Harry Potter à l'École des Sorciers (Harry Potter, #1)

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Harry Potter à l'École des Sorciers (Harry Potter #1)

by J.K. Rowling, Jean-François Ménard (Translator)

4.29 · rating details · 935,913 ratings · 24,421 reviews

Le jour de ses onze ans, Harry Potter, un orphelin élevé par un oncle et une tante qui le détestent, voit son existence bouleversée. Un géant vient le chercher pour l'emmener à Poudlard, une école de sorcellerie ! Voler en balai, jeter des sorts, combattre les trolls : Harry se révèle un sorcier doué. Mais quel est le mystère qui l'entoure ? Et qui est l'effroyable V..., l...more

Mass Market Paperback, 311 pages

Published March 15th 2007 by Folio Junior (first published June 30th 1997)

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Aug 14, 2011

Lora rated it

· review of another edition

Recommends it for: anyone still waiting to read it

Recommended to Lora by: Tina, Morgan, my own curiosity

Shelves: favorites, lib-read, book-to-movie, middle-grade-lit, to-purchase-soon

I'm going to keep this brief since there isn't much to say that hasn't already been said. *clears throat*
I think the reason I waited so long to read this series is because I just couldn't imagine myself enjoying reading about an eleven-year-old boy and his adventures at a school of wizardry. I thought it would be too juvenile for my taste. I was wrong, of course.
I can honestly say that I loved every minute of this. It's a spectacular little romp with funny, courageous, and endearing ...more

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May 11, 2011

notgettingenough rated it

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Shelves: childrens, will-be-regretted-on-my-deathbed

So, I keep getting hate comments for this review and I thought it would be nice if you all had a place you could get together and badmouth it. Announcing....

A new group:

People who hate my Harry Potter review....

Come this way:

http://www.goodreads.com/group/show/4788...

I'd be honoured if you joined. And I'm really sorry to all the people who wrote comments here which I misguidedly deleted.

---------------------------

...more

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May 29, 2007

Harold Bloom rated it

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Recommends it for: children, the carrion-eaters of scholarship

Shelves: therabblement

Can 35 Million Book Buyers Be Wrong? Yes.

Taking arms against Harry Potter, at this moment, is to emulate Hamlet taking arms against a sea of troubles. By opposing the sea, you won't end it. The Harry Potter epiphenomenon will go on, doubtless for some time, as J. R. R. Tolkien did, and then wane.

The official newspaper of our dominant counter-culture, The New York Times, has been startled by the Potter books into establishing a new policy for its not very literate book rev...moreCan 35 Million Book Buyers Be Wrong? Yes.

Taking arms against Harry Potter, at this moment, is to emulate Hamlet taking arms against a sea of troubles. By opposing the sea, you won't end it. The Harry Potter epiphenomenon will go on, doubtless for some time, as J. R. R. Tolkien did, and then wane.

The official newspaper of our dominant counter-culture, The New York Times, has been startled by the Potter books into establishing a new policy for its not very literate book review. Rather than crowd out the Grishams, Clancys, Crichtons, Kings, and other vastly popular prose fictions on its fiction bestseller list, the Potter volumes will now lead a separate children's list. J. K. Rowling, the chronicler of Harry Potter, thus has an unusual distinction: She has changed the policy of the policy-maker.

Imaginative Vision

I read new children's literature, when I can find some of any value, but had not tried Rowling until now. I have just concluded the 300 pages of the first book in the series, "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone," purportedly the best of the lot. Though the book is not well written, that is not in itself a crucial liability. It is much better to see the movie, "The Wizard of Oz," than to read the book upon which it was based, but even the book possessed an authentic imaginative vision. "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" does not, so that one needs to look elsewhere for the book's (and its sequels') remarkable success. Such speculation should follow an account of how and why Harry Potter asks to be read.

The ultimate model for Harry Potter is "Tom Brown's School Days" by Thomas Hughes, published in 1857. The book depicts the Rugby School presided over by the formidable Thomas Arnold, remembered now primarily as the father of Matthew Arnold, the Victorian critic-poet. But Hughes' book, still quite readable, was realism, not fantasy. Rowling has taken "Tom Brown's School Days" and re-seen it in the magical mirror of Tolkein. The resultant blend of a schoolboy ethos with a liberation from the constraints of reality-testing may read oddly to me, but is exactly what millions of children and their parents desire and welcome at this time.

In what follows, I may at times indicate some of the inadequacies of "Harry Potter." But I will keep in mind that a host are reading it who simply will not read superior fare, such as Kenneth Grahame's "The Wind in the Willows" or the "Alice" books of Lewis Carroll. Is it better that they read Rowling than not read at all? Will they advance from Rowling to more difficult pleasures?

Rowling presents two Englands, mundane and magical, divided not by social classes, but by the distinction between the "perfectly normal" (mean and selfish) and the adherents of sorcery. The sorcerers indeed seem as middle-class as the Muggles, the name the witches and wizards give to the common sort, since those addicted to magic send their sons and daughters off to Hogwarts, a Rugby school where only witchcraft and wizardry are taught. Hogwarts is presided over by Albus Dumbeldore as Headmaster, he being Rowling's version of Tolkein's Gandalf. The young future sorcerers are just like any other budding Britons, only more so, sports and food being primary preoccupations. (Sex barely enters into Rowling's cosmos, at least in the first volume.)

----------------------------

The first half of a little piece I wrote from the Journal in July 2000. Rest is available at [http://wrt-brooke.syr.edu/courses/205.03/bloom.html].(less)

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Aug 17, 2011

Nikki rated it

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Shelves: fantasy, children-s-and-ya

I really don't like Harry Potter. It's one of those little concealed but apparently not widely known facts about me, which shocks everyone when I say I love books and they're all, "yeah, rite, Harry Potter is so awesum rite?" and I say "...no, it really isn't." I confess: when I was eleven or twelve or so, I read them. I also read the Sabrina the Teenage Witch novels. I read everything and wasn't very discriminating about it. I did enjoy them. I continued to enjoy them until ...more

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Dec 27, 2010

Elizabeth rated it

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Shelves: in-by-of-england, dragons-on-display, gods-myths-heroes, reviewed, vamps-and-other-mythical-beasts, fantasy-sci-fi

What's your favorite book from childhood? Do you remember? I had two, but both written by the same author; they were The Secret Garden and A Little Princess. I can remember reading them over and over again. I remember pestering my mother and librarians for books like them. I remember reading them into my teenage years, when I was home sick and needed something more comforting than the softest blanket and ginger ale. For me, these are two of the greatest books ever written because they're mine, m...moreWhat's your favorite book from childhood? Do you remember? I had two, but both written by the same author; they were The Secret Garden and A Little Princess. I can remember reading them over and over again. I remember pestering my mother and librarians for books like them. I remember reading them into my teenage years, when I was home sick and needed something more comforting than the softest blanket and ginger ale. For me, these are two of the greatest books ever written because they're mine, my memory of escapism in childhood, the first characters I identified with and wanted for friends, they were the first characters who were complex enough to do that with. These were the first books that were vivid enough to feel like I could step into their world, leaving my own for a while, since it was wholly unsatisfying in a way that a magical garden hidden in the Yorkshire moors or a transformed attic in nineteenth century London were not.

For millions of people, the answer to that first question is going to be Harry Potter. I think that's amazing; a shared cultural point of reference that they'll carry together all their lives; like Star Wars, for us older ones, and not like Twilight. There's a difference. Harry Potter is like The Beatles, Twilight is like New Kids on the Block. It doesn't really matter that there are weaknesses in the book, that Rowling's story is mostly borrowing clever ideas from a myriad of sources, modern and mythic, that are combined into a strange tale of an orphan, consumerism, and team sports. The wonder of the books comes as much from the readers' imaginations and their longing to be part of that magical world as it does from her prose. The prose is fine. It's serviceable, which is all that really matters. When characters are chasing unicorn-killers and rescued by centaurs, the prose can be pretty mediocre and the story will still be successful.

Reading this book as an adult, after all the hype, isn't nearly as much fun as it should be. It's hard to turn off that analytical brain that wonders why they're always eating pumpkin (something I find revolting, personally) and noticing how important money is. It was written by a woman while she was on the dole, after all. The comparisons with Jane Austen are there for anyone who recognized Rowling's Mrs. Norris as the horrible busy-body aunt in Mansfield Park who made Fanny Price's life such a misery, always spying and without a hint of kindness for the small, lonely ward lost in that great house. Sound familiar?

Personally, I love how familiar this story is. I love that we are introduced to an orphan who hasn't been tainted by the corruption of the household he's been living in and that he has managed to retain his essential goodness until he is liberated/discovered and enters into a magical existence. There is danger to face there, of course (it wouldn't be much of a hero's tale without that), adversity to be overcome, something that every child identifies with. It's the kindness in Harry that we identify with, how genuine he is, how he instantly dislikes the snob and befriends the others who are lonely, awkward, poor, outcasts, until they are the heroes of the school, and the story. As Tadpole said,This book is for every kid who got picked last for kickball, which is basically true (even if you've never played kickball or weren't literally picked last). It's for all of us who feel like they don't fit in, who have felt lonely or unhappy as a child and wished for a magical school, or garden or attic or Mary Poppins to visit or a friend like Miss Bianca. It's one of those eternal feelings, in some ways, that those with enough empathy can still draw on, and find the enchantment of it all again.(less)

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Mar 19, 2009

Bells rated it

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Shelves: kidsbooks

I read this long long ago to see how "evil" it was. You know, does it encourage children to become witches and wizards? Does reading Harry Potter cause evil?

After chopping off the heads of chickens, bats, a stray cat, and mixing it up in a ~~cauldron~~ pot, I dipped in my voo-doo doll and put a curse on my neighbor. (nothing too bad, just a case of incurable body lice) I then decided there is absoultely nothing wrong with Harry Potter!

...more

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Sep 04, 2007

Mike rated it

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I'm not going to comment on the literary shortcomings of this book, the cliches, the painfully long narrative, the fact that the characters will not think about an issue for months, but then suddenly it becomes important again. Smarter people than me have already said all this.

What bothers me about the Harry Potter universe is its characterization of magic. Why is magic so easy in the Harry Potter universe? It's only moderately a matter of skill to use magic. Magic is mostly saying t...moreI'm not going to comment on the literary shortcomings of this book, the cliches, the painfully long narrative, the fact that the characters will not think about an issue for months, but then suddenly it becomes important again. Smarter people than me have already said all this.

What bothers me about the Harry Potter universe is its characterization of magic. Why is magic so easy in the Harry Potter universe? It's only moderately a matter of skill to use magic. Magic is mostly saying the correct word with the correct intonation and the correct flourish of the wand and boom! you've done something magical. If it were only for small things I don't think this would bother me so much, but the same works for more serious things, like killing someone.

There is so much that is contrary to logic (and I don't mean science, I mean how reasonable people would behave) in the magic of Harry Potter that it drives me crazy. Why is the magical world so separated from the real world? What is their interaction? If magic works in the muggle world, what is preventing someone like Voldemort from completely taking over the muggle world? What is preventing any character from killing any other character by simpling saying the killing curse at any time? Human decency? Obviously there are a lot of characters in the books that don't have any. This never made any sense to me.

I would like to draw a comparison with (and I'm sure people on a site about reading books will crucify me for mentioning TV, which is obviously incapable of being an art form) Buffy the Vampire Slayer. In Buffy, every time you use magic, you pay for it. For little things, like floating a pencil, you pay for it in concentration, and maybe a little physical energy, but not more than going for a walk. However, the more you take, the more you have to give back in one form or another. The show is not always entirely consistent on this, but the idea makes sense. To bring someone back from the dead, you have to kill something else, or pay some other kind of price. If you want to kill someone, there is a physical price, a mental price. Nothing is free. In Harry Potter, it seems like everything is free.

It's always put me off, and every time a fan tries to explain to me why I'm wrong it sounds like a deus ex machina, or just a plain old stretch.

Also, quidditch is the most pointless sport ever created. Only in 1 game out of 1000 does anything 99% of the action matter to the outcome of the game. Only the seeker and the bludgers mean anything.(less)

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Nov 14, 2010

K.D. rated it

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Recommended to K.D. by: Purplycookie, Jzhun and Ruby

Shelves: 501, childrens

How can more than half of my Goodreads friends be wrong with this?

I have to get this right. As of this writing, I have 98 Goodreads friends. 61 (62%) of them have read J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. Out of those who read this, 39 (64%) rated this with 5 stars. 11 of them with 4 stars. All the others gave 3 or 2. Only 2 rated this with 1 star. One of them admitted not being able to finish it. ~~She should not have rated it really since she did not read its entire~~...more

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Oct 23, 2007

Jennifer marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction-is-fun

Yes, I've been living under a rock.

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Apr 11, 2010

Hollis rated it

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Shelves: childrens-fiction

Supermarket literature for fresh generations of illiterates. What's not to like? For the TV-stunned audience of today, I think frantically marketed childrens books are about all we can focus on. Actually, I think the first few Potters were not too bad but after ''Harry Potter and the Crock of Shit'' and ''Harry Potter and the Forest of Embarassment'' I think they started to go down in quality. I fucking hate them. No, really. I don't hate the books themselves but they are books for kids at...moreSupermarket literature for fresh generations of illiterates. What's not to like? For the TV-stunned audience of today, I think frantically marketed childrens books are about all we can focus on. Actually, I think the first few Potters were not too bad but after ''Harry Potter and the Crock of Shit'' and ''Harry Potter and the Forest of Embarassment'' I think they started to go down in quality. I fucking hate them. No, really. I don't hate the books themselves but they are books for kids at the end of the day and not especially brilliant ones at that. When I see a thirty-year old man on the bus looking profound as he reads one of them I just want to whip it out of his hands and hit him in the face with it.

And no, they are not the best children's books, don't even try to suggest that. They are many, many books for children that are much less publicised and much better in quality and much better written. And the ideas are so brilliant, aren't they? Not really: they're just taken from popular culture, different fairy stories (yep Rowling, take ideas from traditional sagas in other languages, no-one will notice because we're all monolingual apart from you, right?) and mythology. The things that aren't taken from other areas are just stupid. Take Quidditch. It's so cool and imaginative, don't you think? But it's not cool just because it's in a film and everyone screams a lot, it's fucking stupid. 99% of the things that are going on the pitch and being commentated on are pointless because the team wins that gets the Snitch. So all that matters is whether Harry grabs that little ball on the side of the stadium and the rest of it is more or less pointless. That's just obviously stupid and no amount of CGI can be up for it.

The thing that people often say is ''Well, they're not that good, but they do get people into reading.'' No they don't, that's nonsense. People who read Harry Potter read Harry Potter and maybe Stephen King if they think they can manage that. Anyone one who I have ever spoken to who is an avid Rowling/Dan Brown fan has read almost nothing apart from Rowling/Dan Brown/Twishite. Fair enough if it does actually encourage kids to read (if there is actual evidence of that) but adults: well, leave them to their bread and circuses. (less)

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Aug 15, 2007

Keely rated it

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Shelves: fantasy, contemporary-fiction, novel, reviewed, contemporary-fantasy, uk-and-ireland

Fairly standard kid's fantasy fare from Rowling as she re-introduces the world to the classic British fairy tale, which had been mostly forgotten since Tolkien spliced it with the epic. She mines gold from this rich and storied tradition, but doesn't really fashion anything unique from it.

We can see the beginnings of Rowling's authorial failings (and a hint of her strengths as well). She adopts Rouald Dahl's 'awful family' trope, though it's clear that Rowling does not have the gift ...moreFairly standard kid's fantasy fare from Rowling as she re-introduces the world to the classic British fairy tale, which had been mostly forgotten since Tolkien spliced it with the epic. She mines gold from this rich and storied tradition, but doesn't really fashion anything unique from it.

We can see the beginnings of Rowling's authorial failings (and a hint of her strengths as well). She adopts Rouald Dahl's 'awful family' trope, though it's clear that Rowling does not have the gift of bizarre characterization or the knowledge of the darker parts of the human soul that made his books resonate.

She writes sympathetic characters, but not unusual ones. Overall her writing has relatively little character or style. Then again, mass success often requires leaving the more unusual elements behind. So she relies on standard character types, managing to keep them afloat through the patented perpetual plot of the airplane book.

She also pulls from that old British tradition of 'children lost in fairyland', seen often in early fantasy (Dunsany, Eddison), which Lewis also made use of. She also has the vast, unknown underground of magic just beneath our world which keeps itself always mysterious and quiet, much favored by Gaiman and other Urban Fantasy authors (though Rowling's invented world is strained and piecemeal, moreso as the series goes on).

The strength of the book is that it combines the tradition of the 'child in fairyland' with another British standby: the boarding school bildungsroman. It's the same neat trick Mervyn Peake pulled in 'Gormenghast', though Rowling's version is tame in comparison. Her tale of the intellectual, emotional, and physical growth of the young, outcast everyman is rather predictable, except for some insight into angst in the fifth book.

Rowling's prose is quick and simple, but sometimes awkward and without music or joy. It is not the sort of deliberate simplicity Carroll achieved by expressing complex ideas in playful terms. It is rather the sign of an author whose unsophisticated voice prevents her language from vaulting higher.

Simplistic elegance is deceptively difficult to achieve, and so it's hard to blame Rowling too much when she falters. It's unfortunate that she didn't put a few failed books under her belt before finding success, as such early outings are often best winnowed chaff.

Her plotting--as ever--is scattered and convenient; though in a shorter book, it shows less. Her plot twists, as usual, disappoint; they are not built upon progression of events but upon reader expectation and emotional red herrings.

It's the beginning of an enjoyable series, but there's really no need to start any earlier than the third book, when Rowling finally finds her pace and begins to lean more heavily on that which she does well, which helps to hide her faults. Watch the movie if you need a primer.(less)

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Dec 06, 2010

Becky rated it

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Shelves: owned, 2010, fantasy, favorites, highly-recommended, multi-dimensional, young-adult, reviewed

I wasn't sure if I was going to write a review of these books, but I try to write a review of all of the books that I read, and it's been kind of nagging at me that I didn't write one for this. It's hard to write a review for a book that is so dang popular and well known. What is there to say that's new? I dunno. I think pretty much everything's been said, but still I wanted to write a review for this, and to talk about these books, even if I'm just rehashing everything that's already been done....moreI wasn't sure if I was going to write a review of these books, but I try to write a review of all of the books that I read, and it's been kind of nagging at me that I didn't write one for this. It's hard to write a review for a book that is so dang popular and well known. What is there to say that's new? I dunno. I think pretty much everything's been said, but still I wanted to write a review for this, and to talk about these books, even if I'm just rehashing everything that's already been done.

I remember when these first came out, I never really wanted to read them. I thought of them as "kid's books" and even though I read YA, my overly-critical half just kept saying that these weren't for me. I don't know if it was the cover, or the insta-popularity of the books or what, but I didn't read them. I avoided them like the plague. Until a friend of mine was reading the 5th book, and was so engrossed in it that he would do the "...yes, yes, I'm paying attention..." nod while his eyes remained glued to the page. And as a reader myself, I know that look. So I asked to borrow the book he was reading, and he refused. He told me that if I was going to read it, I'd have to READ it, starting with the first book. So the next day, he lent me the first and second books, both of which I finished in record time, and then I understood. And I never looked back.

There's something about these books that is just... magical. Yeah, yeah, cliche, I know. But it's true. Yes, they are about magic, but they are about so much more than that. They are about love, and friendship and loyalty and trust and betrayal and commitment and all the things that we aspire to have and to be as humans. They are about understanding and forgiveness and learning who we are when it really matters. And all of these things are buried in this shell of fun and adventure and mystery that makes them irresistible.

I decided to read these again in the original UK editions, because I know that the US editions were "Americanized", and I wanted to re-experience them in their true form. I dislike when things are changed from their original format, I hate abridgments and condensed versions etc. I want to experience the story how the author wrote it, how it was meant to be experienced without some guy in a suit somewhere trying to make it "accessible" to me. I like the feeling that I get of learning something of another culture through the words they use, and the meaning that they give the words. This is why they taught us reading comprehension in third grade, so that we can read and LEARN. Learning doesn't have to be boring and tedious, it can be fun if we allow it to be. But it seems that we've lost that ability. Sad.

Anyway, I re-read the first book, now appropriately titled "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone", and I was surprised at how emotional I felt reading it, especially after knowing where it all ends. It was like seeing friends that you've missed for years again, and while it makes you happy to see them, it's also sad because you know they'll have to go again too soon. That's how I felt, like I was seeing friends and that my time with them is short. That's kind of a silly way to feel, because they are forever, and I can visit anytime I want to, but I felt that way anyway. Especially meeting Ron again. He's my favorite character for an absolute reason, which is because he is so loyal and funny and true, and he gives his whole heart when he gives it at all. I wish that there were more people like Ron.

I can't wait to re-read the rest of the series and see if this feeling remains. I love discovering the hidden gems that Rowling has left for us to find, in mythology and history and legend and word-play and in life. Who wouldn't love these books? (less)

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Aug 31, 2009

Brad rated it

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Recommended to Brad by: Michelle Svenson

Shelves: fantasy, youth, read-to-bronte

Is there any point in saying anything about Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone anymore? Not really. Not as far as critiques go.

If I were to delve into some interesting critical analysis of an issue raised in The Philosopher's Stone, or take a critical look at Rowling's authorship, then maybe...but most everything that can be said about liking or disliking the book, about its excellence or its shabbiness has been said.

And while I feel I may eventually take a stand f...more

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Sparrow No, I definitely did not think that you implied that girl stuff is stupid. :) I guess I just think equating Twilight and HP is more useless than fall...more
Sep 02, 2009 11:12am

Cathy Your comment about the readers is interesting, Brad. I listened to the Jim Dale readings of the first 2 books and just loved them. I seem to remember ...more
Sep 03, 2009 09:10pm

Nov 14, 2007

Sue atie rated it

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Harry Potter is the most miserable, lonely boy you can imagine. He’s shunned by his relatives, the Dursley’s, that have raised him since he was an infant. He’s forced to live in the cupboard under the stairs, forced to wear his cousin Dudley’s hand-me-down clothes, and forced to go to his neighbour’s house when the rest of the family is doing something fun. Yes, he’s just about as miserable as you can get.

Harry’s world gets turned upside down on his 11th birthday, however. A giant, ...moreHarry Potter is the most miserable, lonely boy you can imagine. He’s shunned by his relatives, the Dursley’s, that have raised him since he was an infant. He’s forced to live in the cupboard under the stairs, forced to wear his cousin Dudley’s hand-me-down clothes, and forced to go to his neighbour’s house when the rest of the family is doing something fun. Yes, he’s just about as miserable as you can get.

Harry’s world gets turned upside down on his 11th birthday, however. A giant, Hagrid, informs Harry that he’s really a wizard, and will soon be attending Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Harry also learns that, in the wizarding world, he’s a hero. When he was an infant, the evil Lord Voldemort killed his parents and then tried to kill Harry too. What’s so amazing to everyone is that Harry survived, and allegedly destroyed Voldemort in the process.

When Harry hears all this, he doesn’t know what to think. However, everything Hagrid tells him turns out to be true, and with a joyful heart Harry starts wizarding school in September. He quickly becomes best friends with a boy named Ron Weasley, and before they even make it to Christmas, they break tons of school rules when they attack a troll and prevent it from killing fellow student Hermione Granger. After the troll incident, the three become inseparable, and Harry is amazed to have found such great friends. He is constantly busy trying to stay on top of the mounds of homework, as well as participating in weekly Quidditch practices. Quidditch is a popular sport among wizards and Harry is the youngest Quidditch player in over a century. It's also a game Harry loves more than anything else at school.

As the year progresses, the three friends set out to solve the mystery of the gigantic three-headed dog that is guarding something in a deserted corridor in the school. They figure out that a very valuable object, the Sorcerer’s Stone, is being hidden in the school, although they don’t know why. When one of the professor’s starts acting as if he’s trying to steal it, they quickly take action to circumvent the theft.

Things come to a head when they sneak past the vicious, three-headed dog and go down into the bowels of the school, determined to save the stone. Ron and Hermione help Harry get through the challenges set forth to stop the thief, but Harry must go on alone to battle the professor. When he finally gets to the last room, however, he’s astonished to find someone else entirely.

Harry is forced to do battle with the wizard that tried to kill him so many years before, Lord Voldemort. He’s able to save the Sorcerer’s Stone, although he’s almost killed in process. The school headmaster, Dumbledore, arrives just in time to save Harry.

The school year ends spectacularly. Harry, Ron, and Hermione are honored for their service to the school, and Harry leaves to go back to the Dursley’s for the summer feeling as if he’s finally found a place where he really belongs.
(less)

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Oct 25, 2010

★ Jess rated it

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Shelves: books-i-own, 5-star-excellent, read-in-2010, special-top-favorites-♥

A note in regard to the on-going Potter vs Twilight debate:

Go ahed, tell me Twilight is better.
Tell me that James is scarier then Voldemort,
That the Cullens are a better family then the Weasly's
That Edward is cooler then Harry,
and Bella is smarter then Hermione.
Tell me that Stephenie Meyer is more talented then J.K. Rowling.

Go ahed,
I dare you.

Those who think the topic of Harry Potter or Twilight is worth debating an...more

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Sep 14, 2009

Miloš & Brontë rated it

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Shelves: read-by-brontë, read-to-us, fantasy, read-with-pa

Papa: So what did you think, Brontë?

Brontë: I loved when...well, there's one part that I loved. I mean that I really loved. That there was a couple stuff that I really loved that was cool and exciting, but I can't remember those. Well...I...loved the movie of it, except the one with Dobby. I hated that. He gives me nightmares.

Papa: But what did you think of the Philosopher's Stone?

Brontë: I liked when we in Calgary and he looked the Mirror.

Papa: Yo...more

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Oct 22, 2007

Carmen Maloy rated it

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Recommends it for: EVERYONE

What stands out in book one:

* Harry's first trip to the zoo with the Dursleys, when a boa constrictor winks at him.
* When the Dursleys' house is suddenly besieged by letters for Harry from Hogwarts. Readers learn how much the Dursleys have been keeping from Harry. Rowling does a wonderful job in displaying the lengths to which Uncle Vernon will go to deny that magic exists.
* Harry's first visit to Diagon Alley with Hagrid. Full of curiosities and rich with magic and mar...moreWhat stands out in book one:

* Harry's first trip to the zoo with the Dursleys, when a boa constrictor winks at him.
* When the Dursleys' house is suddenly besieged by letters for Harry from Hogwarts. Readers learn how much the Dursleys have been keeping from Harry. Rowling does a wonderful job in displaying the lengths to which Uncle Vernon will go to deny that magic exists.
* Harry's first visit to Diagon Alley with Hagrid. Full of curiosities and rich with magic and marvel, Harry's first trip includes a trip to Gringotts and Ollivanders, where Harry gets his wand (holly and phoenix feather) and discovers yet another connection to He-Who-Must-No-Be-Named. This moment is the reader's first full introduction to Rowling's world of witchcraft and wizards.
* Harry's experience with the Sorting Hat.

Amazon Review:
Say you've spent the first 10 years of your life sleeping under the stairs of a family who loathes you. Then, in an absurd, magical twist of fate you find yourself surrounded by wizards, a caged snowy owl, a phoenix-feather wand, and jellybeans that come in every flavor, including strawberry, curry, grass, and sardine. Not only that, but you discover that you are a wizard yourself! This is exactly what happens to young Harry Potter in J.K. Rowling's enchanting, funny debut novel, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. In the nonmagic human world--the world of "Muggles"--Harry is a nobody, treated like dirt by the aunt and uncle who begrudgingly inherited him when his parents were killed by the evil Voldemort. But in the world of wizards, small, skinny Harry is famous as a survivor of the wizard who tried to kill him. He is left only with a lightning-bolt scar on his forehead, curiously refined sensibilities, and a host of mysterious powers to remind him that he's quite, yes, altogether different from his aunt, uncle, and spoiled, piglike cousin Dudley.
A mysterious letter, delivered by the friendly giant Hagrid, wrenches Harry from his dreary, Muggle-ridden existence: "We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry." Of course, Uncle Vernon yells most unpleasantly, "I AM NOT PAYING FOR SOME CRACKPOT OLD FOOL TO TEACH HIM MAGIC TRICKS!" Soon enough, however, Harry finds himself at Hogwarts with his owl Hedwig... and that's where the real adventure--humorous, haunting, and suspenseful--begins.
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Apr 01, 2009

Marian rated it

· review of another edition

How could I not give this book 5 stars? I would live in fear of being strung up the nearest Muggle tree! Thankfully, it was a great book and well deserving of high praise.

Not to mention Harry Potter gives way to this famous Office scene:

Michael Scott: We are going to choose team names. Dwight!
Dwight Schrute: We will be called Gryffindor!
Jim Halpert: Really? Not Slytherin?
Dwight Schrute: Slytherin are the bad guys, Jim.
Jim Halpert: I know. Okay, we ...more

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Apr 03, 2008

Mark Plaugher added it · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Reference information:
Title: “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone”
Author: J.K. Rowling
Publisher: Scholastic, Inc. Year: 1997
# of pages: 309 Genre: YA Lit, Science Fiction
Reading level: Interest level: Ages nine and up
Potential hot lava: Witch Craft and Wizardry

General response/reaction:
After hearing the up-roar about the ‘Harry Potter’ books and the movies, I did not even know what to expect. What if I hated the book? Would people shun me for...more

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Feb 23, 2008

Chloe rated it

· review of another edition

Recommends it for: Fantasy-lovers and those who can still remember their childhoods.

Recommended to Chloe by: my sister

Shelves: controversy, scifi-fantasy, ya-j

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. The phenomenal success of Harry Potter makes it almost superfluous to review the books. Nothing a detractor could say will deter fans. Nothing a fan could say will make the books any more enjoyable. However, I would like to try to comment on this first book, simply to try and understand the appeal.

As everyone who has not been living on a deserted island or in a deep pit already knows, Harry Potter is the story of a boy who learns that he is a wizard. Recently, the final book of the ...moreThe phenomenal success of Harry Potter makes it almost superfluous to review the books. Nothing a detractor could say will deter fans. Nothing a fan could say will make the books any more enjoyable. However, I would like to try to comment on this first book, simply to try and understand the appeal.

As everyone who has not been living on a deserted island or in a deep pit already knows, Harry Potter is the story of a boy who learns that he is a wizard. Recently, the final book of the series came out and the epic battle between the good wizards and the hellish Death Eaters has drawn to a close. However, this first book shows few signs of the saga to come. It opens with a Roald Dahl-esque story about a unique child in an exaggeratedly bad –yet humorous– situation (not unlike Matilda). As the story progresses it becomes more whimsical, but retains the dark humor and colorful (sometimes even grotesque) characters that testify to the Dahlian influence. Even by the end, when Harry faces off (for the first time) with the evil Dark Lord, the story is no darker than the climax of The Witches. There is no hint in this work of the dangers to come.

But, everyone knows the plot of Harry Potter. Or else, they really should. Anyone who wants to be up to date in the world of literature and modern culture must read the most popular book series of all time. Not everyone will enjoy it, but it must be read. The real question is, are the books of any merit?

There are really two dominant groups when it comes to a book as popular as HP: the detractors who give it but one star, and the fans who heap on as many as allowed. The detractors, however, are also made of two groups: those who honestly do not like the books, and those who are jealous and biased against them (one reviewer was obviously against fantasy). The latter, who believe that reading one of the books enables them to judge the scope of the series, who brush aside the fans with cheep name-calling, are not to be taken seriously. After all, with a series so universally loved, there must be some element of universality that should be honestly examined. Are all of the millions of fans idiots? Or is there an element to the story that touches on a universal aspect of mankind? I would argue that it is the latter, as to stereotype a huge number of people is not only difficult but probably impossible and smells of elitism.

The universality of the story, in my opinion, lies within J.K. Rowling’s characters. One could go on and on about certain weaknesses in her prose (though I notice many of these detractors tend to dislike children’s books in general and cannot come to grasp the idea that the writing in a book for children should be less dense than the writing of Dante). One could complain about various discrepancies. But, one cannot condemn her characters. And it is in these characters that her genius lies. Any one of them could be someone you know. I found myself so often looking at this or that character and thinking, “Why he/she is just like so-and-so!” What is more, Rowling’s insights into the hearts of children are penetrating. Who cannot recall the feelings that she gives her characters? And each one perfectly fits the situations given in the book.

The characters are not the sole strength of the books, either. A list of her strengths would be as follows:

1. A world that is believable and transcends the story. The wizarding world and culture is not only interesting to imagine, colorful, and enjoyable to escape into, but it has a life outside of the realm of the book. Many fantasy writers do not seem to know their worlds, and the readers are left lost and unsure of the culture they are supposed to immerse themselves in. The wizarding world is well-developed and structured, and as fully realized as Middle Earth.
2. Rowling’s use of mythology is charming. She brings to life both classic creatures (giants, centaurs, unicorns) as well as less familiar ones (hippogriffs, boggarts). She also puts her own twist on otherwise familiar characters, and manages to conform each of the creatures to her own mythology. Say what you may about the books, this takes some skill.
3. The witty wordplay in the books found me smiling.
4. The books are filled with plot-points. Hardly an event happens that does not either move the plot forwards or reveal new layers of character. Again, this is difficult to do and takes some skill and literary vision.
5. Rowling works into the stories universal themes that have moved civilizations since antiquity: good vs. evil; the weak outshining the strong; the value of courage, love and friendship; self sacrifice. Naturally, such universal themes would help account for the books’ universality. And Rowling’s take on the themes is both as fresh as it is timeless. (Take Harry’s final battle, for example.)
6. Lastly, Rowling manages to reach into the depths of her readers’ hearts and bring us back to our childhood fantasies. How many of us did not imagine ourselves on great adventures in mythical worlds? The stories bring to mind nothing so much as the stories of my early childhood. The magical feel is both familiar and exhilarating, sending the readers on a journey as nostalgic as it is adventuresome.

Frankly, I believe that to write off these books is foolish. One may find fault with them, but certainly something with such universal appeal is worth more than one star. And I believe that in the years to come, these books will find their place alongside Narnia, The Lord of the Rings, Alice in Wonderland, The Wizard of Oz, and the collected works of Roald Dahl.
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Feb 09, 2008

Chris rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, harry-potter

Since pretty much everyone I know has read these books, I figure reviewing them is pretty pointless. But with the new book coming out in a couple of weeks, I have to go through them beginning to end. To make the reviews more entertaining, I will be doing them in a variety of unexpected formats. For this review, I will be writing as someone incapable of suspending his disbelief.

This book was terrible! I mean, this author is obviously on drugs or insane or something like that, and why ...moreSince pretty much everyone I know has read these books, I figure reviewing them is pretty pointless. But with the new book coming out in a couple of weeks, I have to go through them beginning to end. To make the reviews more entertaining, I will be doing them in a variety of unexpected formats. For this review, I will be writing as someone incapable of suspending his disbelief.

This book was terrible! I mean, this author is obviously on drugs or insane or something like that, and why she has been allowed to publish such patent nonsense is beyond me. What is even more horrifying is that so many people, adults and children, are supporting this madwoman. I mean, even some of my friends and family, people I respect have come under her spell!

Her spell. Ha! As though such things as spells and magic really exist. I know she and her hoard of followers believe so, but we, the right-thinking, rational people of the world know better, don't we?

The beginning was okay, and I had high hopes for it. I thought it might be an interesting story about this family, the Dursleys, who seem to be people after my own heart. Sensible, no-nonsense folk, these, who know what's real and what isn't. But within ten pages, I knew something wasn't right. Think about this - some crazy old man in robes shows up with a tiny device that can put out streetlights from a distance? A cat changes into a woman? Outrageous! And then the flying motorcycle, and nonsensical ravings about magicians and dark lords and curses, and that's where it all started to go downhill.

I forced myself to slog through this mess of nonsense, though by the time I got to chapter five, I had pretty much given up. Nothing this book describes could possibly take place in the real world, and it is almost criminal that she should get this kind of fame and attention. She is a font of nonsense and mayhem, poisoning the minds of everyone her work touches. If you haven't read these books, I recommend that you stay away from them. If you have, then I beg you to come to your senses and embrace the real world. Give up this madness and join us over here in the world where truth is truth and Harry Potter is meaningless vapor.(less)

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Nov 29, 2010

Mariel rated it

· review of another edition

Recommends it for: Harry is the one I'll marry

Recommended to Mariel by: Potter you rotter

Shelves: crack, seen-not-heard, asleepanddreaming, whichwitchbitch, theyhavelargertalons, the-neon-gas-gets-free, hahaevilbigbad, bestiality, wishitlastedforever, rubber-ring

I'm not the usual Harry Potter fan, I don't think.

To the well organized mind death is but the next great adventure." - Albus Dumbledore I don't wanna die! Who cares? My favorite Dumbledore is Aberforth. Y'know, the one who performed an experimental charm on goats and got sent to appear before the ministry for it. Albus isn't even sure he can read, for that matter. I'm more Aberforth on the wisdom scale, fo' sho'. (I once asked JK Rowling what the charm was. She said my guess w...moreI'm not the usual Harry Potter fan, I don't think.

To the well organized mind death is but the next great adventure." - Albus Dumbledore I don't wanna die! Who cares? My favorite Dumbledore is Aberforth. Y'know, the one who performed an experimental charm on goats and got sent to appear before the ministry for it. Albus isn't even sure he can read, for that matter. I'm more Aberforth on the wisdom scale, fo' sho'. (I once asked JK Rowling what the charm was. She said my guess was as good as hers. She also laughed evilly. I have my answer.) Wake up and smell the flowers? Huh? The goats are eating all the flowers and they sure smell ~~experimental~~ pretty. It wasn't as fun after Order of the Phoenix and the bitching commenced. Yeah, there were problems. But I'm not organized, I don't wanna die, and I never really cared how it ended as much as I cared about focusing on the cool little stuff.

I got into the series after Prisoner of Azkaban came out and before Goblet of Fire. (So it wasn't the movies or that Daniel Radcliffe was -then- Elijah Wood before he was uglier.) What made me want to read them? The Dursleys. I thought they sounded wonderfully delicious (they are hilarious. I love it when Vernon tells everyone that Harry attends "St. Brutus' Center for Incurably Criminal Boys". His Japanese golfer joke. When playing trivia games with friends I'd piss myself with excitement if I got a muggle question. "Vernon's drill company is called Grunnings! Yes! I'm more amazing than all of you put together!" Wonder why no one plays reindeer games with me anymore...) I love muggles.

I loved the stupid shit. No, not the mythology references. Yaaay she read Shakespeare. My Uncle Remus did too. Not even that she listened to The Smiths and The Beatles while coming up with the series (I do love that). I loved the Aberforth goat stuff. I loved the names of Lockhart's books (Gadding with Ghouls, Year with the Yeti, etc.) and the little humor stuff she slips in. I can still quote asshole-y things that Draco Malfoy taunted them with (Potter stinks!) and can't remember the basic plot twists.

I was a card carrying Potterite (laminated!). Sigh. I do miss wondering what was going to happen next. I miss having that place to retreat to in my mind. I'd go on my favorite Harry forum and have fun making up theories (I was right about EVERYYTHING *coughs*). I'm jealous of JK Rowling for having that place in her mind. Yeah, I've got my own stories. But I don't think I have as much fun with mine (probably because I'm not a sadistic murderer like she is).

I liked the books better before they grew up. Rowling couldn't write a love story for anything. I hated it whenever Ron was mad at Harry. My favorite Buffy seasons to watch when depressed are the first three because the core group are still together. I love the togetherness. (Aberforth was eventually important in the last book. That almost ruined it.)

P.s. In case I didn't look dorky enough... I used to get into rabid debates about the English to American changes with the transatlantic fans. They were all like: "Americans are so dumb that you don't understand what Philosopher means." I delivered eighteen shots to their stomach with my comebacks about Lee not being black in their versions, JK Rowlings name being JK in the first place (it doesn't mean Just Kidding. The publishers thought boys wouldn't read a female author), and their effing ugly covers (English kids lose so often. No Edward Gorey for Joan Aiken's books!). I did know that jumper meant sweater. It's not just a Hayden Christensen vehicle.(less)

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Sep 04, 2007

Patrick Henderson rated it

· review of another edition

Recommends it for: anyone

Shelves: crack

Oh go to hell. These things are like crack.

So I just finished the 7th one and I have no intention of re-reading them, though I do have fond memories of them. My most recent encounter with Harry Potter was on an airplane a couple of days ago. This humongous 16 year old kid from North Dakota was sitting next to me reading the 5th book. He smelled like cereal and farts and was audibly mouth-breathing for the whole flight. I tried to engage him in conversation periodically to ...more

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Aug 28, 2007

Dawn Michelle rated it

· review of another edition

Recommends it for: ANYONE!!

Shelves: books-i-cant-live-without

I fought the Harry Potter phenom for so long that when I finally did succumb to it, I was blown away at why I resisted for so freaking long!!!!
WHAT a great series! But as I am very Type-A, I am going to review each book individually as they all have interesting aspects to them.
This is the first book in the series. You meet Harry. You learn a tiny bit about who he is and why he is with his Aunt and Uncle at the very beginning of the book. You learn quickly to DESPISE his Aunt and Uncl...more

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Aug 09, 2007

Silvercharmer rated it

· review of another edition

Recommends it for: Is there someone out there who hasn't read it?

Shelves: harry-potter

It's nice to go back and re-read the first HP book, because this is where Rowling's strengths as a writer really show through: her imagination and line by line prose. As the series goes on, it becomes more and more about Voldemort and the issues at hand, pushing the wizarding world to the background and forcing her to rely on what she is not best at, which is character development and pacing.

I think this is Rowling at her best. There's no debating that this woman has an imagination t...moreIt's nice to go back and re-read the first HP book, because this is where Rowling's strengths as a writer really show through: her imagination and line by line prose. As the series goes on, it becomes more and more about Voldemort and the issues at hand, pushing the wizarding world to the background and forcing her to rely on what she is not best at, which is character development and pacing.

I think this is Rowling at her best. There's no debating that this woman has an imagination to kill for, and she renders the things she sees in her head extremely well on the page. I think this is due to the fact that she writes these outrageous and fascinating things as common, non-noteworthy occurrences in the wizard-world (which they essentially are), which only makes them more interesting to us muggles. Especially in this book, where she is catering mostly to a child/young adult audience, her writing style is perfect. With her approach, what would ordinarily be cause a reader irritation and an inability to maintain the suspension of disbelief becomes genuinely enjoyable. My example would be the Dursleys. Written for an older audience, the things those characters do and say are so extreme and unlikely that they would normally bring about frustration in the reader, but as she writes them, they are funny if not likeable, in a strange way.

It’s that very thing, however, that gets her into trouble when the series starts to mature. Already in this book you can see her weak spot: characterization. In a children’s book, it’s easier to get away with cookie cutter characters, which is what we have here. Everyone is a predictable extreme: Malfoy, Snape and the Dursleys are about as awful as they can get, and of them, only Snape has any redeeming qualities, which are mostly drowned out and forgotten in the books to come. Hermione’s book nerd qualities are also extreme, and her statements about studying for exams 10 weeks before they happen and her “light reading” textbooks are little more than a stereotype taken to its furthest limits. Harry is a stereotypical hero, in that he is the suffering boy who’s virtue and commitment to doing the right thing prevail every time. Dumbledore, Hagrid, even McGonagall are all cutouts from the stereotypes they represent. Don't get me wrong, they are well written and enjoyable, but so is tough-guy-with-a-heart-of-gold Han Solo.

At this point in the series, all of these things are acceptable, even enjoyable, because children’s stories often rely and thrive on extremes and stereotypes. But these things become very big problems if they do not evolve into other things as the books mature.

But again, this book’s primary success and focus is this strange new world of wizarding, and Rowling does a beautiful job with it.

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Mar 23, 2008

Trevor rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: children-s-literature

It wasn't called this at all - but for some reason the title changed in the US and there is no original title versions of this on this site, which is also strange. How terribly odd.

Anyway, I read this to the kids - in fact, the first four books to them - just before the tidal wave of popularity. We had just finished reading all the books of Dahl and were looking for something else to be getting on with - and there was this article in the paper saying that the Fundamentalist Chris...more

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May 18, 2011

Patrick Marvin rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: books-i-own, favorites, young-adult, 2011-reads, bought

I. LOVE. IT.

The story focuses on 11-year-old Harry Potter who, after his birthday, discovers that his parents and himself are wizards. He eventually discovers that Lord Voldemort, the most feared wizard at that time, was the reason why his parents died and caused the lightning-shaped scar on his forehead. Throughout the book, he befriends goofy Ron and terrible-smart Hermione. And he also made an enemy on Draco Malfoy, whose father is a Death Eater (a follower of Voldemort). When he ...moreI. LOVE. IT.

The story focuses on 11-year-old Harry Potter who, after his birthday, discovers that his parents and himself are wizards. He eventually discovers that Lord Voldemort, the most feared wizard at that time, was the reason why his parents died and caused the lightning-shaped scar on his forehead. Throughout the book, he befriends goofy Ron and terrible-smart Hermione. And he also made an enemy on Draco Malfoy, whose father is a Death Eater (a follower of Voldemort). When he started his first year on Hogwarts School of Wizardry and Witchcraft, he mainly got the attention of everyone. Why? He was the reason why Voldemort simply vanished the day Voldemort tried to kill Harry Potter after he finished off his parents. Everything was going great on his school, well except that he has yet to face the person he fears that might finish him off - Lord Voldemort himself!

Why, oh, why many people hate this book? Simply because it’s childish? Nope. Rowling made sure that people of different ages relate to the story. I can’t simply stand people who bicker this novel. It’s one of the most read novels of the 21st century! Anyone can relate to it, right? I praise Rowling for creating such a effect on literature today. Who would live without ever reading Harry Potter? Everyone’s a fan of Harry Potter. I finished first all the movies, then I started reading this book. Wow. I never thought it was more good to read than to watch. I can’t believe I passed this book for a couple of time. The characters were realistic, the plot amazing, the twists and everything, it’s so spirited. The novel is elaborate and Rowling knows how to tell the story.

I recommend this to ALL. I would be sorry for the people who would pass this opportunity to read such a wonderful novel. It inspired the world to read books, to appreciate literature. I’m already at loss for words. Please, if you are reading this now, GO AHEAD AND GRAB A COPY OF THE BOOK!

Originally posted on: http://somebooksandcoffee.tumblr.com/pos... (less)

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Feb 01, 2012

Nina ♥ rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: first-in-series

Edit: JUST RE-READ THIS! What can I say, after reading ~~the most amazing book on the face of the planet~~ Deathly Hallows, I just had to read this again! Nostalgia got to me. xD

Review: Loved this book. :)

It was a little boring at first (especially since I'd seen the movie before reading the book), but it got better halfway through.

I adored Harry, Hermione, and Ron; loved their constant banter, their epic ~~rule breaking~~ adventures. Their friendship is one of the m...more

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Jul 03, 2011

Mike (the Paladin) rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, favorites, ya-fantasy

I read this years ago...my kids were still young.

Did it bother anyone else that the publishers assumed Americans were too ignorant to know what the "philosopher's stone" was?
yah, me to.

Well anyway, I've read and listened to this (these) and gone back to them several times since. Even though my children are grown I still enjoy this series of books. As originally written the series (considering the time between publication of each volume) actually grew with ...more

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Feb 01, 2010

Meg rated it

· review of another edition

Recommended to Meg by: ummm... the entire human race?

Shelves: read-with-kids

LEAH'S RATING (age 4): 5 STARS
RAEF'S RATING (age 6): 4 STARS
MEG'S RATING (age--none of your business): 5 STARS

LEAH'S REVIEW:

I liked the book and I liked the movie. It was exciting when they destroyed the troll.

LEAH'S FAVORITE QUOTE:

"Welcome!" (Dumbledore) said. "Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts! Before we begin our banquet, I would like to say a few words. And here they are: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak! T...more

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About J.K. Rowling

J.K. Rowling (Joanne "Jo" Rowling) is the writer behind the best selling "Harry Potter" series. The Potter books have gained worldwide attention, won multiple awards, sold more than 400 million copies and been the basis for a popular series of films.

Aside from writing the Potter novels, Rowling is perhaps equally famous for her "rags to riches" life story,...more

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Books by J.K. Rowling

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Harry Potter, #7)

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Harry Potter, #3)

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Harry Potter, #4)

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (Harry Potter, #6)

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Harry Potter, #5)

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Harry Potter à l'École des Sorciers (Harry Potter #1)

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