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| Categories | Growing Up & Facts of Life |
| Author | J.K. Rowling |
| Publisher | Scholastic Inc.; Reprint edition (May 2, 2023) |
| Language | English |
| Paperback | 320 pages |
| Item Weight | 7.2 ounces |
| Dimensions |
5.25 x 0.7 x 7.5 inches |
I. Book introduction
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone is a fantasy novel written by the British author J. K. Rowling. It is the first novel in the Harry Potter series and was Rowling’s debut novel. It follows Harry Potter, a young wizard who discovers his magical heritage on his eleventh birthday when he receives a letter of acceptance to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Harry makes close friends and a few enemies during his first year at the school. With the help of his friends, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, he faces an attempted comeback by the dark wizard Lord Voldemort, who killed Harry’s parents but failed to kill Harry when he was just 15 months old.
Turning the envelope over, his hand trembling, Harry saw a purple wax seal bearing a coat of arms; a lion, an eagle, a badger and a snake surrounding a large letter ‘H’.
Harry Potter has never even heard of Hogwarts when the letters start dropping on the doormat at number four, Privet Drive. Addressed in green ink on yellowish parchment with a purple seal, they are swiftly confiscated by his grisly aunt and uncle. Then, on Harry’s eleventh birthday, a great beetle-eyed giant of a man called Rubeus Hagrid bursts in with some astonishing news: Harry Potter is a wizard, and he has a place at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. An incredible adventure is about to begin!
Having become classics of our time, the Harry Potter eBooks never fail to bring comfort and escapism. With their message of hope, belonging and the enduring power of truth and love, the story of the Boy Who Lived continues to delight generations of new readers.
Plot
Harry Potter lives with his abusive uncle and aunt, Vernon and Petunia Dursley, and their bullying, spoiled son, Dudley. On Harry’s eleventh birthday, he learns that he is a wizard. A man named Rubeus Hagrid tells him that he can attend Hogwarts, a school of magic. Hagrid explains that when Harry was an infant, a Dark wizard named Voldemort murdered his parents and tried to kill him as well. However, Voldemort’s killing curse rebounded and seemingly destroyed him, leaving a lightning bolt-shaped scar on Harry’s forehead. Unbeknownst to Harry, this event made him famous among wizards.
Hagrid takes Harry to Diagon Alley, where he buys a wand and other school supplies. A month later, Harry takes the Hogwarts Express to Hogwarts. During the journey, he befriends Ron Weasley, a fellow first-year student. The two boys also meet Hermione Granger and have a confrontation with Draco Malfoy. At Hogwarts, a magical Sorting Hat assigns each first-year student to a House. Harry, Ron and Hermione are assigned to Gryffindor, although the Hat considers putting Harry in Slytherin.
Harry’s broomstick flying ability earns him a place on the Gryffindor Quidditch team as the Seeker. He develops a dislike for the Potions professor Severus Snape, who seems to hate Harry. One night, Harry and Ron discover a gigantic three-headed dog guarding a trapdoor. The two boys later save Hermione from a troll, after which they begin a friendship with her. During Harry’s first Quidditch match, his broomstick attempts to throw him off. Snape’s strange behaviour during the match convinces Hermione that he jinxed Harry’s broom. On Christmas, Harry receives an anonymous gift – his father’s invisibility cloak. While using the cloak to explore the school undisturbed, he discovers the Mirror of Erised, which shows the viewer what they most desire. Harry sees his family in the mirror.
Harry, Ron and Hermione learn that the three-headed dog is guarding a magical object called the Philosopher’s Stone, which grants its user immortality. A centaur named Firenze warns Harry that Voldemort is plotting to steal the Stone to restore his body. When Dumbledore is lured away from Hogwarts, Harry and his friends fear the theft is imminent and descend through the trapdoor to retrieve the artefact. Various obstacles force Ron and Hermione to remain behind while Harry proceeds towards the Stone. He encounters Professor Quirrell, the Defence Against the Dark Arts professor, who explains that he serves Voldemort and that it was he who jinxed Harry’s broom. Quirrell attempts to retrieve the Stone from the Mirror of Erised, but cannot figure out how. When Harry looks in the Mirror, he feels the Stone drop into his pocket. Quirrell then reveals that Voldemort has possessed his body, and shows Harry Voldemort’s face on the back of his head. Quirrell attempts to seize the Stone, but his flesh burns upon contact with Harry. As Harry and Quirrell struggle, Harry’s scar begins hurting and he passes out.
Harry awakens in the school’s infirmary. The headmaster, Albus Dumbledore, explains that Harry survived because he is protected by a magical charm that was created when his mother died trying to protect him. Quirrell’s hatred and greed caused him to burn upon contact with Harry, and Voldemort abandoned him to die. Dumbledore also reveals that the Stone has been destroyed. During the school’s year-end feast, Gryffindor is awarded the House Cup. Harry then returns to the home of the Dursleys for the summer.
About the Author (J.K. Rowling)
Joanne Rowling (born 31 July 1965), known by her pen name J.K. Rowling, is a British author and philanthropist. She is the author of Harry Potter, a seven-volume fantasy novel series published from 1997 to 2007. The series has sold over 600 million copies, been translated into 84 languages, and spawned a global media franchise including films and video games. The Casual Vacancy (2012) was her first novel for adults. She writes Cormoran Strike, an ongoing crime fiction series, under the alias Robert Galbraith.
Born in Yate, Gloucestershire, Rowling was working as a researcher and bilingual secretary for Amnesty International in 1990 when she conceived the idea for the Harry Potter series. The seven-year period that followed saw the death of her mother, the birth of her first child, divorce from her first husband, and relative poverty until the first novel in the series, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, was published in 1997. Six sequels followed, concluding with Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (2007). By 2008, Forbes had named her the world’s highest-paid author.
The novels follow a boy called Harry Potter as he attends Hogwarts (a school for wizards), and battles Lord Voldemort. Death and the divide between good and evil are the central themes of the series. Its influences include Bildungsroman (the coming-of-age genre), school stories, fairy tales, and Christian allegory. The series revived fantasy as a genre in the children’s market, spawned a host of imitators, and inspired an active fandom. Critical reception has been more mixed. Many reviewers see Rowling’s writing as conventional; some regard her portrayal of gender and social division as regressive. There were also religious debates over the Harry Potter series.
J.K. Rowling has won many accolades for her work. She has received an OBE and made a Companion of Honour for services to literature and philanthropy. Harry Potter brought her wealth and recognition, which she has used to advance philanthropic endeavours and political causes. She established the Volant Charitable Trust in 2000, and co-founded the charity Lumos in 2005. Rowling’s philanthropy centres on medical causes and supporting at-risk women and children. In 2012, Forbes estimated that Rowling’s charitable giving totaled US$160 million. She has also donated to Britain’s Labour Party, and opposed Scottish independence and Brexit. Since 2017, Rowling has been vocal about her opinions on transgender people and related civil rights. Her comments, described as transphobic by critics and LGBT rights organisations, have divided feminists, fuelled debates on freedom of speech and cancel culture, and prompted declarations of support for transgender people from the culture sector.
II. Reviewer: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling
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1. MATTHEW reviews Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
Update – 4/4/2022 – Reread out loud to my kids
Both of my kids were born after the whole Harry Potter series was released. They are now old enough to start appreciating the story so I thought it would be fun to read it out loud to them. While it did take us a while because, you know . . . life happens . . . we were able to find a few minutes every few nights or so to read a chapter or part of a chapter. It was really fun to see them getting into it.
They are looking forward to watching the movie and starting in on the Chamber of Secrets!
Original review:
One of my first jobs was at a bookstore. When I was a kid my Mom would take me to the mall and I would spend tons of time hanging out at Waldenbooks (who here remembers Waldenbooks?) Right when I became legally old enough to work, I went in and submitted my application and a few weeks later I was selling literature to the masses.
Why do I tell you this story on this review, you ask? Well, at the time, young adult/teen literature consisted mainly of RL Stein, Christopher Pike, Beverly Cleary, Judy Blume, and a few other classic Newberry Award winners, but certainly we did not have a YA section to the extent you see it today.
Towards the end of my tenure at Waldenbooks – as Oprah’s book club was hitting its stride and Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus was in its bazzilionth week on the New York Times best seller list – a book display arrived featuring a buzzy new title about a certain boy wizard. I remember the display at the front of the store, and selling a few copies, but I didn’t realize what it would become.
A few years later (early 2000s), I had kinda gotten out of the loop on what was big in books. I had just finished college, which had taken up most of my free reading time. A friend of mine named Bronco (yup, real name, not a nickname, who also was the Best Man at my wedding) had a copy of this book on his coffee table. Holy cow! Here is that same book we were selling at Waldenbooks about 5 years before – what was he doing with it!?
Well, he said it was good, so I borrowed it. I quickly plowed through the first 4 books and then got the pleasure of joining the world in waiting for the release of Order of the Phoenix. And, I noticed when I went to the bookstore, the YA section and selection was not so small anymore. I truly believe it was Harry Potter that opened the door to get more young adults (and even adults, of course) reading and authors interested in writing for that genre.
2. LORA reviews Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
I’m going to keep this brief since there isn’t much to say that hasn’t already been said. *clears throat*
I think the reason I waited so long to read this series is because I just couldn’t imagine myself enjoying reading about an eleven-year-old boy and his adventures at a school of wizardry. I thought it would be too juvenile for my taste. I was wrong, of course.
I can honestly say that I loved every minute of this. It’s a spectacular little romp with funny, courageous, and endearing characters that you can’t help but love.
It has talking chess pieces, singing hats, a giant three-headed dog named Fluffy, a hilarious giant with a dragon fetish, a master wizard that’s just a little bit crazy, mail carrier owls, goblins running a bank, unicorns, centaurs(!), trolls . . . and probably much more that I’m forgetting.
And then there’s the lead characters: Hermione, the young scholar who starts out prim and up-tight but soon becomes a true friend; Ron, the boy who has little money but who has an abundance of family and loyalty to his friends to make up for it; and then there’s Harry, the boy who starts out sleeping in a closet and ends up being a hero. Harry is kind to those that deserve it, fearless when it counts the most, and wonderfully intelligent. What’s not to love?
In regards to the ending: I feel silly saying this about a middle grade novel, but I didn’t suspect Quirrell a bit! If there were hints that he was the true culprit and not Snape, I obviously missed them.
FAVORITE QUOTE: “But from that moment on, Hermione Granger became their friend. There are some things you can’t share without ending up liking each other, and knocking out a twelve-foot mountain troll is one of them.”
3. JESS reviews Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
My original review was a comparison of sorts between Harry Potter and Twilight. However, this is stupid as the two are incomparable. Honestly, its not even worth discussing. Its not just that Twilight doesn’t come close, it is the fact that Harry Potter transcends other similar works. Its peerless. To quote Samuel L. Jackson in Pulp Fiction: It “ain’t the same fuckin’ ballpark, it ain’t the same league, it ain’t even the same fuckin’ sport.”
There was a day when I thought I needed to defend Harry Potter, in the midst of the now dead Twilight craze, and you can see that below in what was my original review. It is a testament to the power of this series, that while various other franchises (Twilight, Hunger Games) have surged into popularity and then faded, Harry Potter remains unwaveringly strong after nineteen years. It is clear readers hold just as much admiration for these books as they always have. Time has not dimmed that.
I will, one day, write an essay about what these books mean to me. Eternal, this is the one that started it all.
4. CHELSEA HUMPHREY reviews Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
Third Re-read of the series, and this time I read the illustrated edition, which was pure magic. On to the next one!
********************************
Original Review:
I read this book a couple of years ago and, for some unknown reason, never continued on. It was just as wonderfully magical as I remembered, a breath of fresh air during what is usually a stressful time of year for me. I have yet to find a story that feels so pure and childlike that appeals to such a broad range of people. There’s something for everyone here; whether you are 10 or 100, Hogwarts is a place you can escape to and enjoy hearty adventures that you won’t find elsewhere.
I truly love all of the characters and feel the entire cast is well done, but my personal favorites are the Weasley twins, Hagrid, and Professor McGonnall. While I’ve seen all the movies and know the general storyline, I’m really excited to experience the story “first hand” and see what all was left out from the films. I’m also intrigued to find out more about each house, especially the ones that took a backseat in this story. Not sure if I can say anything that hasn’t been said before, but I loved it!
Buddy read with Sam of Clues and Reviews!
5. JOHN reviews Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
Nicely done
This is required reading for some 6th graders and my volume was too heavy to mail to my granddaughter, so I opted to let Amazon do the heavy lifting for me. We were very pleased with the book, it’s size, quality of the printing, durability, all the things that make a book a good purchase. It is one that she may opt to keep and create her own collection of Harry Potter books. The price was much less that it would have cost me to mail my copy to her.
6. DETRA MOORMAN reviews Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
I’m 25 and have just finished reading “The Sorcerer’s Stone” for the 1ST TIME !!
I don’t exactly know why I cried as I read the last few pages of this book. Maybe it was due to the depth and intimacy of her writing that made me feel as though I was inside of the story, alongside the characters, wondering what would happen next. God only knows why he imparted unto Ms. J.K Rowling such a tremendous gift to write and tell stories, but I’m so glad he did.
Off to “The Chamber of Secrets”, I go!
7. JESSICA reviews Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
New Novel Reader – Seed is planted, So excited!
There’s just something about reading an actual book. Something luxurious of holding the hardcover book with lovely illustration on the outside, reading printed text, and flipping to the next page of adventure.
Child is growing. Gone are the days of buying the newest Dogman (lies we still love Dogman)
We are into Wimpy Kid but graduating into Harry Potter. I’m SO excited to read the book when child is finished! We may read together…
Depending on how this goes, we will want to buy the collection in Hardcover. This was the start, the seed is planted. I ordered the DVD to watch after we finish the book! This will all hopefully tie in with Universal adventure island, making the next time we return that much more special!!
So far so good!!!! Totally worth the buy!!
8. ANGELA reviews Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
Truly Magical
I’ve read this book a few of dozen times over the years. I’ve tried, each time, to figure out how to put into words my feelings on it. I fail every time. But here I am, trying once again. I’m going to try and speak of just this book in this review – so (beyond these few statements) I won’t touch on how incredibly built the series is. Each book is builds on the ones before it, widening and strengthening the world. There are foreshadowings and moments peppered throughout the series that sometimes don’t come into play for many books to come. As Harry grows and becomes more mature, so too do these books. It’s something that’s almost impossible to realize here, in the first one, and that I still appreciate each and every time I pick up this series.
When I first picked up Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone I had no idea the impact it would have on my life. It was just a story, about a boy that finds out he’s a wizard and has to fight the forces of evil. That’s what I thought when I started it that first time.
Very quickly I was drawn into the world of magic that J.K. Rowling penned, surrounded by witches and wizards, magic, and muggles. When I try to examine my feelings for this (and all future books), I run into the problem of not being able to quantify what makes it so special.
The story is a classic; boy finds out he’s special, learns about world, fights evil, wins. The world is intricate and fun, with a lot of cleverness – plays on words, simple ciphers, and logic puzzles made me smile – while still being straightforward. The characters, though varied and three-dimensional, are fairly standard.
And yet, this all combines into this wonderful, fantastical world that pulls me in and makes me wonder what’s hiding behind that brick wall over there, or what I might be missing out of the corner of my eye.
I remember, distinctly, the feeling of sorrow that I had upon finishing this first book and realizing I was already too old to get a letter to Hogwarts. The world is so enchanting that I can’t help but want to be a part of it. It’s all about the feeling that it evokes in me. It makes me feel like there’s magic in the world, and it’s not necessarily the turn-a-mouse-into-a-snuff-box type of magic, or the type where the chess pieces actually fight each other (though, how awesome would that be?). It’s the type where friendship is stronger than anything that gets thrown at it. Where people, kids, can fight against injustice and wrong – and win. It lets you know that life isn’t always fair, and that you might have to battle against things that are scary and horrible, but the happiness at the end is always worth it.
And I suppose that’s what keeps me coming back, time and time again, to re-read, revisit, and relive this story. It makes me feel a part of something amazing.
And that is definitely magical.
9. WIL WHEATON reviews Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
As wonderful and magical as promised. Because I didn’t remember the movie, the third act of the book was a delightful surprise to me.
I wish I’d had this book when I was a kid, because the idea that someone could be special without knowing it, and then get to visit a special world where the things that made him different were the same things that made him awesome would have been really inspiring to me.
Anne’s finishing this, too, and I have to wait for her before I start in on the second book … HURRY UP ANNE!
10. JESSICA reviews Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
i think everyone has that one book that made you fall in love with reading, one book that opened your eyes to a world beyond the one in which you live, one book that burrowed itself inside your heart and became a part of you, one book that will forever feel like coming home every time you read it.
i know im not original when i say harry potter is that one book (and series) for me, but this is what got me into reading. it gave me a childhood far more magical and imaginative than i could have ever asked for. the series taught me the value of empathy, that courage comes in many different forms, the importance of having and being a true friend, that love is the greatest power above all, and most importantly, it taught me to believe in magic. i would not be who i am today without this book and i love that stories have the power to do that, to change lives for the better.
i owe so much to this little book that became such a massive part of my life. and to think it all started with a young boy who lived under the stairs. <3
↠ 5 stars
III. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone Quotes by J.K. Rowling
The best book quotes from Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling
“After all, to the well-organised mind, death is but the next great adventure.”
“Mr and Mrs Dursley, of number four, Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much.”
“Scars can come in useful. I have one myself above my left knee which is a perfect map of the London Underground.”
“Harry was used to spiders, because the cupboard under the stairs was full of them, and that was where he slept.”
“It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live.”
“It takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to our enemies, but just as much to stand up to our friends.”
“To the well-organized mind, death is but the next great adventure.”
“The truth.” Dumbledore sighed. “It is a beautiful and terrible thing, and should therefore be treated with great caution.”
“You haven’t got a letter on yours,” George observed. “I suppose she thinks you don’t forget your name. But we’re not stupid-we know we’re called Gred and Forge.”
“Fear of a name increases fear of the thing itself.”
“Now, you two – this year, you behave yourselves. If I get one more owl telling me you’ve – you’ve blown up a toilet or –”
“Blown up a toilet? We’ve never blown up a toilet.”
“Great idea though, thanks, Mum.”“One can never have enough socks,” said Dumbledore. “Another Christmas has come and gone and I didn’t get a single pair. People will insist on giving me books.”
“There are some things you can’t share without ending up liking each other, and knocking out a twelve-foot mountain troll is one of them.”
“Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak!”
“Ah, music,” he said, wiping his eyes. “A magic beyond all we do here!”
“What happened down in the dungeons between you and Professor Quirrell is a complete secret, so, naturally the whole school knows.”
“I hope you’re pleased with yourselves. We could all have been killed – or worse, expelled. Now if you don’t mind, I’m going to bed.”
“So light a fire!” Harry choked. “Yes…of course…but there’s no wood!” …
“HAVE YOU GONE MAD!” Ron bellowed. “ARE YOU A WITCH OR NOT!”“Harry – you’re a great wizard, you know.”
“I’m not as good as you,” said Harry, very embarrassed, as she let go of him.
“Me!” said Hermione. “Books! And cleverness! There are more important things – friendship and bravery and – oh Harry – be careful!”“There is no good and evil, there is only power and those too weak to seek it.”
“Your mother died to save you. If there is one thing Voldemort cannot understand, it is love. He didn’t realize that love as powerful as your mother’s for you leaves its own mark. Not a scar, no visible sign… to have been loved so deeply, even though the person who loved us is gone, will give us some protection forever. It is in your very own skin. Quirrel, full of hatred, greed, and ambition, sharing his soul with Voldemort, could not touch you for this reason. It was agony to touch a person marked by something so good.”
“A breeze ruffled the neat hedges of Privet Drive, which lay silent and tidy under the inky sky, the very last place you would expect astonishing things to happen. Harry Potter rolled over inside his blankets without waking up. One small hand closed on the letter beside him and he slept on, not knowing he was special, not knowing he was famous, not knowing he would be woken in a few hours’ time by Mrs. Dursley’s scream as she opened the front door to put out the milk bottles, nor that he would spend the next few weeks being prodded and pinched by his cousin Dudley…He couldn’t know that at this very moment, people meeting in secret all over the country were holding up their glasses and saying in hushed voices: “To Harry Potter – the boy who lived!”
“As much money and life as you could want! The two things most human beings would choose above all – the trouble is, humans do have a knack of choosing precisely those things that are worst for them.”
“Can’t stay long, Mother,” he said. “I’m up front, the prefects have got two compartments to themselves-”
“Oh, are you a prefect, Percy?” said one of the twins, with an air of great surprise. “You should have said something, we had no idea.”
“Hang on, I think I remember him saying something about it,” said the other twin. “Once-”
“Or twice-”
“A minute-”
“All summer-”
“Oh, shut up,” said Percy the Prefect.”“Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hoggy Warty Hogwarts,
Teach us something please,
Whether we be old and bald,
Or young with scabby knees,
Our heads could do with filling
With some interesting stuff,
For now they’re bare and full of air,
Dead flies and bits of fluff,
So teach us something worth knowing,
Bring us back what we’ve forgot,
Just do your best, we’ll do the rest,
And learn until our brains all rot…”“Draco Dormiens Nunquam Titillandus
[never tickle a sleeping dragon]”“Everybody finished the song at different times. At last, only the Weasley twins were left singing along to a very slow funeral march.”
“Don’t play,” said Hermione at once.
“Say you’re ill,” said Ron.
“Pretend to break your leg,” Hermione suggested.
“Really break your leg,” said Ron.”“Enter, stranger, but take heed
Of what awaits the sin of greed,
For those who take, but do not earn,
Must pay most dearly in their turn,
So if you seek beneath our floors
A treasure that was never yours,
Thief, you have been warned, beware
Of finding more than treasure there.”“I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory, even put a stopper on death.”
“Fred, you next,” the plump woman said.
“I’m not Fred, I’m George,” said the boy. “Honestly, woman, you call yourself our mother? Can’t you tell I’m George?”
“Sorry, George, dear.”
“Only joking, I am Fred,” said the boy and off he went.”“Do you mean ter tell me,” he growled at the Dursleys, “that this boy—this boy!—knows nothin’ abou’—about ANYTHING?”
Harry thought this was going a bit far. He had been to school, after all, and his marks weren’t bad.
“I know some things,” he said. “I can, you know, do math and stuff.”“Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts! Before we begin our banquet, I would like to say a few words. And here they are: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak!”
“I tell you, that dragon’s the most horrible animal I’ve ever met, but the way Hagrid goes on about it, you’d think it was a fluffy little bunny rabbit.”
“I believe your friends Misters Fred and George Weasley were responsible for trying to send you a toilet seat. No doubt they thought it would amuse you.”
Excerpted from Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling
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