There's not much to say about the Harry Potter phenomenon that hasn't already been written. Suffice it to say that, 10 years ago, I read this jewel on the airplane from London back to the States, and it seemed a fitting end to a delightful vacation abroad. I not only find the novel's characters charming, but I love the very British world that Rowling has created--simultaneously proper and quirky. I am now introducing The Sorcerer's Stone to my own daughter, who is seven and loves the world of books. I recommend the Harry Potter series to anyone who wishes to bring a little piece of childhood nostalgia back into their lives.

The greatist fictional series to date. That is my opinion. But I think most will agree with me. This book introduces to the the "house-hold name" Harry Potter. It kept me on the edge of my seat when I read it for the first time years ago, and it still does today. I highly suggest reading the series.

There is little more I can add to the coverage and discussion around Rowling's first book of the "Harry Potter" series, nor do I think I could be terribly objective because they mean so much to me personally. However, I did receive the 10th Anniversary Edition as a gift and wanted to mention a few things. First, this edition is bound in red cloth with embossed stars (very fun to carry if you, like me, do not want to damage the dust jacket and remove it while reading). Second, this book includes a full-color illustration of Hagrid approaching Hogwarts in the boats for first years. Finally, we get an early drawing of Professor Snape done by Rowling herself. Nothing else about this edition is dramatically different, except for the new drawing and dust jacket. The average reader will not need to go out and buy a copy of this edition, but if you are a Harry Potter enthusiast, you may want a copy to sit alongside your series.

In today's economy, customers buying books need to know exactly what they're buying. In this case, what your thirty bucks buys is -- apart from the previously published text (the novel itself) and the previously published art (interior art) -- is, essentially, a new cover by longtime Harry Potter cover artist Mary GrandPre, and a black-and-white illustration by Rowling (quite the cartoonist!), which comprises the "bonus" material Scholastic has been touting but keeping under wraps.

The wraps are off and, while the illustration is nice, Scholastic would be better off issuing either an illustration edition with more art (which, by the way, exists), or taking the momentous occasion of the 10th anniversary to celebrate it in a significant fashion: Rowling, why wasn't there an original interview in which you looked back at the ten years of Harry Potter in the media? Why wasn't there a long essay by a respected literary critic looking at the Harry Potter phenomenon? Why wasn't there MORE text?

If this was simply a reprint edition, the omission of new text would be understandable. But when you're celebrating ten years of Harry Potter in print, how, exactly, does a new cover, a previously published (to the best of my knowledge) illustration for the colored endpapers, and a black-and-white illustration by Rowling "celebrate" the book's publication?

As there is no historical retrospective here, I'd have to say that Scholastic missed the boat: This edition could have been so much more, but it suffers (ironically) from a failure of imagination.

I have rated it five stars because the first novel is a literary classic in the children's field. The publisher, however, needs to think about how to ADD VALUE to the existing edition when touting its "anniversary" status, esp. if they intend on reissuing matching volumes in the future. Otherwise, it comes off as being just another edition to get the fans' hard-earned money, instead of offering something new, different, and significantly improved.

I watched the SECOND movie first, the Chamber of Secrets. That was my first introduction. Over the years i then watched movie #3, #4 and #5. Recently, i went back and watched #5 again, The Order of the Phoenix.

And then i just felt an urge to actually read the books before the next movie came out (and the Half Blood Prince previews were currently out) so i borrowed Half Blood Prince and really enjoyed it. Having never read the other books did not deter me from understanding the plot at all, and actually the movies helped me to GREATLY visualize characters i would have otherwise been at a loss to understand.

So...i am finally reading The Sorcerers Stone, and then i'll read through them all eventually.

Yes, the series is great. And Hollywood has done a great job of adapting them too. I look forward to the final 3 films.

This first of the Harry Potter series is easily the best. It introduces all the characters with which we will become familiar through succeeding years, and provides a plot that will delight children while fascinating adult readers like myself who grew up on fantasy.

One problem, not of the author's making. What on earth is a sorcerer's stone? The original title of this book, and the title used in most markets, refers to a philosopher's stone. Most educated readers will recognise this reference to an age-old quest for longer life, but the reference has gone by the time the American reader reaches the bookshelf. Do American publishers really think they have to talk down to their audience? Or did some nitwit in the publishing industry really have no clue? Either way, this is a monumental stuff-up which treats the American reader as an uneducated dummy rather than going with the author's original intent.

Publishers, give your readers a little more credit. The relatively low score I give this book is a result of your error rather than the author's.

I went into this novel with some apprehension considering its massive hype. However, I was pleasantly surprised at how enjoyable it truly was. Sure, there are plenty of people that bash it, and while I will agree that it is not the most "important" novel to come out of the last twenty years, it is truly good fun. I am currently re-reading all of the Harry Potter novels because I never did get around to reading the seventh one and I am astounded at how much fun they are to read a second time. I have a really hard time looking at these novels critically, however, mainly because I don't think about the subtext or the writing style as I read it. I'm too absorbed in the world. I don't think this is a negative thing, if anything it is the opposite. This book is one hundred percent a guilty pleasure. It is on par with most people's obsessions with reality TV or my personal obssesion with the TV show Friends. I know that it is not the best thing ever produced, but I love it regardless. Rowling has written such delightful characters that I have honestly come to love, that I barely care what happens in the series as long as I get to keep reading about them. Try it reading it when you've have a horrible day and see if you can keep a smile from showing up in the corners of your mouth.

I've just recently started reading this series, and I have to admit that I have been very entertained. This book was a bit "young" I noticed in the writing, but understandably so, since the main character is only 11. Since I had seen the movie before I'd read this, I didn't have very many surprises, but all in all, it was worth the read.

I love this book, but lost it, so I had to order another one. I have the complete set now, and have to read them at least once a year or so. IT is a great start to the Harry Potter series. Thank you.

Let me start like this.. I was never into Harry Potter. Well, at least not like I am now. I was a fan of the movies but that was about it. Then I was told to read the books, I figured, what the hell. So I started with Half Blood Prince and then Deathly Hollows. Wow. If I read pretty much the last 1/4 of this series and got so sucked into it, I owed it to myself to take the whole trip through this world that cannot be described in words.

I finished The Sorcerer's Stone totally forgetting about the movie so it was like I had never seen it. The SS is the perfect stepping stone to get the series started. It introduces most of the main characters and gives you an idea of how to understand whats going on (which considering the twists and turns of the series, you'll need all the info you can get.)

From beginning to end, you're thrown into Harrys life. You feel everything he feels, his emotions, his thoughts. You feel sorry for him when he's living with his family, and you can't wait to find out what happens the next year at Hogwarts. And that is what makes this an amazing story, your connection with him and the anticipation for what is going to happen to him next. This book is a must buy for any fan of fantasy stories, don't let the fact that it's in the childrens section of a book store throw you off. The road Harry walks will get a lot darker. See this as the calm before the storm.

It feels so long ago that I read Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone for the first time. I can't remember exactly how I felt upon completion, but I must have loved it because I devoured the rest of the books--there were only three of them back then--in a matter of days.

What I can remember is how agonizingly long the wait for the other books was, how I reread the first book when I was scared of being the new kid in school, and how I became friends with other fans of the series. I remember feeling stronger after reading about Harry's strength, and, most importantly, I remember how much I grew to love reading.

This all probably sounds terribly sappy, but to the people who call this book unimaginative, contrived, and even claim Harry and his friends are bad role models, I would just like to say that kids don't see any of that. This kid saw the importance of friendship and courage, even in the face of evil, and a place to escape to when she need to be reminded of these things. Adults need to remember that this is a children's book, and no one should read it expecting an existential masterpiece. The books grow as Harry grows, and as JK Rowling grows as an author.

Is this book perfect? No, but for a kid reading it for the first time, it's close enough.

I wore my paperback out so back it was falling apart so I bought the Hard copy to go w/ the rest of my series. Like I had stated in the other Reviews you will feel like your actually a character in the book I really hated seeing it end so soon. I know alot of people were like soon. But to me it was way to soon. I highly recommend this and all Harry Potter Books and Movies.

People have been telling me to read Harry Potter since I was in high school ten years ago. I finally started reading the series this weekend after my running buddy convinced me to, and I have already finished the first three. JK Rowling is really clever and witty. I know her intended audience is kids, but I think they are appropriate for all ages. As I read these books I oscillate between wondering if children can grasp everything she writes about, or whether I need to give children more credit for what they can understand.

As I ponder why I enjoy these books so much, I have come to several conclusions. First, I really enjoy Quidditch. Secondly, Rowling has an amazing ability to write child characters. I remember people from my own life who I identify with characters in Rowlings book. These stories are great not only because the story is interesting, but because they bring back memories from my own childhood. So, for any of you who were like me and did not want to read the series everyone has been talking about, start reading the series.

I'm an 11 year old girl, and I began reading the Harry Potter series when I was about nine. By far, this was my favorite one. I think I've read it about... seven times now. Definately worth it!!!

I love the Harry Potter series, but the first book in the series is a favorite. The characters are rich and fully developed. The substance of Rowling's world is well thought out and detailed. Rowling's writing is wonderful and great for all ages.

I have to admit that I came upon the whole Harry Potter phenomenon pretty late, even though I've been aware of the franchise for about 10 years. I had always observed and respected Rowling's incredible success but I couldn't finish watching the first movie and always put off reading the books. But then last Christmas, magic happened. Well, sorta. My brother bought me the movie version of Harry Potter and Order of the Phoenix. The problem was that I had never watched any of the four movies that came before it! And only in the last 2 months or so did I go back and watch the movies in order, and I found I really enjoyed them once I gave them a chance. So when summer vacation started I sat down to read the first book and really liked it.

Harry Potter has led a hard life all of his short 10 years and is on the brink of starting an equally dismal eleventh. His parents died in a car wreck when he was an infant and he was reluctantly taken in by his aunt and uncle Dursley. They treat him like dirt, relegating him to a small crawlspace underneath the stairs in lieu of a real room, that just gives him space enough to lay down and sleep. The Dursley's son, Dudley, is equally vicious to Harry. While Dudley gets every toy and luxury the Dursleys can afford, Harry never gets anything nice. His aunt and uncle think Harry is weird and has strange abilities that they cannot explain. Things change on Harry's eleventh birthday when he recieves a letter inviting him to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Even though the Dursleys want Harry to be a normal kid and quit being so strange, Harry soon learns the truth about his parents. Namely, that they were powerful wizards that were murdered by an even more powerful sorcerer named Valdemort. This same Valdemort is the entity that left a scar on Harry's forehead the night he killed his parents. Harry is famous among magic users for being the only person to survive a face to face encounter with Valdemort, a man whose very name inspires fear. Now, Harry must set out on his own journey to become a great wizard, and along the way, make new friends and be accepted as a human being worthy of respect and kindness.

Who doesn't want to escape the crazy existence that is life on Earth in the 21st century, to get away from war and and the paranoia of religion and terrorism? To live in a world where magic allows incredible miracles...but also incredible evils. That's the cool thing about Rowling's story. Things are not all hunky dory in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. There aren't a lot of kid heroes whose parents were murdered in cold blood and then have a scar burned into their flesh. And let's not get into the cruelty that Harry has to endure for almost eleven long years by relatives who should have been turned over to the cops for child cruelty. Some of the things in this book are very dark. This isn't a world of magic where everything is covered in fairy dust and everybody smiles all the time and gets along with each other. It has a strong vein of realism, at least in the spiritual trials the characters face and their relationships with each other. Friendship and the importance of it is one of recurring themes, as illustrated by the bonds that form between Harry, Ron, and Hermione. I was also impressed by Rowling's ability to take a formula, (a magic school) and make it seem fresh and original. This book could have easily turned into a hack job. But the author's imagination sweeps aside any such notions and whisks you away for a couple hours of your life. A great read.

We had this on cassette tape, and just purchased it on CD. Jim Dale is outstanding! Very entertaining on long car rides.

I started reading Harry Potter a few years ago so that I could find out if they were suitable for my kids. Guess, what? I'm a well-educated adult, and I love Harry Potter! I can't believe that I can be so entertained by something that every kid on the block is reading (usually I don't go for children's fantasy).

Sophisticated adults will complain that this is derivative and "light." Yes, it is. It's children's literature, and that's what kids like. But, this is superior children's literature. The writing is exceptional, the characters are deep, the humor is subtle enough for adults to enjoy. It's very well done. I wish that all of the stuff my kids were reading was done this well.

I'm thrilled that, because of Harry Potter, children are reading large novels again. I know several kids who've been inspired to read, and to not be intimidated by big books, because of J.K. Rowling. If you have only seen the movies and haven't read the books, you are really missing out. --FanLit.net

One fine day while I was at work, I went into our café and came across a coworker reading Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone.
Like a lot of adults I started laughing and said, "Aren't those for kids?"
My former coworker said, "Don't laugh until you've actually read them."
I took her advice and picked up the same book.
And I have to admit, she was right!
The Sorcerer's Stone was, like many of you, my introduction to the Harry Potter Empire.
I loved it, from start to finish, a pleasure to read.
These books are not just for kids, but anyone who has an imagination.
I've since read all the Potter books and I loved every one of them and the movies also.
How many books end up getting made into worthwhile movies?
Not very many, but I'll be darned if Hollywood isn't making every Potter book into a stellar movie.
I give this book and all the Potter books my highest recommendation.

Our family enjoys the annual summer vacation road trip - seeing the countryside; anticipating our arrival at the vacation destination and listening to audio books. My son and daughter are 6 1/2 and 9 - they were thrilled by Jim Dale's reading of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. He does a great job of creating a distinct voice for each of the book's characters and the pacing is spot on. We're looking forward to our next road trip and listening to Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets which is also read by Jim Dale.

I loved this book and read it in two days and began the next immediately. One thing that troubles me -- about many amazon reviews -- is that they are NOT reviews. Person after person summarizes the story (which is, basically, summarized in the official editorial paragraph. WHY OH WHY does everyone do this! WHy not just say what you liked/disliked and why?

Rowling uses EXQUISITE VOCABULARY (hurrah! KIDS WILL LEARN NEW AND INTERESTING WORDS), STRONG PLOT AND SUSPENSE, AND ENGAGING CHARACTERS. I also very much appreciate that some of her positive characters are not all goody-two shoes and have imperfections and character flaws (Hagrid's drinking and keeping beasties, students who "swore" when angry or shocked).

I saw the films first and felt they were well cast. The books are better than I was prepared for them to be.

OH! How I love to be very pleasantly surprised!!!

what else can i say that no one else has?- this is a GREAT book like all her others!!!

FANTASTIC SERIES. My husband and I bouthght it before we had kids and LOVED IT.. We can't get enough. Adults should give it a try.

Jim Dale's reading of the book was excellent and I do have to say that I have not listened to an audio book that I have enjoyed more. Dale's changing of his voices to mimic the character was very interesting yet not over done. I could envision each character due to his inflections and changes in speech patterns. During the entire eight hours of the reading of this audio book, not once was I bored by the reading of it. I can only hope he will read the next book in this series.

Alas, I have been very late in reading Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone but I can guarantee that I'll be much quicker in getting the next book. I truly enjoyed this book even if it was originally written for children - this book is enjoyable no matter what your age and I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys a bit of fantasy.

I enjoyed the book so much that I wanted to be able to listen to it in the car on long drives. It is a lot of fun, though sometimes the narrator is a bit "over the top" with his accents and emoting. He takes a little getting used to.

I love the Harry Potter series, but I was unsure of the audiobooks. Jim Dale really brings J.K. Rowling's books to life. He doesn't read--he performs. I would recommend them to anyone!

The first time I picked up this book, the first in the Harry Potter series, it was with great hesitation. Firstly, it had been a few years since I had done much reading for pleasure, so I was out of practice. Secondly, and more importantly, I had heard a great deal of hype about the series in the media, which automatically made me feel that the books were probably overrated--and I didn't want to be disappointed. In the end, around the same time the film version of this book was released, two of my close friends convinced me to give the series a try, and lent me the first book, which I read shortly thereafter.

Within a week, I had purchased and read the rest of the series (at the time, books 1-4), and was itching with anticipation for book 5. I have since purchased and read the entire series, and just recently decided to reread them all in one go.

So what makes Harry Potter so magical? For me, it was the bare simplicity of the central premise of the series that drew me in instantly. Who hasn't dreamed of having some magical powers to spice up life a bit? Not that magical powers are unique to Harry Potter; far from it, in fact. But it's much harder to really relate to grand tales of epic battles in faraway, long ago kingdoms like Tolkein's Middle Earth or so many others that have followed. What Harry Potter touches is that little daydreaming part inside of us that believes that maybe magic could be real... that it might exist right alongside us in our own "real" world.

Book 1 (The Sorcerer's Stone) will always have a special place in my heart, as it really was the book that brought me back to reading (as stated above). It is imaginative, fun, and has splashes of humor throughout. It introduces many lovable characters who will be with us throughout the series, and does a brilliant job of setting up our journey. It has a comparatively light feel (the later books get progressively darker, without question), but still keeps the reader engaged with elements of mystery and rivalry to generate conflict. And, unlike some of the later books, it is a quick read.

There are, I admit, a few times when one must employ the willing suspension of disbelief (lest the grown witches and wizards of the story seem horribly inept), but otherwise, it is a charming story and a great introduction to the journey ahead. I give it 5 stars, even though it is not my favorite in the series, mostly because this one drew me in so effectively and made me want to read the rest.

What is there to say about this book. All of the books in the series were very good. Unfortunately, I loaned this one to a "friend". Had to replace it as I have them all in hardback.

Writing a review on the first Harry Potter book seems superfluous, as it must surely be one of the most reviewed books in the history of literature.

I will therefore refrain (more or less) from summarizing the story, and instead compare my first reading to my recent re-reading of the book.

In my first reading, I met a boy called Harry, who was the quintessential "uncool kid." He grew up at his aunt and uncle's because his parents were supposedly killed in a car crash when he was a baby. That was at least what Aunt and Uncle Dursley told him. Harry was the uncool kid both at home and at school, hence constantly jumping from the frying pan into the fire. At home, "the Dursleys often spoke about Harry (...) as though he wasn't there--or rather, as though he was something very nasty that couldn't understand them, like a slug." Their spoiled son, Dudley, also did his best to bully Harry around. And at school, "Harry had no one. Everybody knew that Dudley's gang hated that odd Harry Potter in his baggy old clothes and broken glasses, and nobody liked to disagree with Dudley's gang."

Hence, when Hogwarts' half-giant gamekeeper told Harry that he was a wizard, he could hardly believe it. And when Harry stepped through the Leaky Cauldron onto Diagon Alley, everything was new and exciting. He had not had the slightest clue that such a world existed; accordingly he saw everything through the eyes of an amazed and hungry learner.

And since I as the reader always walked by Harry's side, I, too, had this "sense of awe." Together with Harry, I marveled at Gringotts Bank and its goblins, the power of the magic wands, the magic broomsticks, Platform 9 ¾ and the steaming Hogwarts Express, the gigantic school castle, the meeting hall with its enchanted ceiling, the moving staircases, the "living" paintings, the ghosts, the owl post, and numerous other things.

Harry became like a two-year old toddler again who is excited about discovering the world, and as the reader I was a toddler with him. This is Fantasy at its best. The fact that J.K. Rowling made Harry an "outsider" to the world of magic is of great importance to the experience of the reader. Otherwise I would not have been nearly as astonished about the details of Mrs Rowling's world as I was. It also prevented the technological aspects of the Harry-Potter magic from totally disenchanting her world.

Now to my re-reading of the "Philosopher's Stone" (I still like the original British title better than the "Sorcerer's Stone").

I read the story again shortly after I finished the seventh book. Knowing where the story and characters are headed, many scenes now took on new significance. It was fascinating to read a particular passage and think: "Ah! Now I know why she put that in there." I have to complement J.K. Rowling on having planned the seven books so well.

Furthermore, reading the first book from the retrospective view of the whole series also makes a difference for the moral custodians among us. If you only read the first book, you might come away thinking that Harry Potter tries to justify the means by the end a little too much. Harry's magic is at first set into motion when he is "upset and angry", the toffee-nosed know-it-all Hermione turns likable by lying on Harry's behalf, and one of Harry's chief character traits is that of a rule breaker.

Aside from the point that novels--including juvenile ones--don't have to portray their main characters as saints, the series has, in fact, turned out to be of great moral depth. Given Harry's final moral choices at the end of Book VII, Book I can now be seen as the beginning of a "Bildungsroman." That is, a Coming Of Age Story in which Harry goes through all the stages of childhood and adolescence, to finally arrive at moral, social, and psychological maturity.

If that is not an ideal way of making teenagers aware of their own journey to maturity, I don't know what is.

- Jacob Schriftman, Author of The Crack Beneath the Worlds and Other Books

Well, This book and the whole Harry Potter Series is excelent, I love them. I'm currently thinking if I want to get the last Audio Books before the movies. I love the movies but books will always be better (although the first three movies I think are almost as good as the books). I did not give this 5 stars because I've heard the Audio Books by Stephen Fry (not sure if the spelling is right ;-P ). I have to say, in my humble opinion, Fry's voice is more grown up as a narrator and his character voices are excellent. His voice sounds over all more respectfull and apropiate. Jim Dale has done his version for the american audience which doesn't mean it's bad, but I like things in their original state. If a movie is made in the US, England, Mexico, or Spain, I usualy prefer it as it came out first. But that is my opinion. Listen to a sample of the Audio Book by each of the readers before you buy.

Great book and seller. Fast shipper and the book was in better than new condition. Thanks

No surprise on the book being excellent, but Jim Dale's performance in reading the story is captivating. He adds voices, emotion, and excitement which make this far more enjoyable than watching the movie.

To be honest, I never thought I would read a Harry Potter book. I believe the books were for children until a respected colleague brought her copy of The Sorcerer's Stone to work one day. I laughed at first until I realized she was serious. To appease her I took it home and started reading.

Quickly I became so wrapped up in the story, I couldn't put it down until I finished. I immediately found the other books and devoured them just as ferociously.

Trust me when I say they are so much better than the movies. No disrespect to the directors and writers, but there is no possible way to give the books full disclosure on the screen. Pick this book up today and you'll find out what I did. This ain't just for the kiddies, it's for everyone who enjoys reading.

PATRICK RALEY is the author of the mystery, detective novel entitled "Precedent of Justice". Find out why Publisher's Weekly calls him "the next John Grisham."

I came to the party a little late on these books but when I started reading them, I couldn't stop. These books got me back into reading. By far my favorite series.

This is the first book in the series- but listen to Jim Dale's narration when the character of Hagrid is introduced for example. Read the book, by all means, but this series as read by Mr. Dale compliments the printed page. Perfect!