Last week I read Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. I suppose it was my first time reading it, though my mom read me the story when I was young. Yes, yes, I know. How could I go so long without EVER reading Harry Potter? Well, I understand why people say that now-- I enjoyed it so much that I whizzed through it in two days! The StoryThe story was continually intriguing and entertaining as we learned with Harry more and more about the wizarding world and how magic functioned in it. Since it was a children’s book, it didn’t throw too much at the reader at one time, and foreshadowed extremely well, like a good mystery novel—teasing us just enough to keep us enthralled till the end’s twist. The threads of this story, from what I’ve heard, weave together the complicated tapestry of a deeply planned story. The loose, unanswered questions hanging at the end of Sorcerer’s Stone are perfect for a sequel, even as it tied together the current story’s loose ends with a pretty bow. Time passed very well in the story. At one point Rowling used Harry and Hermione’s resolve to not snoop to make uneventful time pass quickly through the spring, which I thought was very clever. The StructureEach chapter seemed almost episodic. If Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone were turned into a TV show, it would be very easy to do. I thought this was very interesting. I kept reminding myself that this was a children’s book, and it was perfect for a parent to read one or two chapters each night before bed. But even though each chapter held a self-contained story, it continued to feed into the main plot. Parts like Hagrid winning the dragon’s egg, or Snape refereeing the second Quidditch match occurred for a reason. Again, it shows how thoroughly and meticulously Rowling planned her story. The StyleI was surprised and somewhat disappointed by the simple writing style, but I had to keep reminding myself that this was a children’s book. It wasn’t very descriptive of settings or even the main characters (Hermione was described as having large front teeth, and Malfoy had a pointed face), but at the very least those descriptions were memorable. Instead of showing, Rowling told the readers what happened. I chuckled to myself a bit when Harry asked Ron a question, and it was immediately followed by: “Harry was wondering…" However, this straightforward style kept the plot moving quickly, and wouldn’t bore kids to death with long, detailed descriptions that they would probably forget. It reminded me slightly of C. S. Lewis’ storytelling style in the Chronicles of Narnia. I’ve heard that Rowling’s writing increases in difficulty as the series progresses, as Harry and the reader grow older (and possibly as Rowling improves her writing). My critiques of her writing aren’t meant to make her look bad; I understand why she wrote this way, but they aren’t things I would do in my own writing. Overall, I have to say that I loved this book. My family steered me away from it because of the “witchcraft and wizardry” part when I was young, but when I was finished reading the book, it wasn’t the magic that made it so memorable, though that may have been the initial draw—it was the story itself, the mystery, and the characters that grew alongside each other. Oh, and Dumbledore. I loved Dumbledore. If I may go on a tangent about this lovely character… Most of my favorite quotes were made by him, and I’m glad that Rowling didn’t use him so often in the story, or else he’d end up being a “Gary Sue”—a perfect character. He seems to know almost everything that happens in Hogwarts, and has a wise, mysterious air about him that can’t be used in large doses. When he does show up, he makes a big statement. (And don’t forget his adorable love for socks!) I rate this book 9/10! Favorite QuotesIt does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live, remember that. – Dumbledore You know, the Stone was not such a wonderful thing. 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. – Dumbledore The truth. It is a beautiful and terrible thing, and should be treated with great caution.
– Dumbledore
3 Comments
Kittykazoo
1/29/2018 01:14:12 pm
I'm glad to hear that you enjoyed it! It's difficult to get into Harry Potter at a later stage in one's reading development because the story starts out very childish and simplistic, but know that it only gets better. The story becomes significantly more mature in the third book and most especially in the fourth, at which point the descriptions, sentence structure, and story become even more fascinating and complicated. Keeping in mind that I love Sorcerer's Stone, it's probably one of my least favorite books in the series, which goes to show just how good the latter half is. The fourth book is my absolute favorite.
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Lily Calico
1/29/2018 05:09:26 pm
Ooh, great! Then I can't wait to get to the next ones! :D Thanks for the comment!
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Altobits46
1/29/2018 03:43:44 pm
I agree with kitty, as a person who has read the entire series and watched all the movies. Dumbledore becomes more and more of a likable character and even becomes closer to a main character in my opinion :)
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Lily Calicois an aspiring composer, writer, artist and musician. Archives
March 2018
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