he learns all kinds of abilities (how to turn a cup into a mouse, or to make a light at the end of your wand, how to make something float in the air, put spells on people that make them tickle uncontrollably), studies the history of wizards and witches alike, and make potions that can put a 'stopper to death' or even make someone fall madly in love with you... He also meets the first 2 friends of his ENTIRE life, Hermione Granger and Ron Weasly. He also learns how to fly on a broom, play wizard sport Quidditch, and so many other things I can't describe here. But something is terribly wrong at Hogwarts...something that could threaten Harry's very life...Voldemort is not dead, and is in a sense, BACK, and he wants Harry dead...and a way to get back to power. If Harry and his friends can't stop him, Voldemort could come back to power, and threaten the wizarding world once again! 2) Characters: There are many characters in this amazing book, Harry's friends Ron and Hermione, the Headmaster and the only person Voldemort every feared, Profferssor Dumbledore, his teachers, Profferser McGonagall and Proffeser Snape etc..., his arch enemy, Draco Malfoy (who's father was rumored to be Voldemort's biggest supporter...hmmmmm), one of Harry's best friends, Hagrid the gamekeeper, etc... These characters really grow on you after a while, for example, Harry's childish innocence, Ron's wizardly sense of humor, Hermione's briliancy, Neville's shy sort of attitude, Fred and George (Ron's brother's) wild sense of humor, Percy's strictness. It all comes together in a way so that you almost feel like there is a Hogwarts school out there, and when the book ends, you crave more of Harry, Ron, Hermione, Fred & George, Hagrid, his Proffesor's, the headmaster, even the Dursley's (his Aunt and Uncle's family). Thankfully there are 4 book for you to read so far, the 5th coming fast (June 21st, 2003 I beleive), so there'll be plenty to read for awhile. But to the leave the sort of NEED to find out what happends next to these wonderful characters, gets you hooked on Harry Potter, and proves just how good a writer J.K. Rowling is! 3) Length/Final Thoughts/etc...: This book was FANTASTIC in my opinion. It's 309 pages long, with about 20 chapters. The Quidditch, classes, and all of the mystery involved made this perhaps my favorite book series...EVER!!! You learn to love Harry and his friends, loath Malfoy and his enemies, and the whole story that not just Hogwarts, but the entire world J.K. Rowling creates is just...amazing!!! I reccomend this book to all ages, young or old. This is a GREAT book, and I for one know that I loved it, and have read the entire series 5 times already. Give it a try, and most likely, you'll get hooked...like the other 200 million people who read this amazing book! Thx!
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Summary: A FANTASY FOR EVERYONE
Review: Well, there isn't much that I can say about this book that hasn't been said already. But it wasn't until I read this book that I realized how rarely broomsticks are used in fantasy novels. Apart from that, this is an excellent fantasy novel. And don't you dare let the title of the book let you think this a "kiddie" novel. Kids will love this book, but so will teenagers and adults. It's one of those rare books that can be enjoyed by people of all ages. By the way, the movie based off this book is really good too (it follows the storyline faithfully), so make sure you check it out.
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Summary: Exceptional
Review: Well, there's really nothing to say that hasn't already been said about it. A wonderful book for children of all ages. My daughter and I are now trying to figure out who we know in England that might be able to get a copy of the sequel for us.
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Summary: I feel like I am 10 years old again....
Review: Well, what can I say? I do belong in the category of *skeptics* when it comes to the phenomena of *Harry Potter*. I resisted the book for a long time, refusing to give in to the mass hysteria about this book....until I broke down and bought it, and now I am totally *hooked*. The book is just put simply brilliant! The writting and the story is superb and it has that rare ability to make me feel like I am 10 years old again. There are not many books I re-read again & again, this will be one of them. Needless to say, I am on my way to buy the sequels....
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Summary: Instant Classic!
Review: Well, who could argue with the 2000 reviews before me. However, when one reads this they will know exactly how perfect this story is. Harry Potter and his unknown past abot his parents and his "evil" aunt and uncle who raise him. Well told in an easy format for anyone to enjoy, kids and adults alike. Potter being the most likeable character to come around in some time. From start to finish, this book is one to be treasured for quite some time. Reccommended for Everyone!
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Summary: Dull, derivative, unimaginative
Review: Well, you can't please everyone. I decided to try this book because of its phenomenal success and popularity. I can now say that I have read it and I found it a dull affair. Rowling is not a good writer. The book is episodic and the narrative doesn't really move along. While everyone else praises the book for its display of imagination, I didn't find one novel idea or incident in it. The wit was weak, the characters one dimensional, the plot uninteresting. Rowling has taken fictional bits and pieces from dozens of other children's books and whipped up a stew out of them which lacks originality and force. More grievously, there is an emptiness behind it all. A book for very, very easily entertained (and not very literate) children.
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Summary: EXCELLENT!
Review: What a beautifully constructed fantasy world. every evenng as I read this book I slipped deeper and deeper into this realm. Every adult should read it, it is a new childrens classic and a delight for all ages. I found myself feeling angry when thing didn't go Harry's way and so happy when they did! The characters are fantastic and everytime I finish reading a book in the series, I feel like I am saying goodbye to my closest friends.
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