Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone is the first book in the Harry Potter Series. It is one of the best-selling books of all time. Before publishing Harry Potter and eventual big sales, J. K. Rowling worked as a secretary. The book was published in 1997 and became a sensation. Her life changed.
Harry Potter is still among the best and most-read fiction books ever. More wholesome is the fact that what started as a piece of manuscript — that was rejected by many publishers — became this big franchise that expands into many things, too.
I mean, aside from the movie adaptations of each book, look at the list of the things inspired by Harry Potter Books:
Toys:
LEGO Harry Potter Hogwarts Express
LEGO Harry Potter Hogwarts Castle and Grounds
Clothing/accessories
Harry Potter Hogwarts Houses Knit Scarf & Pom Beanie Set
Harry Potter Purse Designer Handbag
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone Summary
Harry Potter is a young boy. He is learning about his magical abilities in a school of magic called Hogwarts. He discovers that everyone knows his name and the story of how his parents died trying to protect him. Harry tries to settle into the school but finds the magical world a bit too fascinating and worthy of exploration.
Besides, he faces envy from other kids who think he has more fame than he deserves. More than that, there is an older villain out there waiting and looking for a chance to bring everyone down so he can become the most powerful being alive…. and, Harry is ‘destined’ to stop him.
Is Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone Worth Reading?
Yes, Harry Potter is worth reading. You will enjoy it if you love the story of unsung heroes, people who do not look like they can save the world, but there is potential in them.
Harry Potter is on the side of good. He supports what we support. He likes being kind and gentle, upholding morals, and fighting the evil that wants to destroy the magic world. We don’t want that to happen, and Harry is our leader here. He is doing everything to protect the realm from He-who-must-not-be-named. And we want him to win so bad.
But he’s just a boy. How would he fare against an older villain who killed both of his parents?
So, that’s the story. It’s not just a story, but it expands and captures a lot of topics around everyday life. These themes include friendship, parental sacrifice (because both Harry’s parents paid with their lives to keep him alive), mentorship — between Hagrid and Harry and between Dumbledore and Harry — thirst for power, and most importantly, curiosity. Harry’s curiosity has often led us through a rabbit hole of adventure that just opens the book up to many suspense and plot twists.
Why You Might Not Enjoy Harry Potter and Sorcerer’s Stone
It took me a while to read the book. As of the time of writing this post, I haven’t finished the second book in the series. Not because it isn’t great, but because of the same reason it took so long to start book one.
I do not like stories that start slowly. I enjoy being in the middle of an issue or serious conflict and figuring out what’s going on as I read on. But most of J. K Rowling’s books are not that way. They start slowly, and the book gets more interesting towards the middle.
So, if you don’t enjoy books that start slow, you might struggle to read Harry Potter and The Sorcerer’s Stone.
“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.”
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
A Writer’s Observation About The Book Style
Harry Potter is the middle ground between artistic/literary style and great storytelling, like many bestselling books. Others veered off to one side than the other.
So, we have two elements that can determine how big a book’s audience will be: style and depth.
If a book is more stylistic and the story has a great depth or theme, the audience is limited to adept literature lovers, people who read books with depth. An example is The Handmaid’s Tale.
If a book has an engaging story, but the style and depth are basic (not universal), then the audience is people who love reading books, not books with literary depths. Most romances and Wattpad stories are in this category.
If a book balances the two areas, great storytelling and a great style that’s easy to go through, the audience is everyone. An example is Harry Potter.
This is a personal observation, of course, and it’s worth mentioning that I do not have a degree in literature. I am a lover of art, a creator of art, and an appreciator of style and story, both more of style. I have been a ghostwriter for 7 years now. That’s what you need to know.
“There is no good and evil, there is only power and those too weak to seek it.”
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
How the Characters Make The Story
A lot has to be said about Harry Potter himself, but that would be a boring tale if he’s the only one we care about or love in the book. We have other exciting characters in the book.
1. Harry Potter
He wears glasses and is poorly fed by his aunt’s family. As soon as he is born, he already has a responsibility on his shoulders — to save the world from this evil villain called Lord Voldemort, or He who must not be named. Harry reads, loves to do that, and loves and cares for animals. He thinks he is just an ordinary human until he starts to understand his story and his parent’s story. He learns more about what he must do when he gets to the magic world. Harry’s unique talent is that his magic is still a mystery. When he thinks he has unlocked a level of it, there is more inside and more he can do.
Interestingly, he thinks he can’t achieve everything before him, but he plans to do that.
With some people’s help, of course.
2. Hermione Granger
She is Harry’s best friend, a curious cat, too. They like to know things, and what they find, sometimes, are dangerous things that could kill or hurt other people. Like kids with special abilities, they set out to stop bad things from happening. She is most likely the first to figure out how to use her abilities and most likely to help others figure out how to use theirs.
3. Ron Weasley
Ron makes the squad a three-person team. They would seek answers to all the questions they have. Some of their findings are dangerous, and together, they work to prevent them from happening. His special talent is his sense of humor, curiosity, and agreeableness to things that would save or protect the magic world.
4. Hagrid
Oh, big, Hagrid!
He is like the first real mentor for Harry Potter. He guides him around the magic world, and all Harry needs to know about the tutors, magic, books, and places.
Worthy of mention include Dumbledore (the headmaster at Hogwarts).
On Being An Orphan
Here’s a question? Does being an orphan influence how much the readers like Harry?
Yes, or maybe not.
But let’s take the question a little further. Does knowing the circumstances around his parents’ death affect how much we like Harry?
Somehow, it doesn’t look like a revenge mission, but we all know what Lord Voldemort has achieved in the past. We know his selfish interest; we would rather watch him lose to this younger hero trying to protect the world.
Being an orphan is part of Harry’s background. It is one of the reasons the story is so special. In the beginning, we have questions. One, why does Harry have a glowing mark on his forehead? Two, why does it seem people somewhere are referring to him as ‘the boy who lived.’ Third, what really happened to his parents? Why can’t the villain succeed in killing Harry? Over there, question three is quite important to the things we will read later in the book.
Figuring things out with Harry
Magic, ancient rooms, spells, missions, etc.
This is one thing that makes the book a great read, especially when you’re a teenager. The Point of View of the book is through the lens of a teenage boy. We do not know much about this magic world. Together with Harry, we get to know about it. First, Hagrid explained things, and next, Harry explored closed doors and locked gates. As a reader, we were part of the adventure.
What does it feel like reading Harry Potter and The Sorcerer’s Stone?
You have the skills and talent which you feel from childhood. You’re born for great things. You’re told.
Harry has talent and is uncertain about how to achieve what is expected of him. For instance, the faith people have in you as a kid is motivating, yet it can be overwhelming. Harry is you. He doesn’t know much about his responsibilities until, one day, it all comes out. He doesn’t shy away from it. He becomes curious. He seeks help. He works hard to change things.
3 Important Life Lessons From Harry Potter
Some themes in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone include friendship, family, learning, love, mentorship, and curiosity, but these three are three important ones.
1. Stay Curious
Harry is inquisitive about a lot of things. He wants to know more and learn more about the things that are unclear to him, things that have no answers yet.
So, it is okay and great to go around ready to say ‘why’ to difficult or unanswered things. This can be scary. People don’t want to find the reason behind everything in the world, but if you’re like Harry, you want that experience. You know it’s going to lead you to find new answers. And maybe a lot more questions than you start with in the first place.
“You’re a little scary sometimes, you know that? Brilliant… but scary.”
Ron Weasley, Harry Potter.
2. Value Friendship
How successful would Harry Potter be if he did not have people like Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger around him? The answer is not so much. We need help to achieve some of the great things in life. Whether that’s marriage, building a business, learning to be a better leader, or becoming disciplined.
3. Understand and Take On Your responsibilities
Harry doesn’t understand about the magic world until one day when Hagrid shows up at his door. Harry listens to this giant, believes his story, and follows him to Hogwarts. He hears about his responsibility later in the school of magic and wizardry. He’s uncertain of what people expect him to do, but one day at a time, he shows up whenever and wherever his attention is needed.
Wizarding School And You’re Part of It
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone is suitable for primarily young readers, but that is not to say you can’t enjoy it, irrespective of age. You feel like a part of it. The use of language is not too complicated to read, not so much that it hinders the flow of the story. (John Steinbeck is an excellent writer, but I don’t think younger people will enjoy his style without taking a break every few seconds to reread the lines.) Once you know the main character’s background, the rest is just trying to help Harry unlock some of his adventures. You’re part of that and more.
Check out this Harry Potter’s Game…
