October 27, 2017sarahylockwood

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling

Rate: ­­5/5

Medium: Audiobook

Overview (No Spoilers):

Harry Potter was a staple of my generation as young Harry and I were approximately the same age when this series took the world by storm. As the series matured, I felt as though I’d grown up along side the characters as our ages matched up with every subsequent book release. As it has been quite a long time since I’d revisited this series, excluding the Cursed Child, I was eager to see how I would connect to the story and characters twenty years later. Right away, I found myself drawn back into Harry’s wild adventure, surprised at all of the details I’d forgotten, from Hagrid’s dragon to the centaurs. Reminiscent of visiting a familiar childhood haunt you haven’t seen in years, stepping back into Hogwarts after such a long absence was just as delightful, conjuring up lots of fond memories. Rowling does a beautiful job capturing the literal and figurative magical aura, while establishing the depth of history surrounding this fascinating school of magic. I’m looking forward to continuing my rediscovery of the Harry Potter series, particularly the various predicaments he and his friend continually find themselves in. As a whole, Rowling has created a truly unique literary realm that fascinates the imaginations of the reader, regardless of their age.

Additional Insight (Spoilers Abound):

  • It was interesting to find the various Easter eggs left by Rowling in the Sorcerer’s Stone with regard to the remainder of the series such as the Put-Outer.
  • What were the shooting stars reported by the Muggles on the news to celebrate Voldermort’s demise by baby Potter? Where the owls due to the wizards sending messages back and forth regarding the big event? Within the context of these past two questions, I really enjoyed a Muggle’s perspective of wizarding events. I can’t remember if the other books capture any events from this perspective but I find it worth pondering what other strange instances might slip through the wizarding cracks into the Muggle news.
  • I’d forgotten that Harry’s crew wasn’t always set in stone, such as Hermoine’s initial know it all attitude, or Neville and his toad’s clumsy first impression. Draco was just as dislikable right from the outset though.
  • What does Dumbledore see in the Mirror of Erised?
  • I totally missed the connection that Dumbledore defeats Grindelwald. I suppose that ruins the ending of the Fantastic Beasts franchise.  I do wonder how the story plays out!
  • Was Harry’s dream of Quirrell’s turban talking to him actually Voldermort communicating with him or was it prophetic? If I remember correctly, later on in the series Voldermort is unaware he has a connection with Harry.
  • How does Professor Binn grade papers?
  • At the end of The Sorcerer’s Stone, it is mentioned that the students climbed into the boats to go back to the train. Isn’t that just a first year ritual prior to the sorting ceremony? Wouldn’t the school have just taken the carriages from Hogwarts to the train?

Buy Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone here.

57 comments

    • Interesting. I hadn’t realized the title had been changed. I bet there must be two different publishers for the two countries. It happened with Peter V. Brett’s Demon Cycle series that the first book has two different names due to publisher differences.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

      • Yes, Bloomsbury Group published in the UK, Scholastic Press in the US. But I think Natasha has the ‘real’ answer, though the puzzle is WHY? I would have thought ‘philosophers’ were much the same the world over. Maybe we should ask Professor Michael Sandel of Harvard.

        Liked by 1 person

    • Pretty sure that was just a marketing decision based on how American kids would react to reading something with “philosopher” in the headline. My assumption is that Philospher’s Stone carries a slightly different connotation than it does in the US.

      Liked by 2 people

      Reply

  3. Love all things Harry! I read these to my kids when they came out, even made invisibility cloaks for my son and his oldest cousin for Christmas one year (that was tricky!). Thanks for reminding me about these great stories 🙂

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

      • I chose this really shiny and, unfortunately slippery fabric. It was sheer and metallic looking so I lined it with a black fabric. I used a shiny cord and sewed it so they could tie it around their little necks (probably a hazard by today’s standards). We wrapped them up in brown bag parcels and tied the package with brown string, so it looked like the packages the owls would bring on the movie. We rang the doorbell on Christmas eve and the boys ran to the door where the packages were on the door step, each with a note “to young wizard Ryan” and Nicholas, my nephew. They were so excited, but on their cloaks and ran around the rest of the night pretending to be invisible. It took hours to work with that annoying fabric but it was soooo worth it that Christmas!

        Liked by 2 people

  4. My kids all loved these books and still due. Having watched the all the movies with the kids it was only last year that I actually read them for myself. I enjoyed them very much even though I saw the movies.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  6. Like you, my sons grew up with the Harry Potter books, particularly my younger son who still has that amazing connection to the stories. I think JK Rowling introduced a whole generation to a love of reading. I think I love the books almost as much as my son. There is a magic in seeing a child getting lost in a really great book.

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

  8. I almost wish I didn’t re-read these constantly so I could get something approximating the buzz of the first time reading them, but I also have no regrets reading them multiple times (and I still catch some things I didn’t notice before). Actually, I may be due to start working my way back through the series, with the exception of the glorified fan faction that was The Cursed Child.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

  9. It is great to look back at the earlier books and notice things that would become important later. The rules of the HP universe don’t feel quite set in stone yet with this book; it only feels properly settled when we get to Prisoner of Azkaban. I find it intriguing that Dumbledore defeated Grindelwald in 1945, the same year that WW2 ended, which indicates that the conflicts in the Muggle and wizarding worlds were linked even if Rowling doesn’t elaborate on it in the books.

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

  10. Some of the other books do capture the Muggle’s perspective of wizard events…like in the Goblet of Fire at the Quidditch World Cup….

    Like

    Reply

  12. Thanks for stopping by my blog today!

    I listen to the full audiobook series once a year. I love walking and listening to Jim Dale bring the characters and world to life. The dream you referenced has always annoyed me until I chalked it up to a beginning story gaff that happened because she didn’t have the whole series scripted in detail yet. Even going through the whole series multiple times, it doesn’t make sense.

    The Easter eggs are delightful. You’ll find more and more as you reacquaint yourself with the series.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

  16. Great review, especially the questions you asked. Philosopher stone, despite being one of the weakest in the series is one of the most enjoyable book I have ever read. Actually I know the answer of one of the questions you asked regarding what Dumbledore saw in the mirror of Erised. I read somewhere( perhaps on Pottermore but not so sure) that Dumbledore saw himself with his complete family in the mirror. You are great in writing book reviews.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

  18. man, I loved looking at someone else’s view on all this! i was just writing about that put-outer last week – i just started documenting my re-read of the books chapter by chapter! you can check it out on madeye.co.uk 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  23. Hi. Thanks for your post. I really like Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone and i recommend all read it. I’ve just finished reading http://justreadbook.com/book/1037193578/harry-potter-and-the-sorcerers-stone-enhanced-edition and i’m in love with this book genre. Anyway i love all books generes. Doesn’t matter if it’s science fiction or mystery. Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone is a good book. Surely one of my favorites. Thanks

    Like

    Reply

Leave a comment