Harry Potter And The Philosopher’s Stone

Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone

J.K. Rowling

Bloomsbury 1997

Paperback

ISBN 0747532745

223pp


Judging by this first volume, the Harry Potter books are a fine addition to

English children’s fantasy literature. Harry Potter, orphaned when his parents are

killed by the evil wizard Voldemort, is taken in by his aunt and uncle, who are

Muggles — ordinary, non-magical people. Harry is rather out of place there, but

things improve greatly for him when he goes to the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft

and Wizardry — except that one of the staff is in league with Voldemort.


Part of the attraction of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone comes from

the familiar but at the same time exotic setting of an English public school,

complete with houses and schoolboy adventures, in which Harry and his friends Ron

and Hermione struggle to save the world and win the house cup.


So Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone will be a great Christmas present

for kids who haven’t read it yet — and it is a book that adults (at least those

without stunted imaginations) can read as well.


A book review by Danny Yee © 2000