Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone is the first book in the Harry Potter series and is the book which formed
the basis of the first Harry Potter film. For those, like myself, who watched the film and wondered what all the fuss was about, I would strongly recommend a reading of this novel. Having done so, it will not be difficult to see why J. K. Rowling has taken the world of
children’s literature by storm and will dispel any doubts one might have as to whether the Harry Potter books will continue to be read and whether they will last the test of time to become a wonderful addition to that list of books regarded as classics of children’s literature. Like all truly great children’s book,
Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone is a book which will captivate adults as much as younger readers. The novel is beautifully crafted to appeal to children. The story starts with Harry being introduced as an orphan who has reluctantly been taken in by his relatives, the Dursleys, a mean-spirited unimaginative family. Immediately our sympathies lie with the hero as we see how he is mistreated by the Dursleys and is most definitely regarded as the poor relation.Harry is then contacted by Hagrid and we are taken into the world of witches, wizards and magic. It must be many years since a successful children’s novel was set in a boarding
school and, for all its imaginative qualities, there is something appealingly traditional about this novel. The world of the boarding school makes an ideal setting for a story about children. It is a self-contained world in which children can take centre stage. The fact that it is a boarding school for wizards and witches helps overcome our modern-day ambivalence about those who attend public school.The story follows Harry and his friends as they fight to stop the evil Voldemort – the killer of Harry’s parents – from capturing the philosopher’s stone and thus regaining his full powers. The power of this story lies in its successful interweaving of fantasy and reality. This may be a novel which is full of magic, spells, wizards, dragons, unicorns, centaurs and trolls. However, it is also a story which deals with a young boy’s move from isolation to acceptance. We follow Harry as he joins the school, makes friends, struggles with his studies, clashes with bullies, becomes the star player in his house sports team, falls out with teachers, impresses other teachers etc. No child would have any difficulty in empathising and identifying with Harry as he faces and overcomes his many challenges. This is what makes the novel great. J. K. Rowling writes superbly and makes this magical world appear very real. However, alongside this, is the tale of an ordinary boy facing the growing pains that all children face. There won’t be many children who will not be entranced by reading this story, or having it read to them.