still slays. ⚡️

n  n

I'm 30 years old and I've finally started the Harry Potter series. I know what you're thinking- it took me long enough! I say better late than never! I remember when the first movie was released in 2001. My sister was reading the books and so was my best friend. In 2001 I was in high school, and though I loved the movie, I was reading Sylvia Plath and Wally Lamb and had no interest in the young adult genre. Now, totally different story! I'm all about reading some YA.

Since I've seen the movies, there wasn't a ton of new material in this book for me (though my I've heard that the further I get into the series, the more new material I'll come across). I enjoyed reading this one lots and I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the magical Harry Potter books this year!

قضیه از این قراره که مطمئن نیستم چه قضیه‌ای وجود داره ولی من هـــــــــــیچ برنامه‌ای برای خوندن هری پاتر نداشتم. یعنی کلاً سبک جادویی که توی این دنیا وجود داره و شکلی که ازش استفاده می‌شه برام جالب نبود. فیلم‌ها رو هم حدود ده سال قبل دیده بودم به جز فیلم سوم، بقیه چندان جذبم نکرده بودن و این‌ها همه باعث شدن رغبتی به خوندنش نداشته باشم
چیز زیادی هم از داستان‌ها و شخصیت‌ها یادم نمونده بود
ولی خب فکر می‌کنم خوندن آوای فاخته و لذت بردن از شخصیت‌پردازیِ رولینگ توی اون کتاب کمی این دید منفی رو از بین برد
و در نهایت چند روز پیش که حوصله نداشتم سراغ هیچ کارِ جدی و بزرگسالی برم، می‌خواستم بشینم با یه کتاب کودک و ساده خودمو سرگرم کنم و گفتم من که می‌خوام کودک بخونم، چرا که نه؟ بیام و خودمو کمی سورپرایز کنم و هری پاتر بخونم که حداقل یه جلد خونده باشم. نهایتاً خوشم نمیاد و در نهایت شروع کردم
و باید بهتون بگم فکر نمی‌کنم تا حالا کتابی خونده باشم که نویسنده بتونه اینقدر سریع و در عین حال، عالی شخصیت‌هاش رو بهم بشناسونه
خوندن چند خط کافی بود که حس کنی یک شخصیت رو فارغ از اینکه دوستش داری یا ازش متنفری، یه عمره می‌شناسی و رفتارها و اخلاقش رو می‌دونی و واقعاً از این موضوع لذت بردم
همین دیگه. فکر نکنم پاترهد بشم :)) ولی خوشم اومد و تصمیم درستی گرفتم که بخونمش. راضی‌ام و خانم رولینگ رو دوست می‌دارم

On my list of reasons why my daughters are the bestest thing to ever happen to me, Number 14,577 is that they gave me, at 41 years old, the perfect excuse to revisit the Harry Potter series.

When my oldest angel told me she wanted to start reading the Harry Potter books, I couldn’t have been happier. As I was collecting all seven volumes off the shelf to bring up to her room, I started feeling nostalgic for the whole Hogwarts gang, and I realized that I’d never done more than a perfunctory review of this first volume. I figured it was high time to rectify that oversight.

Harry deserves it.

However, with over a million ratings, and almost two reviews for every day I’ve been alive, I think I can dispense with any plot distillation or character profiles. It has all been eloquently said before. Therefore, I just want to briefly express what I see as the essential magic at the heart of the series, and why I think it has resonated so strongly with so many people.

Here goes...

Only rarely does a story come along that can so completely wrap you up in a warm blanket of contentment and good feelings. One that can hold at bay, even if only for precious moments, the nasty brutishness of what often passes for daily life. These stories do that.

It’s an escape into a world of optimism, honor, and hope, where things always look hopeful and anything is possible. Who wouldn't want to hang around in a place like that, especially when it is decorated with sorting hats, kindly giants, magic wands and Quidditch.

Granted...no aspect of the story is revolutionary, or even particularly noteworthy, from the standpoint of blazing new trails within the fantasy genre. It isn’t great literature, and nothing about its technical merits makes it befitting of even a fraction of its unprecedented success.

Fine...acknowledged. And? So what!

The virtue of this story is the postive feelings it conjures in its readers. Harry’s story is something that radiates acceptance, inclusion, and friendship. It invokes a sense of belonging. Inside these pages, you can find the impetus to see the better angels of humanity’s nature, and feel just a little better about the world around you.

How is that not worthy of praise?

As for Harry himself, he’s just a good kid. The quintessential everyman who makes good. A loving boy with a clear head on his shoulders and a caring heart that pumps affection for the world around him. He’s someone you can’t help but like.

He’s not perfect. He makes mistakes, he’s occasionally short sighted, and I know many of us wish he would stick up for himself a little more. Maybe reduce his aunt and uncle to a pair of fatty stains on the carpet, or give Dudley an atomic wedgie until his skivvies scrape against his pancreas.

But that’s not Harry. He’s a better person than that. That’s why we love him.

Maybe all of the above is a bit much. Like I said, I was feeling nostalgic and maybe the gush got a tad away from me. Let’s just say that these stories are perfect comfort food and reading them will make you happy.

I’ll certainly settle for that.

As for the rating, I Initially only gave this first volume 3 stars, and I’m not going to change that now. As much as I love the series as a whole, I don’t think it reaches stratospheric heights until Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.

Still, this is where it all began. As such, it should be read and savored knowing that it only gets better.

3.0 stars. Highly Recommended.

Why the heck did I not read Harry Potter before now...its flipping magical (literally)!

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone = Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (Harry Potter, #1), J.K. Rowling

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone is a fantasy novel written by British author J. K. Rowling.

It is the first novel in the Harry Potter series and Rowling's debut novel, first published in 1997 by Bloomsbury.

It was published in the United States as Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by Scholastic Corporation in 1998.

The plot follows Harry Potter, a young wizard who discovers his magical heritage as he makes close friends and a few enemies in his first year at the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

With the help of his friends, Harry faces an attempted comeback by the dark wizard Lord Voldemort, who killed Harry's parents, but failed to kill Harry when he was just 15 months old.

عنوانهای چاپ شده در ایران: «هری پاتر و سنگ جادو»؛ «هری پاتر و اکسیر»؛ «هری پاتر و اکسیر جاودانگی»؛ نویسنده: جی.کی رولینگ؛ تاریخ نخستین خوانش ماه نوامبر سال 1997میلادی، و بار دیگر در ماه می سال 2001میلادی

عنوان: هری پاتر و سنگ جادو - کتاب اول؛ نویسنده: جی.کی رولینگ؛ مترجم: سعید کبریایی؛ ویراستار ویدا اسلامیه؛ تهران، تندیس، 1379؛ در348ص؛ چاپ دوم و سوم 1379؛ چاپهای چهارم تا هشتم 1380؛ دهم 1381؛ دوازدهم و سیزدهم 1382؛ چهاردهم 1383؛ هفدهم 1384؛ هیجده و نوزده 1385؛ بیست و یکم 1386؛ بیست و دوم 1387؛ بیست و سوم 1388؛ شابک 9789645757029؛ چاپ بیست و پنجم 1390؛ چاپ بیست و هشتم 1392؛ موضوع داستانهای نویسندگان بریتانیا - سده 20م

با عنوان: هری پاتر و سنگ جادو؛ مترجم: صدیقه ابراهیمی؛ تهران، دستان، 1379؛ در 350ص؛چاپ دوم 1380؛

با عنوان: هری پاتر و سنگ جادو؛ مترجم: سایه هومان؛ تهران، باغ نو، 1379؛ در 397ص؛

با عنوان: هری پاتر و سنگ جادو؛ مترجم: پرتو اشراق؛ تهران، دستان، 1380؛ در 356ص؛چاپ دوم 1381؛ چاپ سوم 1382؛ چاپ چهارم 1386؛

با عنوان: هری پاتر و سنگ جادو؛ مترجم: حمیده اشکان نژند؛ تهران، گوهرشاد، 1381؛ در 400ص؛

با عنوان: هری پاتر و سنگ جادو؛ مترجم: مرتضی مدنی نژاد؛ تهران، هیرمند، 1381؛ در 431ص؛

با عنوان: هری پاتر و سنگ جادو؛ مترجم: سعید کبریائی؛ تهران، تندیس، 1381؛ در 350ص؛

با عنوان: هری پاتر و اکسیر؛ مترجم: فریدون قاضی نژاد پیرسرایی؛ تهران، جوف، 1381؛ در 407ص؛ شابک 9649306161؛

با عنوان: هری پاتر و سنگ جادو؛ مترجم: ایران علیپور؛ تهران، عقیل، 1382؛ در 396ص؛

با عنوان: هری پاتر و سنگ جادو؛ مترجم: مریم شعبانی؛ تهران، سنائی، 1383؛ در 400ص؛

با عنوان: هری پاتر و سنگ جادو؛ مترجم: الهام آرام نیا؛ تهران، پیکان، 1385؛ در 287ص؛

با عنوان: هری پاتر و سنگ جادو؛ مترجم: نسیم عزیزی ؛ تهران، ذکر، 1381؛ در 227ص؛

با عنوان: هری پاتر و سنگ جادو؛ مترجم: سهیلا زمامی؛ تهران، نیک فرجام، 1383؛ در 396ص؛ چاپ دیگر تهران، سپهر ادب، 1383؛

با عنوان: هری پاتر و سنگ جادو؛ مترجم: صدیقه ابراهیمی؛ تهران، دستان، 1379؛ در 350ص؛چاپ دوم 1380؛

با عنوان: هری پاتر و اکسیر جاودانگی؛ مترجم: محمد قصاع؛ تهران، آدینه نگار، 1379، 356ص؛ شابک 9649270701؛

دخترم نخستین جلد «هری پاتر» را خواندند، سپس برای برادرانش قصه را باز نمودند، و آنها نیز خواندند، هر روز در خانه، صحبت از «هری» بود، و جادو، با خود گفتم بخوانم و خواندم، دنیای خیال انگیز بانوی نویسنده را گسترده دیدم، داستانی که در آن دنیای خیالی خویش را آفریده بودند، و آنرا به آهستگی میگستردند؛ خود را در آن روزهایی دیدم، که داستانهای دنباله دار مجله ی «پسران و دختران» را میخواندم، شاید داستانی از جناب آقای «پرویز قاضی سعید»، یا از دیگران، یادم نمانده نام قهرمانان آن روزهای مجله ی «دختران و پسران»؛ انگار یادم هست، که در کلاس درس دبیرستان نیز، با یکی از همشاگردیها، داستانهای دنباله دار همان مجله را، پی میگرفتیم، تا هفته ی بعدش لابد دل تو دلمان نبود؛ بعدها جلدهای دیگر دنیای خیال بانو «رولینگ» را پیش از بچه هایم میخواندم؛ هنوز هم، از کار روزانه و خواندن مقالات، و دانشنامه ها که خسته شوم، به فانتزی و جادوی «هری» روی میآورم.؛

و اما درباره ی این کتاب: «هری پاتر و اکسیر جاودانگی»، سرگذشت پسرکی به نام «هری» است، که در دنیای انسانهای عادی «ماگلها»، با خانواده ای، که او را به سختی پذیرفته اند، زندگی میکند؛ سپس میفهمد که او به دنیایی تعلق دارد، که پدر و مادرش نیز جزیی از آن بوده اند؛ او به دنیای جادوگران وابستگی دارد؛ آن دو (پدر و مادر «هری»)، در نبرد با بزرگترین جادوگر جادوی سیاه، از بین رفته اند؛ داستان، سراسر آکنده از رخداد است، و طنز ویژه ی بانو «رولینگ» آنرا بسیار دلپسند کرده است، نویسنده، جهانی موازی، و در عین حال در خود همین جهان، آفریده اند، سری ادامه دار است؛ سال 1376هجری خورشیدی بود، و فرزندانم که نوجوان بودند، بسیار این مجموعه را دوست میداشتند؛ برای اینکه بدانم، چه چیزی برای آنها اینقدر جالب است، و جذابیت این سری از کتابها در چیست؛ خود نیز آغاز به خوانش نخستین جلد از این سری کردم؛ همانطور که نوشتم، دنیای جدید بانو «رولینگ»، مرا به خلسه و خیال فرو برد، خود را نوجوانی انگاشتم تشنه ی دانستن رازهای جادو، جلدهای بعدی را، یواشکی و پیش از بچه هایم میخریدم و میخواندم

تاریخ بهنگام رسانی 22/05/1399هجری خورشیدی؛ 05/05/1400هجری خورشیدی؛ ا. شربیانی

How can more than half of my Goodreads friends be wrong with this?

I have to get this right. As of this writing, I have 98 Goodreads friends. 61 (62%) of them have read J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. Out of those who read this, 39 (64%) rated this with 5 stars. 11 of them with 4 stars. All the others gave 3 or 2. Only 2 rated this with 1 star. One of them admitted not being able to finish it. She should not have rated it really since she did not read its entirety. (But she is my friend and it is her right, so why question?)

When the book came out in 1998, I was not yet a bookworm so I brushed this aside. I read only those books that my brother told me to read. He was the bookworm but he would not be caught reading any book being pushed by media hype. However, when Warner Bros. released the film adaptation in 2001, my daughter was 6 years old and I thought that, since there was too much hype, the movie must be good and we would have a memorable time with our first ever father-daughter movie date. I was wrong. She not only got scared because of the darkness inside the movie house but she trembled with fear during the life-size human chess game, in that scene when Ron was sacrificed. We left the movie in that scene with my daughter crying and me cursing it: n  I will never read Harry Pottern.

My daughter is now 15 going 16. She is not fond of movies and she still does not show interest on reading Harry Potter. However, I am now a bookworm and the other week, I was with my 4 Goodreads friends and 3 of them raved (two of them, again) about Harry Potter books. Oh well, first-time fathers can make mistakes about first movie date with their daughters, Book 1 is included in 500 Must Read Books and the book must be a quick read. So the following day, I bought my copy.

After 13 years of the book's existence and me ignoring it, did I finally make a good decision of reading it? Are all of those 39 friends of mine in Goodreads wrong in giving this 5 stars? Most of them did not bother writing a review. Maybe those would be too long or maybe they read this when they were not in Goodreads yet. But I am in Goodreads already so I can make this review long.

These are what some of them say:

it was a great book
i enjoyed reading it

For an eloquent reviewer, she must have been too happy to express herself.

Such a great story and creative way of writing. I love Harry Potter.

Yes, I agree about the story being great and J. K. Rowling being creative.

I was secretly wishing I was studying in Hogwarts too! It was silly, but I was simply enraptured by Harry Potter. Honestly, I still am :) It was a great book. I enjoyed reading it

Coming from one of my favorite reviewers in Goodreads. I do not share her wanting to be a sorcerer though.

Honestly, I don't know anybody who'd refuse to even entertain the thought of attending a school for wizards.

Another one of my favorite reviewers. That seems to have nailed this. Young people wanting to be in Hogwarts and study sorcery. That should be it! The world seems to be a dreadful place that we would all like to have powers to turn our enemies into frogs, pigs, ride on a broomstick and get the Snitch and earn points (money) for our family!

Oh well, the Bible says that sorcery is Satan's work. The book even used the word Transfiguration as a subject in the sorcery school. Blasphemy.

Just kidding. This is a work of fiction and I am not too old to appreciate it. I was just kidding. To be frank, I tried hard not to like this. I thought that giving this a 1 or 2 will freak out my friends and somehow get votes from those who are, up to now, ignoring this book. I told you so! Why waste your time? . However, unless you are a grumpy old man/woman, there is nothing not to like about this book. I maybe too old for it but hey, talent is talent and J. K. Rowling has it!

My 39 friends are indeed right!

Do you know how hard it is to rate these books while trying to make sure nostalgia the dominating factor??

Pathetic. Really pathetic.

Harry Potter is more of a Mary-Sue than Eragon. More than Nancy Drew. More than the worst of fanfiction I've seen.

He's rich, popular and famous for absolutely nothing of his own doing. He destroys the power of the big bad guy before he's a year old. He has the whole angsty past down pat. He instantly becomes the best at flying without ever having done it before, wasting all the older and more experienced flyers. And get this - he fries bad guys when they touch his skin because the power of his mother's love is so amazing that it protects him.

I mean, gosh, the only Sueish habit we aren't subjected to is multipage rants on his appearance each morning. Or the devoted unicorn of unusual powers, of course, but I'm expecting him to show up in the very next book. After all, she has to keep some plot devices for the next one, doesn't she? Can't put all her brilliant twists out at once...

*heavy sarcasm*

Don't even get me started on the plot. Epic failure. 'Nuff said.

Harry wasn't any excuse for a hero. He did nothing, he just sat around and things happened to him. End of story. His fame was inherited, his fortune was inherited, he lived with his relations and allowed them to bully him, and couldn't even manage to read his own mail. His wonderful skills were not worked at and studied for years but picked up instantly, and he bet the bad guys by electrocuting them with his infamous zapper skin.

I could go on for hours. The thing that really gets to me is that this is the great literature of our age? What hope is there for any decent writers if all kids want to read is this utter garbage? What hope is there for the world if kids are growing up thinking this is good literature?

This is a dangerous book. It made me consider both suicide and mass homicide, and it is definitely not suitable for children.

n  ❝This boy will be famous. There won't be a child in our world who doesn't know his name.❞n

Everyone grew up with Harry Potter. They read all the books when they were young and watched all the films. They would re-watch and re-read them. They would fall in love with the Wizarding World and would completely adore Harry, Ron, and Hermione. They would talk about them non stop, about Hogwarts, about its teachings, about them wanting to become students there and pretending they are, about joining the HP fandom, about loving every character and instantly missing the world. Everyone would adore Harry Potter and knew about it since they were young ones.

Except me.

I didn't grow up with Harry Potter. Not because I didn't get to, but because I chose not to. I know, it's like living a life where everything has been a lie. Worse even. It's just, the movies would appear on my tv. From the first one, to the next and the next, and every time I saw the trailer for the upcoming one, I wouldn't be interested and would skip it when I came to it. I wouldn't bother and wouldn't care, and that made a big problem in my life now. Here I am now, being left out because of such poor choices and decisions I made when I was 7, 8, 9, and older until now. But now, as 2016 and having over 500 friends that are caught up and have read the recently published novel, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, I have finally read the first book and am able to continue the series and watch the films. Now, here I am, wishing to go back to my past and change this nightmare and actually watch the films or read the books because I have literally missed on so much, missed too much, and have been missing too much. I have been out of this world and never realized how good it is, and how special it already has become.

n  There is no good and evil, there is only power, and those too weak to seek it.n

Harry Potter is one of the most famous, loved, and top series out there. It is loved, adored, cherished, and amazing for HP fans every time they read it. No matter how many times it is read, it fills the person's heart with warmth and happiness, as they are going back to the wizarding world. As for me, I have finally entered it and feel young and new and early to this, because I am new to this all.
Other than that, Harry Potter is considered a Children's book but in my opinion, it's in between middle grade and young adult because it can be hard to read for some. Although it was very very easy for me to read and understand, I see myself reading this all these years before and having a lot of trouble pronouncing some names.

Harry Potter, a story about a young wizard that didn't even know he was a wizard. Harry Potter, a 10 year-old boy, who turned 11, is living with his horrible, rude and awful "family", The Dursleys. Mrs. Dursley is known as Harry Potter's mother's sister. The problem is, they didn't like each other, nor blend in with each other. They were different. Her sister was a witch, while she was just a Muggle, a person who cannot seek the magic and find it, nothing and no one special because they aren't able to turn things into other things, aren't able to fly on a broom, cast a robe on fire, defeat a villain, confuse a troll, aren't able to do anything, really.

The reason for Harry living with this family and having to go trough all this trouble and mess is because he was actually given to them by Professor Albus Dumbledore, known as one of the greatest wizards and the headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. When Harry was a baby, his parents were killed by Everyone-Knows-Who but as he tried killing Harry, he really wasn't able to. His mother was killed because she was trying to stop him, but as he tried killing Harry, he couldn't bare to do it and left him a scar, the scar that has made Harry known and popular for surviving this evil person. Once saved and taken, the only people they can rely on are The Dursleys, and as Harry grows, they expect them to tell him he is a wizard and tell him everything and fix all the lies. Except they don't.

As days pass, Harry has been getting letters from someone he doesn't know. He doesn't know who it is and what they want, but he knows there is something going on, due to the amount of letters being sent. After getting the chance to open the first one, his Uncle Vernon decides to snatch it away from him, read it, and burn it. He knows, he knows who it is and what they want, but he doesn't want Harry to know. But even with him burning letter by letter and collecting them all, letters keep arriving and arriving, until the person finally shows up face-to-face with The Dursleys and Harry on his 11th birthday.

He's huge, introduced as a half-giant and half-human, known as Rubeus Hagrid. Hagrid is the one who tells Harry the truth, telling him he is a wizard, and a well-known one as well. He's got talent, and has some of the same abilities as his parents. One being a witch and the other being a wizard, Harry is known as a wizard as well. And as Hagrid tells him the truth, Harry does too. He doesn't know what he is talking about and doesn't know what is going on. He doesn't believe he is a wizard, and doesn't believe the reason for his parent's deaths. But of course, Hagrid decides to tell him the truth and tell him his parents did not die on a car crash, for that seemed impossible, but they were killed by Everyone-Knows-Who and is the reason for his scar.

When Harry leaves with Hagrid, they go and buy him what he needs, including clothes and supplies for the school. As they go to the shop, he is introduced as Harry himself but is instantly known by everyone else. Everyone is pleased to meet him and feel proud because they have shaken his hand. He's famous, his name is everywhere, and he can be considered a legend for what happened. But even with all this going on, Harry is still a little confused and figuring things out. As Harry and Hagrid get what they need, it's time for Harry to go to school, where he meets Ron Weasley, as to what I know, one of his best friends. Ron is small, red-haired, has freckles, pale, and has two twin brothers going to Hogwarts with him. He's not accepted into the other groups, and that is why he blends in with Harry and becomes his friend. Harry also meets Hermione Granger, known as someone annoying and as a nightmare to them both because of how bossy and unrealistic she can be. Of course, they are all so small and Hermione is a little nerd that enjoys every teaching at this school, so I was just like "we get it."

Days pass, and Harry is being trained. He's a neutral to broom-stick flying, is able to play Quidditch, the most popular game in Hogwarts, is given special supplies, and is of course, known by everyone. Other than that, Harry suspects his own secrets and wants to find out truths, but in order to do that, he must find a way to find them and figure them out. With the help of his two friends, he might just be able to figure out the real reason behind him being a wizard, more about his parents, history about himself, who this "You-Know-Who" person is, remember his past, and see how his life really will be changed, forever.

n  Humans do have a knack of choosing precisely those things that are worst for them.n

Harry Potter was easy to read, understand, and there was no hesitation when it came to rating it 5 stars. Now, I hate myself once again and ask myself, again, "Why did I not read this earlier?" The answer is obvious, because I already know it and it's because I was never a fan of it. I hate speaking about my past, but this is one ugly past and I hate it. I hate the choice I made and I hate myself for allowing it. But soon I'll get over it and will be able to re-read this as many times as I will be able to during my last 3 years of being a teen. Yes, a 15 year-old that has not read Harry Potter simply because she chose not to when she was able to and when she was young. PATHETIC.

The fantasy is cute, I will say. It's easy to understand and the book is easy to fly through. It's not long, it's not hard, and it's not boring. It's gripping, fun, and everything is filled with some kind of magical element that has me turning page by page. Having no regrets anywhere, I am finally able to talk about HP and the world of wizards, where students learn how to make potions, talk to ghosts, learn about other creatures, transform things into other things, read minds, become invisible, fly in the air with a broomstick, play soccer in the air, have a feast and enjoy it all, learn magic, have a wand, and just be filled with happiness because of the friends and families considered in the houses. Well, I guess in most.

Everything was fun to read. I laughed at some parts and found the story to be more affective to me as Harry was figuring out his new and changed life. He was confused, but he found out a lot more. There's still more, but I know that as he grows, I will be able to follow along the late ass journey and see where he grows to and how. I'll see how strong he gets and find out some strengths and weakness'. I'll be able to join an invisible magic carpet and fly through the series because I just want to know what happens next and how everything goes. I want to see Harry become a better person and be able to prove Draco and his stupid friends wrong about what they think. I want his friendship with Ron to grow and become stronger. I want Hermione to stop being so talkative and take a little break of being so bossy. But more importantly, I want to have a fun journey reading this and feeling like I'm on an adventure. Reading it for the first time feels like one. I've never watched the films. I've watched parts, but skipped them. Now, I won't skip anything. It's like an adventure where I'm dived in and can't seem to leave because I'm so alive and intrigued.

What can I say about Harry Potter that others have not said? Nothing. Reviews are always similar, and this one might be too. Everyone loves it, and so did I. Yes, I rolled my eyes at times because there were moments where I was annoyed. But nothing was boring, and even when I rolled my eyes, there was a reason for that eye rolling scene. Maybe it was Hermione being annoying, or Draco being a rude boy, mocking an adorable red-haired. Or both. But I was also laughing. I would always laugh when it came to Hagrid. Since the beginning, I instantly loved him and considered him hilarious. I love how he turned Dunley into a pig but failed because he was already too much of a pig. I remember laughing and noticing my parents looked at me weirdly, but that's okay because I needed a novel where I was happy and ended up laughing at times. Oh and also, Hagrid is honestly so nice and adorable guys, I love him. He's so funny and protective and is such a good friend to Harry. I loved everything he did for him and was glad he was the first one to introduce himself to Harry. He cared for him since he was a baby and saw him as 11, bring him a present and giving him another one at the end.

Ron is honestly the cutest. I don't understand how anyone could be mean to him. He may be weak, but he has his own strengths. He's so adorable and small and I hated how Draco treated him. There were some times unnecessary and I hated Draco for it, but I'll probably end up loving Draco some time throughout the series and probably regret it because I know he's still gonna be really mean throughout the series. I'm sure. I haven't spoiled myself, so I have no idea how his or anyone else's life goes, but I do know that he changes in some way. Hermione is a small and cute nerd as well, but sometimes I hated how sassy she was and bossy. She hated losing points for her house and because she, Ron, and Harry were in the same house, they had to work together and find a way to become friends to find out other truths and earn points for Gryffindor. She took everything very serious and showed off at times because of her perfect test grades and assignments, but I was glad she was able to put up with Ron and Harry while they put up with her.

The friendship between Harry, Ron and Hermione was probably one of my favorites. I know it didn't work out at first and they honestly hated her, but I was so happy it literally had to work toward the middle. Thanks to the troll, she became their friend and actually was able to cooperate with them. She didn't yell at them for fighting the troll, but instead told them to be careful and send word if anything goes wrong when Harry went for the mirror again. As it was ending, she was saying goodbye to Harry and Ron and was even awkward because she couldn't really figure out what to say. But also, my heart was really happy when she hugged Harry because it felt real and it felt like something I had been waiting since the beginning. It was friendship goals as they were becoming friends, and it just made me happy seeing them all together, same house, same team, same classes.

The writing of course is, like I said, easy to understand. There were no words that were confusing in any way or words that got me mixed up because of how similar they sounded, and there were no problems. I didn't know what was gonna happen next and I know books are always better than movies, but I will watch the films after or after finishing one book just to see the differences. I hear they are kind of the same, just that the book provides some more information and detail. Like always, it's no surprise.

n  There are some things you can't share without ending up liking each other, and knocking out a twelve-foot mountain troll is one of them.n

Overall, I am so proud of myself for getting the first book over with, now wanting the 2nd and the 3rd and the rest. Really excited to see where this all goes to, and how Harry becomes a better wizard.

Re-read again, this time it was the illustrated edition!

Man, I'm so glad Harry Potter was a huge part of my childhood growing up.
Stephen Fry was bloody brilliant.