Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (Book 1) (original 1997; edition 1999)

by J.K. Rowling, Mary GrandPré (Illustrator)

Series: Harry Potter (1)

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▾Book information

Member:	aleciastone
Title:	Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (Book 1)
Authors:	J.K. Rowling
Other authors:	Mary GrandPré (Illustrator)
Info:	Scholastic Paperbacks (1999), Edition: 1st, Paperback, 320 pages
Collections:	Your library
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Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (Book 1) by J. K. Rowling (1997)

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▾Member reviews

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Showing 1-5 of 895 (next | show all)

Ah Harry Potter, it's been a while since we visited. Reading this book was like putting on a pair of comfy slippers. It's not perfect, but it's the beginning of something wonderful and fun, something I am throughly enjoying rediscovering.

Obviously this is a reread.. But I've only read it once before, a couple years ago, so it still feels kind of new. There's nothing I can say that hasn't already been said again and again. So I won't even try. If you haven't read it you probably won't, and if you have you probably already love it. Enough said. (

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breakofdawn | Jun 11, 2013 |

JK Rowlings widely popular book in my opinion was slightly overrated. The ideas and concepts of the book did amuse me and i did find some elements quite interesting and engrossing but honestly i found the characters to be quite dull. The plot was rather cliché in many ways and at times seemed tedious and a bit f a challenge to read as the book wasn't very suspenseful. The movie adaptation is better but it is worth a read as it is an iconic book in todays generation. (

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kjadwat98 | Jun 10, 2013 |

Harry potter follows a boy that is taken to live in a world filled with wizards and magic, previously unknown to him. He finds out that he is himself a wizard and learns about magic while trying to uncover his past in the process.

kellyknight01 | Jun 10, 2013 |

Such a fun story of a boy who comes to know he is famous in the world of wizards. I liked how we went through each thing Harry went through. I think this book is a must read for all ages. It gives you a lot of magical ideas and playful games and spells, but It does get serious. I think the most magical part to all of this going away to school was the relationships he was forming. I think it isia fun anf engaging read.

CourtneyZeggert | Jun 10, 2013 |

In Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, Harry, an orphan, lives with the Dursleys, his horrible aunt and uncle, and their abominable son, Dudley. One day just before his eleventh birthday, an owl tries to deliver a mysterious letter the first of a sequence of events that end in Harry meeting a giant man named Hagrid. Hagrid explains Harry's history to him: When he was a baby, the Dark wizard, Lord Voldemort, attacked and killed his parents in an attempt to kill Harry; but the only mark on Harry was a mysterious lightning-bolt scar on his forehead. Now he has been invited to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, where the headmaster is the great wizard Albus Dumbledore. Harry visits Diagon Alley to get his school supplies, especially his very own wand. To get to school, he takes the Hogwarts Express from platform nine and three-quarters at King's Cross Station. On the train, he meets two fellow students who will become his closest friends: Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger. Harry is assigned to Gryffindor House at Hogwarts, and soon becomes the youngest-ever Seeker on the House Quidditch team. He also studies Potions with Professor Severus Snape, who displays a deep and abiding dislike for Harry, and Defense Against the Dark Arts with nervous Professor Quirrell; he and his friends defeat a mountain troll, help Hagrid raise a dragon, and explore the wonderful, fascinating world of Hogwarts. But all events lead irrevocably toward a second encounter with Lord Voldemort, who seeks an object of legend known as the Sorcerer's Stone.

This review has been flagged by multiple users as abuse of the terms of service and is no longer displayed (show).

tauruseducation | Jun 6, 2013 |

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▾Published reviews

3 reviews

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thingScore 92

On the whole, ''Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone'' is as funny, moving and impressive as the story behind its writing. J. K. Rowling, a teacher by training, was a 30-year-old single mother living on welfare in a cold one-bedroom flat in Edinburgh when she began writing it in longhand during her baby daughter's nap times. But like Harry Potter, she had wizardry inside, and has soared beyond her modest Muggle surroundings to achieve something quite special.

added by Shortride | editThe New York Times Book Review, Michael Winerip (Feb 14, 1999)

The light-hearted caper travels through the territory owned by the late Roald Dahl, especially in the treatment of the bad guys — they are uniformly as unshadedly awful as possible —but the tone is a great deal more affectionate. A charming and readable romp with a most sympathetic hero and filled with delightful magic details.

added by Shortride | editThe Horn Book, Anne A. Flowers (Jan 1, 1999)

Dragones y Monstruos

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▾Other authors

» Add other authors (35 possible)

Author name	Role	Type of author	Work?	Status
J. K. Rowling	—	primary author	all editions	confirmed
Dale, Jim	Narrator	secondary author	some editions	confirmed
Fries-Gedin, Lena	Translator	secondary author	some editions	confirmed
Fry, Stephen	Narrator	secondary author	some editions	confirmed
GrandPré, Mary	Illustrator	secondary author	some editions	confirmed
Kapari, Jaana	Translator	secondary author	some editions	confirmed
Taylor, Thomas	Cover artist	secondary author	some editions	confirmed
Vierikko, Vesa	Narrator	secondary author	some editions	confirmed

▾Work-to-work relationships

Is contained in

Harry Potter Box Set (Books 1-3) by J. K. Rowling

Harry Potter Box Set (Books 1-4) by J. K. Rowling

Harry Potter Box Set (Books 1-5) by J. K. Rowling

Harry Potter Box Set (Books 1-6) by J. K. Rowling

Harry Potter Box Set (Books 1-7) by J. K. Rowling

Harry Potter Gift Set (Books 1-2) by J. K. Rowling

Has the adaptation

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by Chris Columbus

Is parodied in

Barry Trotter and the Shameless Parody by Michael Gerber

Barry Trotter and the Unnecessary Sequel by Michael Gerber

Barry Trotter and the Dead Horse by Michael Gerber

Henry Potty and the Pet Rock by Valerie Estelle Frankel

Inspired

Quidditch Through the Ages by Kennilworthy Whisp

The Magicians by Lev Grossman

The Unwritten Vol. 1: Tommy Taylor and the Bogus Identity by Mike Carey

Has as a reference guide/companion

The Magical Worlds of Harry Potter: A Treasure of Myths, Legends, and Fascinating Facts by David Colbert

Repotting Harry Potter: A Professor's Book-by-Book Guide for the Serious Re-Reader by James W. Thomas

Has as a student's study guide

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone - J.K. Rowling (Sparknotes) by Ari Weinstein

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▾Common Knowledge

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For more help see the Common Knowledge help page.

Series (with order)

Harry Potter (1)

Canonical title

Original title

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone

Alternative titles

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

Original publication date

1997

People/Characters

Important places

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Scotland, UK

Number 4 Privet Drive, Little Whinging, Surrey, England, UK

Surrey, England, UK

Scotland, UK

Forbidden Forest, Scotland, UK

(show all 11 items)

Important events

Awards and honors

FCBG Children's Book Award (Overall winner and Longer Novel Category, 1997)

Birmingham Cable Children's Book Award (1997)

Young Telegraph Paperback of the Year (1998)

British Book Award (Children's Book of the Year, 1998)

Sheffield Children's Book Award (1998)

(show all 38 items)

Epigraph

Dedication

for Jessica, who loves stories,
for Anne, who loved them too,
and for Di, who heard this one first.

First words

Mr. and Mrs. Dursley, of number four, Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much.

Quotations

The wand chooses the wizard, remember…I think we must expect great things from you, Mr. Potter…After all, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named did great things - terrible, yes, but great.

Last words

(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)

Disambiguation notice

Initially published as Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone.
The change to 'Sorcerer' is in the US title.

Publisher's editors

Blurbers

Publisher series

▾References

References to this work on external resources.

Wikipedia in English (9)

Axis mundi

File:Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone.jpg

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone

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Places in Harry Potter

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Wikipedia:WikiProject Harry Potter/Style guidelines

▾LibraryThing members' description

Book description

Orphaned as a baby, Harry Potter has spent 11 awful years living with his mean aunt, uncle, and cousin Dudley. But everything changes for Harry when an owl delivers a mysterious letter inviting him to attend a school for wizards. At this special school, Harry finds friends, aerial sports, and magic in everything from classes to meals, as well as a great destiny that's been waiting for him...if Harry can survive the encounter. From an author who has been compared to C. S. Lewis and Roald Dahl, this enchanting, funny debut novel won England's National Book Award and the prestigious Smarties Prize.

(Charles Duff Review below)

What else can you say about Harry Potter....phenomena...landmark...revolutionary...historic. Whether its read to young children or children read it themselves. Harry Potter is removed from the torment of his Aunt and Uncle and attends the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. It's almost an automatic choice for independent reading. English teachers could use this, since so many read it, to offer up blogging opportunities for sharing thoughts and opinions on the text. Here is a link for teachers on some teaching resources for the Harry Potter series: http://www.nea.org/tools/lessons/teac...

Haiku summary

Harry's a wizard
studies magic at Hogwarts
fights possessed teacher
(asbunny)

▾Book descriptions

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▾Library descriptions

Rescued from the outrageous neglect of his aunt and uncle, a young boy with a great destiny proves his worth while attending Hogwarts School for Witchraft and Wizardry.

(summary from another edition)

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