Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (#1)

By J.K. Rowling

'Ah, go boil yer heads, both of yeh,' said Hagrid, 'Harry - yer a wizard.'

-- Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone

The phenomenal Harry Potter series kicks off with the very first Harry Potter book of them all, in which Harry discovers his true being and goes off to Hogwarts, a school for magic. But, it is not all safe, because there are whispers of someone trying to steal the Philosopher's Stone, a stone that can make its user immortal...

The story begins when Mr. Vernon Dursley goes to work on an abnormal day, when owls are seen swooping around in broad daylight, and people are wearing cloaks in the daytime. Mr. Dursley hears his nephew, Harry Potter, being mentioned by these people, and is frightened. At night, Professor Dumbledore meets with Professor McGonagall, discussing the newly vanquished Voldemort. Together with Hagrid, they leave Harry on the Dursleys' doorstep. Ten years later, Harry starts receiving letters addressed to him. Mr. Dursley goes white when he reads it, and tries to destroy the letters. Mr. Dursley leaves, taking the whole family along. Even when they find themselves on the Hut-On-A-Rock out at sea, someone brings a letter to Harry.

That person is none other than Rubeus Hagrid, who tells Harry his true nature as a wizard. The next day, Hagrid takes Harry to Diagon Alley to buy all of his things he needs for Hogwarts. Finally, on 1st September, Harry goes to Platform nine and three-quarters (with a little help from his soon-to-be friend, Ron Weasley) and takes the Hogwarts Express. When they get there, Harry is Sorted into Gryffindor house, with Ron and a girl named Hermione, with his enemy, Draco Malfoy, Sorted into Slytherin. 

Malfoy taunts Harry, and he decides to have a midnight duel with Malfoy. There, he is chased by the Hogwarts caretaker, Filch, to the forbidden third level corridor, where he finds a three-headed dog. On Christmas, Harry receives an Invisibility Cloak and also discovers the Mirror of Erised, which can show you your deepest desire. Dumbledore warns Harry not to go looking for it again, for men have wasted away before it. Harry overhears Professor Snape intimidating Professor Quirrell, leaping to the conclusion that Snape wants Quirrell to tell him how to defeat the three-headed dog.

Just after their exams, however, Dumbledore leaves, and Harry recognizes this as Snape's chance to steal the Philosopher's Stone. Eventually he convinces the others to follow him to the third floor corridor, and they manage to slip past the dog, and all other types of tricks and defenses, until only Harry is left to enter the final room. There he finds, not Professor Snape, but Professor Quirrell!

Quirrell reveals that he had secretly been serving Voldemort, but he needed the Philosopher's Stone. The only thing in the room was the Mirror of Erised. However, when Harry looks into it, he finds the Philosopher's Stone in his pocket. Quirrell undoes his turban, and the head of Voldemort is on the back of his head! Quirrell tries to attack Harry, but he could not touch Harry, and so Harry defeats Quirrell.

Dumbledore later reveals that the Stone has been destroyed, and Voldemort has fled. Harry then returns home to the Dursleys, triumphant over Voldemort.

Harry Potter is a very much beloved series, and the excellent plot and red herrings are very redeeming qualities that invite you to spend a few hours with it. However, there is a substantial lack of plot, and one feels that Harry really would not have done anything if not for the various dei ex machina situated throughout the novel.

There is no enemy to defeat, though some may like the headlessness of this novel, with more twists around the corner, one seems a bit let down by the lack of plot, which would make it more interesting, such as in the later Harry Potter novels.

However this novel does a brilliant job of introducing Harry to the audience, and it is a enrapturing read indeed. Dumbledore's humor will make you laugh in what seems to be the lightest and funniest of the Harry Potter books. Unexpected events which are dismissed are later revealed to have a very significant part to play on later events.

Ron is introduced in a very unbelievable way, because he was the only person sitting with the famous Harry Potter in a compartment where everyone knows Harry is. Hermione is a bit more believable, but how Harry and Ron managed to defeat the troll is a miracle and with more luck than skill.

The magical world described by Rowling is fantastic and amazing, one deep enough to have parallels to the modern world, but shallow enough that you can read it without ever worrying of the real world. It can transport you to that world, and one wishes it really could.

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone is a wonderful read for both children and adults, though it seems to be more for the children. But, the lack of a real enemy until the end is a bit disappointing for those who expected the Boy Who Lived to beat Voldemort hands down.

Rating: 8.7/10
Advice: Fascinating reading for those who want to escape the dreariness of ordinary life.

The Reviewer has enjoyed reading this book and he hopes you can too!