Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone

 

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone

J. K. Rowling

I wasn’t so much impressed with the adventurous elements in Harry Potter’s first book, as I was drawn into the story of Harry’s development. He goes from a downtrodden, rejected orphan to a confident sports hero and resourceful wizard. The friendships he begins along the way are another attractive aspect of this book. Although very different in characters, he and Ron connect instantly, at first it seems more as a way to be stronger in their fight against the common enemy (Malfoy), but then that grows into a genuine friendship. 

Hermione joining their group is even more interesting. Rowling received a lot of criticism for her portrayal of female characters, particularly in the first few books. She supposedly wrote Hermione as a bookish, priggish and all-around annoying character whose only value in the books is in her encyclopaedic knowledge. But the way we see her in this book already explains that this is nowhere near the truth. We first see Hermione through  Harry’s and Ron’s eyes, and yes, she does seem an annoying know-it-all.  But once the boys accept her into their midst, we get to know her true character and we see that Harry and Ron, too, have realized she’s so much more than just a nerd. And as the readers we identify with Harry’s point of view and begin to see her through his eyes.

The beauty of Rowling’s characterization is that she doesn’t change the character, rather she changes our perception of her so that we see her other side, new dimensions and features that make her a well-rounded, authentic girl. This is further shown towards the end of the book when Hermione herself comments on her bookish knowledge. When Harry says she’s a better wizard than him, she replies, “Books! And cleverness! There are more important things – friendship and bravery.”

As to Hermione’s importance in this adventure – the fact that Ron is the first of the trio to be left behind goes to show that girls are just as important as boys in Rowling’s world. Of course, both Ron and Hermione had to be left behind because they are only Harry’s helpers and he as the protagonist or main hero needs to finish the task on his own. But Hermione keeps her cool when faced with Snape’s logical puzzle and helps Harry and then goes back to help Ron and call for help.

The formation of these friendships and the character development together with the magical world building that Rowling is a master of are the best features of this first book in the series. Its relative shortness (220 pages) makes it a charming reading and a fun and light introduction to the series that will later on transform into an epic struggle of good against evil.

Memorable quotes:

Always use the proper name for things. Fear of a name increases the fear of the thing itself. (Dumbledore, p. 216)

To the well-organized mind, death is but the next great adventure. (Dumbledore, p. 217)

The film

Almost as a rule I prefer books to their film adaptations. Although the story and plot hasn’t been changed much for this film, I still prefer the novel. One of the reasons for this is that the book allows me to use my imagination and a certain amount of individual interpretation. On the other hand I must say that the special effects  like the three-headed dog and the dragon were stunning. However, I think the film is more appropriate for younger audiences while the book can be equally enjoyable for adults.