Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone J.K. Rowling 309 pp.

J. K. Rowling’s, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone is the first entry in the phenomenally successful Harry Potter series. In this book, Rowling sets out the characters, establishes the space, and gives a deeply satisfying taste of the adventure which lies ahead. In brief, Sorcerer’s Stone tells the tale of the young orphan Harry Potter coming to Hogwarts, a school to teach magic to wizards, spending his first year there, and eventually fighting against a shade of the dark wizard Voldemort who murdered Harry’s parent’s eleven years prior.

Rowling’s wordplay is enjoyable, easily the most effective aspect of the book. Stepping back from my attempt to read these books as though I’ve never read them before, it was refreshing to be reintroduced to the students of Hogwarts. I quickly realized that my mental impression of the characters was so filtered through the way that this series has been integrated into mainstream culture. On this reading, however, I was charmed by the light-hearted simplicity with which Rowling dives into her story. Even knowing the horror which looms over the characters, I was able to enjoy their youthful exuberance at beginning their careers at Hogwarts.

Rowling places a marvelous amount of importance on developing Hogwarts as a space, focusing especially on establishing its otherness. Moving staircases, Harry’s wonder at the living paintings, the casual acceptance of ghosts drifting throughout the castle, all of these elements play together to draw the reader into the castle. In this regard, Harry’s friendship with both Ronald Weasley and Hermione Granger works particularly well. Harry is the traditional fish-out-of-water protagonist, but instead of being guided into the new world by an older mentor figure, the world is explained primarily through a peer.

This choice seems particularly useful in placing the novel in the genre of children’s literature. In the first book, I think it is beyond dispute that Rowling’s work functions in this sphere. As a general note, I think that books one through three are aimed primarily at children up to about 13. From book four onwards, the series tends towards children farther along towards adulthood, with characters who particularly respond to this change in perspective.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone succeeds on a structural basis as well. Each chapter feels enclosed as an entity almost unto itself. In retrospection, the specific structure Rowling has employed can be likened to a weekly television drama, with every chapter introducing an issue in Harry’s year at Hogwarts, tracing the way that Harry and his friends try to resolve this issue, with each of these incidents building towards the larger plot of the book. Rowling uses this again in the course of the series as a whole, each book building towards the eventual conflict with Voldemort.

The book’s only real flaw is that perhaps it introduces the reader to Voldemort in person a little too quickly. For a seven-book series, ranging in the 3000 page length, to meet the primary antagonist in person (even if not in his body) within 300 pages felt like Rowling was playing her hand a little too early. This issue, however, does not damage the enjoyment or the effectiveness of the book, which was still very effective.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone was an enjoyable book, a quick afternoon read launching into a larger series. On its own the book may have been forgettable, but after it was quickly followed up by a series of enjoyable and strongly written books, it launched itself into a strong place in my library.

Would I recommend  Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone? Unhesitatingly yes.

Score: 3.5/5

Would I keep this on my bookshelf? Yes.

-Mr. Cheddar