Plot Summary:
Harry is an orphan who lives with his mean Aunt and Uncle. He has no idea that he is a famous wizard until his eleventh birthday, when, after much drama, a half-giant named Hagrid comes to get him and tells him so. Harry learns that a dark wizard named Voldemort killed his parents when he was a baby and tried to kill Harry too, but did not succeed, and was rendered all but dead during the struggle. Hagrid takes harry to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, where Harry makes lots of friends and becomes proficient at the wizard game, quidditch. In the meantime, Harry and his friends begin to unfold a mystery. They discover that someone is trying to steal the Sorcerer’s Stone that is being guarded by a giant three headed dog and several other obstacles set up by the teachers. The students follow a teacher through the obstacles and Harry ends up facing and defeating Voldemort again.
Personal Reaction:
This book is the first of what may be the greatest series of all time, certainly the bestselling one to date. Harry is a sympathetic hero, and he is very unassuming considering his humble background. Rowling’s characterization captures the reader’s unwavering loyalty to this dynamic character throughout the series. One of the most creative assets to this book (it would be hard to choose any one creative asset), is Rowling’s word choice. Names of characters (my favorite are the authors of books) are comically suited to their personality. For example, Cornelius Fudge, the Minister of Magic, is a pushover who is likely to lie, therefor the last name “Fudge” is perfect for him. Characters are not the only thing that she named so aptly, other nouns and even verbs are done this way. This helps with character building, but also aids the reader in remembering the idiosyncrasies of the wizarding world. I find it very interesting and ridiculous that this series has been so challenged. The people that did the challenging must not be aware of the other things that stand on the shelves of our libraries, and I would just as soon they stay ignorant if they are going to try to ban wonderful books like this one.
Rowling, J. K. (1997). Harry Potter and the sorcerer’s stone. New York: Scholastic Inc.
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