PURE MAGIC (Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone - J. K. Rowling)

Member Name: jools30

Product:	Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone - J. K. Rowling
Date:	27/11/01 (37 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: a great read for all ages

Disadvantages: none

I tried to resist. I really did. I tried so had to ignore the hype but eventually curiosity got the better of me and I had to submit. Yes, Harry Potter had me in his grasp.

When I first heard about Harry Potter, I wondered what all the fuss was about. A book about a schoolboy wizard sounded ok – anything to get boys reading I thought. But then it wasn’t only 10-year-old boys who were raving about it. Their sisters were too. And then their parents started. New books about Harry Potter were being released and people were queuing up at ridiculous hours to get their hands on a copy. It was Buzz Lightyear all over again!

I decided not to get involved. Having daughters who were too young to be reading Harry Potter (or having it read to them) I thought I was safe from the hype. After all, why would I, a 30-year-old woman, want to read about a schoolboy wizard? I was past all that, surely?

However, the more I heard about it the more curious I became. Why were grown ups reading books written for children? And then, I went to the cinema and saw a trailer for the upcoming film. After watching that, I decided I had to read the book, just to see what all the fuss was about, of course.

A friend from work has an 11-year-old son. Perfect, I thought. So I approached her about the books and, after getting permission from her son, I came home one Friday evening with a copy of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone in my bag. After the children had gone to bed, I thought I would have a read. My husband thought I had gone mad. 2 hours and two thirds of the book later, I reluctantly thought I better leave some for another night. Saturday night, hubby went out and I finished it in under an hour. Now I have to wait until I see my friend at work next week so I can borrow the next one (unless I decide to go out and buy it first!).

So, what is it all about? The book starts with an introduction to the Dursley family – a fai
rly ordinary family. But one day, Mr Dursley starts seeing strange things, people in cloaks, shooting stars, owls flying in daylight, and he hears a whisper about something happening to the Potter family. Mrs Potter is Mrs Dursley’s sister, but they do not talk about her. But that night, a baby is left on the Dursley’s doorstep – a young boy called Harry Potter whose parents have been killed.

For 10 years Harry lives with the Dursley family, much to their annoyance. He is made to live in a cupboard under the stairs and treated like a second-class citizen. However, strange things start to happen. Letters for Harry begin to arrive and his aunt and uncle start to behave very strangely. He is not allowed to read the letters and his aunt and uncle whisk him away to a secret location. But they are found by a giant of a man named Hagrid who tells Harry that his parents were a witch and a wizard and that Harry himself is a wizard. Harry is offered a place at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and so his adventure begins…

This is a story of magic tricks, ghosts, wizards and witches. Magic mirrors, broomsticks, potions and centaurs. Dragons, unicorns and a 3 headed dog called Fluffy. And at the heart of it all is the mystery of the Philosopher’s Stone.

Characters.

 Harry Potter – our hero. An 11-year-old boy who was brought up as a muggle (ordinary human with no magical powers) until he is introduced to Hogwarts. He has a lightning shaped scar on his forehead from his encounter with You-Know-Who when he was a baby. He is an excellent Quidditch player and a member of Gryffindor House at Hogwarts. Has a pet owl named Hedwig.
 Ronald Weasley – one of Harry’s best friends. Also a first year student at Hogwarts, his elder bothers are already students there. Has a pet rat named Scabbers.
 Hermione Granger – Harry’s other best friend. The daughter
of muggles, she is nevertheless an excellent witch and a good student.
 Draco Malfoy – school bully, he is a member of Slytherins House at Hogwarts and is out to make trouble for Harry and his friends.
 Neville Longbottom – another target for Draco’s bullying, he is also a Gryffindor member.
 Albus Dumbledore – headmaster at Hogwarts and an excellent wizard. Knew Harry’s parents well.
 Professor McGonagall – head of Gryffindor house, she teaches transfiguration classes.
 Professor Snape – head of Slytherin house, he teaches potions and appears to not like Harry.
 Professor Quirrell – teaches spells. Continually wears a large turban, but why?
 Hadrig – a giant of a man, he was once a student at Hogwarts, but is now groundkeeper. Looks out for Harry.
 You-Know-Who – or Voldemort to give him his correct name. Responsible for the death of Harry’s parents, he was a wizard who went over to the dark side. Believed dead by some, but not by all, many wizards dare not speak his name.

Quidditch.

This needs some explanation I feel. This is a game played on broomsticks. There are 7 players on each team, 3 of whom are called chasers. The chasers throw a ball called a quaffle to each other and try and get it through one of three hoops at the end of the pitch to score a goal. 10 points are scored for a goal. There is also a keeper on each team whose job is to try and prevent the opposing team from scoring. There are also 2 beaters on each team. Their job is to try and prevent 2 balls called bludgers from knocking players off their broomsticks. The final player is the seeker whose job it is to try and catch a ball called the golden snitch. The game is not over until the golden snitch is caught and whichever team catches it invariably wins the game.

My Verdict

Throughout the book there is
plenty of action to keep readers hooked. The descriptions are very precise and you certainly feel as if you are there in the thick of the action – I found it very easy to visualise what was happening.

There are twists and turns galore and just when you think you know what is going to happen, something throws you in a different direction.

Despite my initial reservations about reading a book aimed at children, I thoroughly enjoyed it and now can’t wait to read the others in the series. Rowling tells an intriguing story and I’m sure her books are destined to become classics. Her style of writing is equally suited to children or adults and I feel that everyone who reads this will get something different from it. The tales of spells and potions and games of Quidditch will enchant children, while adults will appreciate the sometimes complex storylines and the (sometimes subtle) humour.

What can I say – Harry Potter has me under his spell!

Published by Bloomsbury, the book costs £5.99 and is widely available.

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