"Till now there's been no magic for Harry Potter. He lives with the miserable Dursleys and their abominable son, Dudley. Harry's room is a tiny closet beneath the stairs, and he hasn't had a birthday party in eleven years.
But then a mysterious letter arrives by owl messenger: a letter with an invitation to an incredible place called Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. And there he finds not only friends, flying sports on broomsticks, and magic in everything from classes to meals, but a great destiny that's been waiting for him... if Harry can survive the encounter."
--back cover
I had heard of Harry Potter shortly before the fifth book came out, and by that time it was a love-or-hate situation. I had chosen to ignore it for the time being, but probably give young Potter a chance in a couple of years. So when I came by this book (the beautiful American paperback edition) in a charity store in New York, I thought that maybe now the time had come.
I felt that much of the hype was well-deserved: this is a well written children's book with heaps of charm and a rich setting. The plot unfolds with an admirable precision (though it's not quite as breath-takingly perfect as in the second book), and there is indeed a foreshadowing of a grander scheme that is yet to be revealed.
By the end I was sufficiently fascinated that I had to order the next two books at once.
Sebbene sia dichiaratamente un libro per bambini, il registro di scrittura risulta inizialmente altalenante (a metà tra un romanzo per adolescenti e un libro per bambini, cambiando registro repentinamente) per poi stabilirsi su un registro da romanzo adolescenziale, quasi troppo complicato per un pubblico di 10/11 anni.
Overall, the Harry Potter series remains enjoyable in this day in age, but I cannot endorse buying the books new and pipe lining money to someone who uses her billions to advance an anti-trans agenda
I love all Harry Potter books. My favorite is fifth and seventh, but the first one is wonderful as well, although it is more for the kids in comparison with the later books. But it makes sense it gets darker the older Harry gets. It's fun to 'return' to the fearless first piece ❤️
Review of "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone" on 'Goodreads'
2 stars
It is necessary to preface this review (as well as all the others I’ll do for this series) with a brief demographic overview of myself. I am a late-20’s gay transgender man who did not grow up with these books. I am reading them for the first time to essentially see what all the fuss is about and what’s there that folk are so keen on.
The first installment of this franchise is… okay. It’s middle of the road YA boarding school fantasy. Rowling’s sense of humor has a real mean streak to it that I often found extremely off-putting, particularly in the narrative’s treatment of Neville and the awful descriptions of Dudley and Uncle Vernan’s statures. I often see people describe these books as being sources of comfort - I can only hope that the others aren’t as rude as this.
Dumbledore is a stand-out character and I enjoyed …
It is necessary to preface this review (as well as all the others I’ll do for this series) with a brief demographic overview of myself. I am a late-20’s gay transgender man who did not grow up with these books. I am reading them for the first time to essentially see what all the fuss is about and what’s there that folk are so keen on.
The first installment of this franchise is… okay. It’s middle of the road YA boarding school fantasy. Rowling’s sense of humor has a real mean streak to it that I often found extremely off-putting, particularly in the narrative’s treatment of Neville and the awful descriptions of Dudley and Uncle Vernan’s statures. I often see people describe these books as being sources of comfort - I can only hope that the others aren’t as rude as this.
Dumbledore is a stand-out character and I enjoyed him quite a lot. He really gives off that elder queer energy and I’m surprised that people seem to think that him being gay was a retroactive decision. For as much as I personally detest the author, I have to argue in her favor there. The man rolls up in on the 8th page in high-heeled boots and purple, for God’s sake!
Overall, a fast read. The prose was fine. Nothing spectacular here. Pacing-wise it felt very slice-of-life, which isn’t a bad thing necessarily. As an aside, Quidditch sounds like a terrible sport.
It'd been so long since I'd last read it, and that's taking into consideration that I read the books after the movies had come out (as an experiment of sorts that showed only two movies in the entire series made sense as stand-alone projects).
Most of what I remember enjoying about the series is what I could imagine in my own head, and I liked the initial attempt at promoting friendship as a solution... Though there have often been things that really grated my nerves and were easier to find on a re-read.
So in reading them again after having been a teacher for a while, I feel like I should be very concerned over aspects of things that were done with regards to what we term "duty of care." Though I could initially read Severus Snape from the perspective of a child who was generally afraid of some of …
It'd been so long since I'd last read it, and that's taking into consideration that I read the books after the movies had come out (as an experiment of sorts that showed only two movies in the entire series made sense as stand-alone projects).
Most of what I remember enjoying about the series is what I could imagine in my own head, and I liked the initial attempt at promoting friendship as a solution... Though there have often been things that really grated my nerves and were easier to find on a re-read.
So in reading them again after having been a teacher for a while, I feel like I should be very concerned over aspects of things that were done with regards to what we term "duty of care." Though I could initially read Severus Snape from the perspective of a child who was generally afraid of some of their teachers, my perspective of Severus Snape has shifted greatly because I have met people like him (with significantly less magic). This character doesn't really seem to maintain a fully consistent characterisation in some places and has a shoddy excuse for why he'd protect Harry, but I think this is largely because Rowling made it too obvious that he'd be a bait-and-switch. She didn't really want to actually do anything to, like, make his characterisation consistent because it would ruin whatever story she intended to tell, so she... just fails at times. He's also given a personality for someone who should've left the teaching profession but stayed in because of reasons that no one really knows (usually because they enjoy having power over children), and it's not presented as wrong in any capacity. He's definitely not there for the benefit of the students he's treating poorly. Meanwhile, Albus Dumbledore knowingly brough something on-campus that's dangerous and provides tools that actively encourage a child to undertake the protection of that very thing, which makes it oddly apparent that he seems to be okay with varying degrees of child endangerment.
Then at the end, the school knowingly sends Harry back to a family that has been excessively and openly abusive at all times they've been around despite the fact that he could very well have stayed on at the school. It's a very perplexing concept that these people (people who are often made to be "mandatory reporters" in the real world) aren't doing anything to provide Harry with safety. They choose to send him to people who hurt, abuse, and neglect him. Granted, this leads to events in the next novel, but this feels lazy. Things like this often leave me feeling a little uncomfortable with aspects of the story, especially now that I'm an adult (and very specifically one who has worked with children and has had experience in a variety of schools).
It's a weird conflict to have that it's an engaging story with such awkward elements of characters or in-world policy, and it also doesn't seem to provide children with ways to consider a 'new' world. It's the status quo in so many ways.
Review of "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" on 'Goodreads'
5 stars
Can't remember the last time I read the first book (probably in high school). Decided to read it again but in Spanish this time. I'm always amazed at how easily I get hooked into these books. Goal is to work my way through the entire series by the end of the year.
