Harry Potter Box Set (Books 1-6)
by J.K. Rowling
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other reviews (showing 1-20 of 2584)
Read in July, 2007
I'm a fan of the Harry Potter series, and I decided to re-read books 1-6 in anticipation of the final book. Deathly Hallows now behind me, my opinion remains steadfastly strong. Mostly, I appreciate the series because I believe that J. K. Rowling has done more for literacy around the world than any politician or legislature. She has inspired kids (and adults) to read, and little is more valuable in education than that.
But further, Rowling has created a body of work whose architectu...more
But further, Rowling has created a body of work whose architectu...more
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What else is there to say? Along with millions of people, I love this 7-book series. Great storytelling to hold everyone's attention over the course of 7 books. Some sort of whimsical British quality that reminds me of Roald Dahl sometimes. Here's my attempt to recall my first impressions and thoughts on each book of the series.
Book 1 Sorcerer's/Philosopher's Stone: Great introduction to the Harry Potter world. Easy to follow and great escalation w/ the plot. There's alot of focus on h...more
Book 1 Sorcerer's/Philosopher's Stone: Great introduction to the Harry Potter world. Easy to follow and great escalation w/ the plot. There's alot of focus on h...more
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recommended to rachel by:
series loyalty
recommends it for: those willing to enter the deep places of their imagination
recommends it for: those willing to enter the deep places of their imagination
i am an absolute "harry potter" fan. i picked up the series when i was in college and was blown away by this mesmerizing and page-turning "children's book". j.k. rowling is an absolute genius. i've always had an active imagination, and this world was so easy to enter. in fact, the world rowling creates in "harry potter" is so real that i often find myself--and this is scary to admit--believing i can do magic. (seriously, i once tried the accio spell on m...more
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Read in November, 2002
<<SPOILERS ABOUND>>
I cannot say enough good things about Harry Potter. I chose to review the boxed set as opposed to the individual books, and I actually own this boxed set, in addition to several editions and versions of all the books. I plan to get the British versions sometime in the near future.
I am a little torn as to which is my favorite. Before Half-Blood Prince was released, I would have said that Prisoner of Azkaban was my favorite. I was shocked out of my boots when...more
I cannot say enough good things about Harry Potter. I chose to review the boxed set as opposed to the individual books, and I actually own this boxed set, in addition to several editions and versions of all the books. I plan to get the British versions sometime in the near future.
I am a little torn as to which is my favorite. Before Half-Blood Prince was released, I would have said that Prisoner of Azkaban was my favorite. I was shocked out of my boots when...more
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Read in May, 2007
recommends it for:
All
I re-read these books to prepare for the final book... trying to find all the hidden clues. JK did an excellent job of bringing Harry into the reader's life. As I read the books, I felt very drawn to Harry and related to some of his plights-his anger with Dumbledore (my daughter refuses to re-read book 5 due to Dumbledore's demeanor toward Harry) and his determination. Perhaps a bit passive aggressive in some instances, but for the most part very outspoken and stubborn. I truly enjoyed these boo...more
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Thanks to Sarah I now know what all the hype is about. I too understand Harry's struggles, his joys, his fears, his fits of courage and his moments of angst. What I still don't get is who the hell cares? But I would like some credit for giving this a second shot (1st attempt only got me about 1/8 of the way through the audio version, 2nd attempt got me through, what... like 6 books? - true it was only being condensed and re-told for the purposes of understanding the movie but still I feel as tho...more
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Read in January, 2006
What started as a joke (I bought the first Harry Potter when my husband, Pascal, my main reading buddy, said he was getting old for the first time on his birthday a few years back), became a passion in my household. We both loved the series so much that we spent time coaxing whoever read the book first to keep on reading so that the other could get a hold of the book. We eventually came to wait for each release, pre-ordering each new book etc... Will we be seen at the future Harry Potter Convent...more
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recommends it for:
everyone
Rereading all the books consecutively, in preparation for the release of The Deathly Hallows, has been more fun than I anticipated. I loved the books the first time I read each, again much more than I anticipated, but getting to read the series from start to it's (current) finish was as much investigative as reading The DaVinci Code. All the connections that I missed the first time around! And I'm sure there are more that I missed in the second go, too. The series leaves room for so many pos...more
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recommends it for:
i think at this point, there's not much recommending to be doing
I think I'm finally at the age where I feel a bit weird about Harry Potter, but aren't we all? It's hard to write a 7-book series of gigantic epics about a teenage wizard and keep your fanbase at the same age.
But whatever. I doubt anyone who's read the first six books is going to ignore the last one and let some dickwad on the 6 o'clock news tell them how it ends. Will Harry die? I dunno. Is Snape really evil? I doubt it. Is Dumbledore really, truly dead? Shit no. But maybe now that all the ...more
But whatever. I doubt anyone who's read the first six books is going to ignore the last one and let some dickwad on the 6 o'clock news tell them how it ends. Will Harry die? I dunno. Is Snape really evil? I doubt it. Is Dumbledore really, truly dead? Shit no. But maybe now that all the ...more
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Read in September, 2007
recommends it for:
everybody!
These books are the original british publications, and i would recommend that everyone read these. There are slight differences in dialect and lingo (they "Americanized" the versions you buy stateside); i think these make a huge difference in your reading experience. for one, it is actually how J.K. Rowling wrote the books...for another, it's more realistic British English. So if there is any way for you to get your hands on these versions, i say go for it!
in addition, this series is...more
in addition, this series is...more
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What could I possibly say about these books that you don't already know? I will say that several years passed between me reading the first and second book and then things took off. I found them getting better and better and after the sixth book I was sure it should've ended. But I have to admit that I did enjoy the 7th book immensely and felt glad to have been a part of the anxiousness and fervor of the series. I will also admit that I am greatly relieved that Ms. Rowling managed to finish the l...more
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Read in January, 2006
recommends it for:
everyone who wants a fun read
OK...probably almost pointless to put a review of the Harry Potter books out here...but nonetheless.
If you haven't read these books yet, you should. I would say these are going to be one of the biggest pop culture icons of this part of the century. What Star Wars was to those of us growing up in the 80s - Harry Potter is to those growing up in the 2000s.
The books are quite cleverly written. The writing is surprisingly good, with lots of little puns within professor names and such. The...more
If you haven't read these books yet, you should. I would say these are going to be one of the biggest pop culture icons of this part of the century. What Star Wars was to those of us growing up in the 80s - Harry Potter is to those growing up in the 2000s.
The books are quite cleverly written. The writing is surprisingly good, with lots of little puns within professor names and such. The...more
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recommends it for:
all Potter fans
No I don't have the set. this was the best way i could see encompassing all of them. I really enjoy this series (book 7 is a great way to end things). I began reading the books when living in England. i love the imagination, the storyline and the detail in each book. the plot is both sophisticated and simple, funny and sad. I like that she writes about good & evil, loyalty, friendship, betrayal, prejudice and magic. Most of all, these books are fun and I'll ready them when I need to escape.
...more
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i resisted this series as children i knew began to read it. it is certainly not magical in cs lewis or tolkien sense. the descriptions of magic, for the most part if want that read them. however, it is magical in the childhood sense.
what sold me was the first chapter of this first book: The Boy Who Lived; and i have been hooked ever since.
by the time you get to the angry harry book you begin to realize the real genius of the series. they grow more complex and real with the age of the ch...more
what sold me was the first chapter of this first book: The Boy Who Lived; and i have been hooked ever since.
by the time you get to the angry harry book you begin to realize the real genius of the series. they grow more complex and real with the age of the ch...more
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Read in January, 2004
recommends it for:
YA Fantasy readers
Ok, I'm going to review all the books in one because they're really not that different from one another, but let me say that Book 5 is my favourite.
There is nothing original about Rowling (take a Mythology course or read Lord of the Rings and you'll be saying 'That's in Harry Potter!' every few minutes) but her books are entertaining and well thought-out.
It took me a few years to get myself to read the first one and that was out of pure boredom but now I've read them all at least tw...more
There is nothing original about Rowling (take a Mythology course or read Lord of the Rings and you'll be saying 'That's in Harry Potter!' every few minutes) but her books are entertaining and well thought-out.
It took me a few years to get myself to read the first one and that was out of pure boredom but now I've read them all at least tw...more
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Has a copy to sell/swap
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Read in September, 2006
recommended to Alissa by:
familyrecommends it for: anyone
I have actually only read books 1-4, and i am slowly working on the 5th one. As for the first 4 books, i loved them. J.K. Rowling is my favorite writer. I saw the first Harry potter movie before i read the book. When i read the book i loved it. The movies are good, but the books are so much more exciting, you get to create the pictures in your own mind. These books defineitly have action and adventure, so if you like those kinds of books, you should read these books. And if you have seen the mov...more
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I remained skeptical & snobbish about this series for quite awhile, until my son wanted me to read the first book to him. It hooked me, & I am now quite sad that the series is done. But I'm glad the author went out on a high note. Highlights: The Sorcerer's Stone, The Prisoner of Azkaban, & the Deathly Hallows were the best; 5 stars for those. I probably enjoyed the Order of the Phoenix the least. All, by the way, far outstrip their respective movies, but I must admit that when I rea...more
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recommends it for:
kids who want to fall in love with reading
I owe a special thanks to J.K. Rowling, and the Harry Potter books, because they got me reading. I had kind of backed off books in general but this world of magic drew me in by chance, I truly enjoy literature now, passionately.
A wonderful collage of magic, mystery, adventure, friendship and the battle of good verses evil. I recommend this publisher specifically, because scholastic changes some of the words (ex. Harry Potter and the Philosophers stone, verses the Sorcerers stone) and it take...more
A wonderful collage of magic, mystery, adventure, friendship and the battle of good verses evil. I recommend this publisher specifically, because scholastic changes some of the words (ex. Harry Potter and the Philosophers stone, verses the Sorcerers stone) and it take...more
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I liked all the harry potter books since they all have a lot of adventure in the. The best book was the 7th book since it kept me interested in it the whole time and since it was the last book.I have been reading the harry potter books for so long I feel like I'm part of the book.I learnt that harry is always good for a challenge.I learnt that he will always stick up for his friends and will never let the down. During all the books this is shown. Harry Hermione and Ron always stick together and ...more
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Despite any bad hype this series has gotten, they're all very well written, contain entertaining characters and cohesively carry along a well developed storyline. The first two books are definitely more kid-oriented and may tend to chase people away, but once you get past those (which you can do in a day or two), the rest of the books get progressively more mature, darker, and more fun to read. By the end of book 6, there's been some serious character development and the story continues to keep ...more
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book data (includes all editions)
avg rating (all editions): 4.57 (2271 ratings) avg rating (this edition): 4.54 (639 ratings) number of reviews: 386
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