A few may know that I have done a ranking of all the Harry Potter books (except the Cursed Child, but that's another matter), each with a bit of insight on aspects I like or dislike.
This post will be a bit more descriptive, and I may include a bit more summary. Let me know what you think about what I think! (That should be my motto!) Anyway, I'll get right into it!
(This will likely be a series, because I have a multitude of thoughts to share!)
Credit: Overdrive
Harry Potter is eleven years old and living with his greedy muggle cousin Dudley Dursley and his cruel muggle aunt and uncle Petunia and Vernon. Harry spends his nights in a cupboard under the stairs, aware that his parents were killed in an accident when he was a baby, but unaware that they were killed by the most powerful dark wizard: Lord Voldemort.
Harry finds out that he is a wizard when the overgrown half-giant Rubeus Hagrid appears at a shack his family is hiding away in in the sea. And Harry doesn't look back.
Readers love entering the magical world just as much as Harry Potter does. The wizard towns, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and the eccentric magicians were enough for millions to fall in love at first read. (Me included :))
Harry meets his two new best friends, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, before school is even in session. It is (almost) friendship at first sight for them all. Hermione is a well-admired character in the series, as she is certainly the smartest of the trio, getting them all out of countless tricky situations. However, Ron is less liked among fans, as his main character traits are a love of food (I can kind of relate there, imagine having access to butterbeer and chocolate frogs whenever you wanted!) and a longing to stand out in his large wizarding family. They are both faithful friends.
During this book, Harry is beginning to learn about his past, and he takes his friends along for the ride. He learns that his parent's killer, Voldemort, may still be alive somewhere. He also learns that there may be a secret item hidden at Hogwarts.
As I mentioned before, I really did love being introduced to this magical world. When I read this book for the first time, I was in fourth grade, about nine years old. It was one of the first "real" books I read, and I loved the book so much.
However, as I mentioned on my ranking, the book moved far down my rankings. Reading the book a second time was a bore, I have to say it. With the other books, the plot was enough to make me want to read the books far more times than two, and I never found myself looking away.
I stand by my idea that as Harry aged, the writing of the books aged. Harry had more adult problems later in the series, and I always liked that more, even as a nine-year-old reading the books. (I will talk about this more in my later posts).
I actually do not have many direct complaints for this book. As you know, my main concern was with the following book, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. I mentioned that I think it was far too similar to this book. Since this IS that book, there is not too much to say. But I do have this to say:
My main problem came with the ending of the book. I was confused with the scenes before the trio reached the Sorcerer's Stone. The book says that the teachers at the school came up with and executed the various obstacles guarding the stone.
If nobody truly wanted Harry to reach the stone, why were the obstacles so easy to overcome? These scenes read quite quickly, and I have to admit that before, I never put much thought into them. But was Snape's potion riddle all so great if an eleven-year-old girl could solve it in a few quick minutes?
I suppose I understand that this book was meant to introduce the characters and the series. The plot was not the main focus here. But I am one of those people that focuses more on the story. So, this book was a bit of a miss for me.
I think it was necessary for me to read before diving into the others, but I don't think I will be reading it an eighth? time.
(I hope this does not get me attacked, I truly put my honest thoughts. :) Let me know!)
Comments