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Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
Harry Potter
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HPatPS: Part 1: Chapter 1 - Chapter 4
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AND OH BOY! This is soon! I'll be diving in on the first."
Sadly it doesn't appear to be possible to have it display that as the topic discussion. I'm still annoyed after finding out they changed the title for the US version. DUMB. Just like whatever other changes they made to the text.
It will be interesting to do the UK version and see how noticeable the difference are apart from the reader.
Sadly, I'm doing the boring ole American version. But I got a sweet box set from B&N so there's that. Started today, couldn't wait. Hagrid just busted down the door, screaming at the Dursleys
I've already started listening to the Jim Dale audiobooks. Loving it so far.
Have been reading this one out loud to the kids. We sometimes comment on the differences between the movie version and the book.
I found the UK edition of the audiobooks through a friend. So I'm stoked to re-read these with the UK version. :)
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Copycat! :-P
I'll be reading the American version too. Despite having my 15 year anniversary set, I think I'm gonna read my old, beat-up paperback. It's part of the experience for me.
Yeah I'm almost thinking to go back and read the old ones I have too. Maybe the anniversary ones just for show
I've gots my trusty ol' beat up Bloomsburies, which can hopefully be read one more time without completely coming apart. Hopefully. May end up having to grab em on Kindle before this re-read's over >_>
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I have beat up copies, Scholastic and Bloomsbury, of the first one. My grandmother got me the first three, Bloomsbury editions, from Canada, and not even a week after my father sent down the first two, Scholastic, from America. I always found that funny, that a random buyer in Canada would end up with the UK editions when America's right next door.
I have the first four in paperback, a box set and the rest are hardcover.
Yeah, my hardcovers are actually in pretty good shape, the Scholastic ones. And they are nicely broken in so it's a pretty comfortable read. Almost forgot how much I loved the humor and imagery in these books.
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This is probably better for the book 7 discussion, but I've already spent a bunch of time writing it up..
I remember when Deadly Hallows came out it was during Otakon and my friends were staying with me. I left them there to run to the bookstore's midnight release, only for them not to have my pre order.
After getting things sorted out, I got my copy, only to find Barnes and Noble had a booth at the con just to sell the book.
I spent all my waiting time at the con reading it, and someone was cosplaying as HP spoilers.
I had first edition Scholastic hardcovers that were all great. Until my mom got her mitts on them.I even had the GoF that had the issue with the James/Lily order in Prior Incantatum (Incatato?).
Very frustrated those got fubar. But I have not purchased new versions. I also have the UK edition in audio and all of the US editions in audio.
Ctgt wrote: "I have the first four in paperback, a box set and the rest are hardcover."Samsies. My hardcovers are in great shape. The paperbacks... not so much. My edition of Order of the Phoenix has printing errors though. Papers stuck to one another and whatnot early on. No text errors though.
When I first read them, I bought all the paper backs. And then when I realized how much I loved them, I bought all the hardbacks. And now that I'm rereading them, I bought the anniversary paper backs, which are beautiful. Love that story Rob. I remember pre-ordering the 7th from Amazon and when it came in the mail the mail lady said she was told she had to hand deliver each one, no leaving it on people's doorstep. And the box it came in was awesome, had an owl on it!
I love being back in this world. It's so familiar and comforting to me.Thoughts:
-The Dursleys are so horrible to Harry. I don't always realize how badly he has been treated and abused by them. It's all sort of cloaked in humor which deflects the overall shittiness of it.
-Quite a bit of foreshadowing here. Hagrid with Sirius's bike, the Deluminator makes it's first appearance, Mrs. Figg and her cats are mentioned, the snake is released..
-I can imagine what Dumbledore is thinking in the back of his head while talking to McGonagall. He's chatting with her but has to be hoping that the magic of leaving Harry with his relatives will be enough to protect him. He knows that Harry is still in a lot of danger.
-I love the humor in these books. It comes so naturally to Rowling and never feels forced (*cough* - Sanderson - *cough*). Small things like McGonagall looking at Dumbledore's cloak to see if Harry is hidden there and Harry's comment to Dudley about his head going down the toilet. Love it.
If you've ever read Roald Dahl, especially Matilda, the first couple of chapters in this book gave me that vibe - kind of the over-the-top nastiness of the adults.I'd never caught that Hagrid was riding Sirius's bike before this.
Do love the foreshadowing, and that's a great insight into Dumbledore's thoughts during that conversation. I also love the new light that gets shed by us knowing the future of the story, like how absolutely pissed Petunia is about her sister being a witch. First read, you think it's just that she thinks she's a freak, but we know it's because she was jealous that Lilly had what she couldn't have.
I imagine that in the time it took Hagrid to take Harry to the Dursleys and get back to Sirius, Sirius decided to go after Peter. Sirius tells Hagrid that he doesn't need the bike anymore. Hagrid has kept it all these years since he uses it to ferry Harry away in the Deathly Hallows. I wonder where he keeps it. Not as his hut cause there's no room. Is there a wizarding version of storage units, perhaps?
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I'd n..."
That's a good comparison.
I like how Mr. Dursley sees owls and wizards out celebrating Voldomort's downfall. It's a lot more significant as a rereader than a first time reader.
It's been two years since I did the Dale version, but so far I think I like them better than the Fry version.
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She knows who Harry is, and doesn't reveal who she is.
"No post on Sundays"
I think one of the reasons her world is so rich is because of the attention and level of detail she approaches it with.
Dedalus Diggle is arguably one of the most insignificant characters I've ever seen. And yet he consistently appears over the course of the series, both in name and person, from the very first chapter all the way to the Battle of Hogwarts.
Dedalus Diggle is arguably one of the most insignificant characters I've ever seen. And yet he consistently appears over the course of the series, both in name and person, from the very first chapter all the way to the Battle of Hogwarts.
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No, a random guy. He's the wizard that hugged Vernon Dursley at the start, that was responsible for the shooting stars on the news. He's also a member of the Order of the Phoenix.
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Thanks.
Just finished this part. Even ignoring the nostalgia, it's impossible not to enjoy it.
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I read these in my late 20's (or very early 30s?), I enjoyed the first quite a bit, but the later books all kind of felt like more of the same. The re-read with everyone sounds like a lot of fun, but there are so many good books I haven't read yet, I am on the fence whether to participate. Rob your admission letter was very cool though :)
Wow. I was 8 when I first read Philosopher's Stone, heh. I've read these books so many times between then and now they're ingrained at this point. And every bit as fun as the last time.
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Thanks.
My favorites are 3&4, and the books are so short that it's easy to fit them in between my other audiobooks. Totally understand not wanting to make time though. I doubt everyone averages 20 hours of audio like I do.
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I started reading them after the first movie came out when I was in college.
I think I was 9 or 10 when the first movie came out, heh.
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Rob wrote: "I doubt everyone averages 20 hours of audio like I do. "Yeah, with the commute and gym I can get in maybe 10-12 hours of audio a week. I find I lose track of what I am listening to at the gym, so unless its a fluff book i usually do podcasts there, and conference calls for work can cut into my audio time while commuting.
I just checked the lengths of the Jim Dale audio books - looks like the first 3 are pretty short, and you've allowed more time for the audio for the longer ones from book 4 on.
It might work, by the time we working on book 5, I will be sitting on the beach in Costa Rica getting married and honeymooning, so I will have plenty of time to read for 3 weeks :)
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My time comes from: getting ready, driving to work, anytime I'm in the break room, driving home, and my bike ride after. That usually gets me around 3 hours.
I could get in a bit more with dinner prep and eating, but I usually switch to TV by then.
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Harry finally gets his letter and learns about Voldemort, his parents and Hogwarts. I like how there is foreshadowing to the next book with Hagrid saying how he got expelled, but changing the subject when Harry tries to ask why.
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Hagrid's outburst in that scene is pretty great.
I read this one over 10 years ago before the movies and now I can only see the movie characters in my head as I re-read this. It's fun as I remember. I don't really know why I didn't go ahead and read the rest of them. Now my 9 year old who read them all when he was in 2nd grade is telling me lies about what happens in this book as he sees me reading his copy.
Thanks for the congratulations guys.I decided to join the re-read, at least the first few books are so short and then I am sure I will be hooked all over again by the time I get to the thicker volumes.
Unfortunately nothing significant to add to the first 4 chapters, just that wow - mail gets delivered early in the UK :)
> -Quite a bit of foreshadowing here. Hagrid with Sirius's bike, the Deluminator makes it's first appearance, Mrs. Figg and her cats are mentioned, the snake is released..
Remind me, who is Mrs Figg and how does she play into the books later?
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She's been keeping an eye on Harry for Dumbledore.
Rob wrote: "She shows up/reveals herself as a squib when the dementors attack Harry and Dudley in the third book.She's been keeping an eye on Harry for Dumbledore."
Ah, that's right...thanks!
Mrs. Figg is Dumbledore's undercover agent, lol. She's a Squib, Dumbledore has her keeping an eye on Harry for him. When the Dementors attacked him in the fifth book she revealed herself, ended up participating as a witness in his trial in front of the Ministry of Magic.
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Books mentioned in this topic
Matilda (other topics)Matilda (other topics)
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Roald Dahl (other topics)Roald Dahl (other topics)
NOTE: While this section is meant to focus on the specified chapters of this book, this read is meant for people who have already read the entire series.
As a result, unlike most of our group reads, full spoilers for the series will be allowed without spoiler tags in every discussion post.
If you haven't read some/all of the books (What's wrong with you?) proceed at your own peril.
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