Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by J.K. Rowling

Synopsis:

Harry Potter's life is miserable. His parents are dead and he's stuck with his heartless relatives, who force him to live in a tiny closet under the stairs. But his fortune changes when he receives a letter that tells him the truth about himself: he's a wizard. A mysterious visitor rescues him from his relatives and takes him to his new home, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

After a lifetime of bottling up his magical powers, Harry finally feels like a normal kid. But even within the Wizarding community, he is special. He is the boy who lived: the only person to have ever survived a killing curse inflicted by the evil Lord Voldemort, who launched a brutal takeover of the Wizarding world, only to vanish after failing to kill Harry.

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⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

FINALLY. You can’t guess how much I’ve been wanting to read this book and write a review about it. I have a theory: one in three people under twenty has read a Harry Potter (HP from now on) book, one in two has seen an HP movie and one person in every group of friends or family unit is a die-hard fan, a.k.a a Potterhead. I can now proudly proclaim I am one of them and if you aren’t, I’m here to change that.

Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone is the first book of the hugely famous saga of seven books written by J.K Rowling; it literally transformed her into one of the most successful authors with one of the most rewarding series in all Literature. Now that I have read the first one I am able to realize why it is so valuable and wonderful for everyone breathing in this world. This book has a place for everyone: even if you’re seven or eighty-seven, I bet my wand you can be enchanted too.

In case you are not familiar with these books, I'll fill you in: eleven-year-old Harry Potter is a lonely boy. No friends, no parents, only his insensitive uncle, mean aunt and bully cousin. They are compelled to make his life miserable, and it is not until Harry discovers that something is offbeat with him, that he realizes that the closet in which he is forced to sleep in is not what the future has in store for him. Fate is catching him up, and it is time for him to find a new home, a new family and lots of magic: where? At Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The adventure begins.

OK… where to start? I need to make a disclaimer, because I know it crosses everyone’s mind when they ponder whether to start this book or not: yes, it is about an 11-year-old boy and yes, it is about wizards and magic, but it is not necessarily juvenile or simple. On the contrary, I think it can be very layered as to its significance and themes. This book is fearless, fun, utterly enthralling. Characters are so unique and well-developed that you can’t help but fall in love with every one of them. The golden trio (sorry, there are these expressions you pick up in the fandom: it is composed by the main characters Harry, Ron and Hermione) are literally goals, and their friendship grows strongly and steadily but with the sweetness and spontaneity of kids who just want to belong and have someone to fight for. FRIENDSHIP is everything here. A key theme that on numerous occasions made my heart melt. So is courage. Every character, in their own way, is funny, dim-witted and authentic, and essential to the plot. So are the grown-ups. I love all of them dearly, I love that I can root for them without even trying to, and am so excited to see them grow and learn and battle new things.

The most incredible aspect of this saga is, of course, its universe: the so acclaimed Wizarding World. I tend to dislike descriptive scenes, but here every visual imagery counts, and I adore how every little detail is taken into account so that the life Harry (and us, the readers, alongside him) are introduced absolutely makes sense from every angle. I would find myself daydreaming about being there, and the community of fans is so big that even that is partly possible.

Another part that I cannot go without mentioning is the plot itself: the mystery, the adventure. It is so juicy, so unexpected that I really can now know why this book is appealing for such a wide range of audiences.

I can’t describe it in another way but saying that reading this book is a truly magical experience. Even if you have seen the movies; as always, this is so much more. My sister keeps saying that every book is better than the last, and she is a Ravenclaw (the house of wit and chivalry) so I guess I should believe her. My bar has been raised and so has my eagerness.