Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by J. K. Rowling | Review

Hardback: 368

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing

Published: 2017

Language: English

Rating: 5 / 5 stars 

Let me start with 'Merlin's beard I have no idea why it took me so long to get to this series but I am so glad I did now rather than later'.

I watched the movies a couple of times and of course, fell in love with them and the Potter universe, though some scenes left me a tiny bit confused. And so I told myself that when I'll start reading the books, I will understand better. Sadly, years went by and I kept saying "my next read will be Harry Potter", yet never was.
That was, until last year when I finally picked up Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. And boy, did I love it.

When I finished the first chapter, I was crying. The story was already so beautiful and yet what happened to Harry was so unfair.
The more I read, the more I understood some things that were not explained in the movies.

And then we got to Hogwarts. That is when the magic really started, with the Sorting Hat Ceremony and it's catchy song which explains a little more about the Hogwarts Houses and their values:

“You might belong in Gryffindor,
Where dwell the brave at heart,
Their daring, nerve, and chivalry,
Set Gryffindors apart;
You might belong in Hufflepuff,
Where they are just and loyal,
Those patient Hufflepuffs are true,
And unafraid of toil;
Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,
If you've a ready mind,
Where those of wit and learning,
Will always find their kind;
Or perhaps in Slytherin,
You'll make your real friends,
These cunning folks use any means
To achieve their ends.”

I really like the fact that students are divided into different houses depending on where their talents lie. I find it a better way of cultivating their abilities while they are still young and also maintaining their interest alive through the seven years of school.

Harry Potter was, at the beginning of this journey, a boy whose parents died at the hands of a Dark Wizard. Harry though survived the killing curse inflicted on him afterwards by the same wizard, the event marking him as The Boy Who Lived. He was raised by his aunt and uncle, Petunia and Vernon Dursley, who were "perfectly normal, thank you very much". He grew up bullied by his cousin, Dudley and knowing nothing of his abilities or the Wizarding World that he was born into until his eleventh birthday.

Harry is a rather reckless character with an inclination for breaking the rules which I believe is an aftermath of his life with the Dursleys. Growing up under their roof meant that he was not supposed to ask questions of any sort, especially about his parents, a very avoided subject in that household. He was punished regularly for things he either did unintentionally due to his bursts of magic, or things he wasn't even responsable for.
So I think that escaping the cruelty of his relatives and arriving at Hogwarts where he could be himself and truly live, the school rules didn't matter anymore, not all of them at least.

On his way to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry he befriended Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, the loyal (and equally reckless) best friend and the rational one.

As I mentioned above, Ron is equally reckless, regarding the school rules almost the same way Harry does. Ron is also the very loyal and devoted sidekick that is willing to share everything with new best friend. He grew up in a big and loving family surrounded by magic every step of the way. Although he might not appear as so at the beginning of the story, I assure you, Ronald Weasley is a true Gryffindor at heart.

Hermione on the other hand grew up the same way Harry did, knowing nothing of magic until her eleventh birthday, when she received her Hogwarts acceptance letter. Between the three of them, she is the rational one, always thinking of every possible scenario before doing anything. She may appear as a know-it-all due to her desire to prove herself worthy of her place at the school, but her knowledge has been quite useful in more than one occasions.

“Are you sure that’s a real spell?” said the girl. “Well, it’s not very good, is it? I’ve tried a few simple spells just for practice and it’s all worked for me. I’ve learned all our course books by heart, of course.”

Hermione is also a little hot-tempered and snappy in my opinion, but her intentions are good. She does not wish to lose her place in a world she truly feels like she belongs.

"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.”

I, for one, can relate to her character with my love of knowledge (mostly the kind that is deemed useless), the fear of failing and also the obligation for following the rules.

I am truthfully astonished by Rowling's imagination. I adore the characters, the humour and witty remarks are very well placed throughout the book and the plot is very cleverly constructed. The world she created is one that I would always desire to lose myself in and be a part of. Of course, I am still waiting for my Hogwarts letter to arrive, perhaps they used a baby owl that got lost on the way to my house or maybe is just having a very hard journey from Scotland. From what I hear, the weather plays a very important role in deliveries as well, since owls cannot fly in critical conditions.

“Of course it is happening inside your head, Harry, but why on earth should that mean that it is not real?”

I love this story with my entire heart and I will for the rest of my life, I am certain.

Give it a chance, I think you would love it as well.