On the Bookshelf

First off, I passed the driving test today! Finally! I am a big stress head and when it comes to test conditions I tend to get all a manner of nervous. Today was my third try and I managed to keep my nerves under control enough not to stuff up too much. This is great because I can finally drive my car around without having to drag dad along and I will be able to get to work more easily. No more having to rely on over crowded and always late buses! Oh, happy days!


From the Back Cover:
Harry Potter thinks he is an ordinary boy - until he is rescued by an owl, taken to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, learns to play Quidditch and does battle in a deadly duel. The Reason: HARRY POTTER IS A WIZARD!

It had been some years since I had last revisited the book that started a literary phenomenon. Doing so now it is easy to see how this book so easily enthralled and enchanted me as an eleven year old. Now, as an adult with my decade old copy of Philosopher's Stone (or Sorcerer's Stone if you are in the USA) falling apart in my hands, I find myself falling under Rowling's spell once more.

Rowling takes classic clichés, such as the orphan child raised by cruel relatives and discovering that he is somehow special, and breathes new life into them. She creates a world that is fantastic and magical and yet at the same time convincing us that it really could all exist just outside the realm of our (Muggle) perception.

Being more recently familiar with the later books in the series of seven I had forgotten just how delightful the first book really is. While the on going dark themes of the series, particularly death and racial segregation and good versus evil, are present in this first book they are veiled by Rowling's wit and humour and the innocence of the main characters in their youth. Without wanting to get too far ahead here in terms of coming reviews of the rest of the series, I have a great appreciation for the pace at which Rowling matures the series.

While there are groups out there that want to censor the series for various reasons (and I do so very much dislike people who call for the censorship of something that they have never read or just censorship in general, really), I say that fantastical magic, dark themes, and all, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone is a delightful read and safe for even younger readers with progression to the later darker books under parental guidance if necessary.

I really enjoyed revisiting this book for the Harry Potter reading Challenge and Dewey's 24 Hour Readathon. I am now really looking forward to a long overdue reread of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets in the near future.


Terra