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Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (Book 1)

Author: J.k. Rowling
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Category: Book

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Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

742 reviews
Sales Rank: 367

Media: Paperback
Edition: Children's Ed
Reading Level: Ages 9-12
Pages: 224
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.4
Dimensions (in): 7.7 x 5 x 0.8

ISBN: 0747532745
EAN: 9780747532743
ASIN: 0747532745

Publication Date: June 26, 1997
Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days
Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: Immediate dispatch-light Creasing --very good reading copy

Customer Reviews:

Showing reviews 6-10 of 742

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JUST BRILLIANT! May 1, 2008
I actually am a massive harry potter fan and read this book years ago - i accidentally come across this been reviewed and reading the other review about reading cs lewis, lord of the rings etc what a load of rubbish - I have read most of the books that author suggested and they do not compare in one little bit to harry potter - it IS a childrens book but is also fantastic for adults to read and i think people forget that when they decide to slag off harry potter - leave him alone hes fab - its nice to have some magic in the world take us away from boring everyday life!

5 out of 5 stars

Potter mad April 25, 2008
looking at some of the reviews on here, i think a lot of people are trying to rebel against the now norm of loving the harry potter series. Yes, the first book is quite young, but you gotta take it for what it is, a childs book! i HAVE read most of the other books people are recommending instead of Potter and enjoyed them in their turn and it is possible to love Potter as well as Frodo (for instance)!

1 out of 5 stars

Would be ok as an excuse if there wasn't so much better fantasy writing out there March 26, 2008
2 out of 5 found this review helpful

"I've taken horrible liberties with folklore and mythology, but I'm quite unashamed about that, because British folklore and British mythology is a totally bastard mythology. You know, we've been invaded by people, we've appropriated their gods, we've taken their mythical creatures, and we've soldered them all together to make, what I would say, is one of the richest folklores in the world, because it's so varied. So I feel no compunction about borrowing from that freely, but adding a few things of my own." J K Rowling

I would agree it is ok to take some liberties, if you are capable of writing well, or of coming up with something imaginative. I find neither here.

If you are not normally a fantasy reader, or you would not describe yourself as an imaginitive type, you will enjoy these books. These books are essentially a 1980's tv show or sitcom (Grange Hill) in a fantasy setting. It is part of a broader development of cultural infantilisation based on leaden prose and shallow imagination, and lacking in any subtlety. Enid Blyton for the 1990s. (I'm not even going to be so kind as to compare this to Tom Brown's Schooldays - by Thomas Hughes).

The thing about these books is that they are essentially derivative from much better quality works. If you have discovered these books, loved them, but have not read any books in the list below, I suggest you read the books in the list instead. Life is short, and while pulp fiction might be ok for a no-stress holiday brain vacation, you can do so much better. The author of "A Wizard of Earthsea" said she found this to be a fairly bland work, with little literary merit. I agree. In A Wizard of Earthsea, a boy with unusual aptitude for magic is recognised, and sent to a special school for wizards. Sound familiar?

Try - Lord of the Rings (avoid the films), The Hobbit, CS Lewis (not just The Lion, the Witch & the Waldrobe, which is one of the weaker texts), the Moomins, Alice in Wonderland, The Worm Ouroboros, Homer's Iliad & Oddessy. The superior Susan Cooper Dark is Rising series is a better quality set for a similar age group.

If you want something lighter, try Michael Moorcock or some of the "core" Dragonlance texts (not the million and one spinoffs). If you want something amusing, try Terry Pratchett. There is really so much more out there to make you think.

5 out of 5 stars

classic March 15, 2008
0 out of 1 found this review helpful

This book will be read over and over again for generations and for many years to come brilliant.

1 out of 5 stars

Rubbish March 13, 2008
2 out of 7 found this review helpful

How can one account for the success of Harry Potter? The writing is spectacularly lifeless and turgid. The imaginative drive is non-existent. The storylines are slackly constructed and deeply boring. The overall framework of Potter's world is ill conceived and incoherent. The whole is nothing more than a sorry half digested mishmash of worn out fairy claptrap. A truly tenth rate work. Protect your children from it, and avoid it at all costs yourself.