He never knew his parents and is stuck with a cruel pair of guardians who could give Cinderella's stepfamily a run for their money. Have you ever tried to figure out who you really are? Harry has. Have you ever felt like you were alone and misunderstood? Harry does. Harry Potter's practically become public property – we all feel like we know him.Īnd part of the reason why we feel like we know him is because it's so easy to relate to him. Plus, in Harry Potter she's given us one of those amazing characters – like Sherlock Holmes – who can become a superstar in pop culture. If Rowling were a Hogwarts student, she'd get top points for her house for her book's creativity, exciting plot, compelling characters.
Harry potter book one full#
Why should you care about this international publishing phenomenon, the book that launched one of the most successful series in history? The pop culture sensation that has now been sweeping the world for more than a decade? Well, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone is a pretty awesome book full of imaginative ideas.
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What is Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone About and Why Should I Care? Who do you think should win this wizard's duel? We say, read Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, and judge it for yourself. So, it seems for every critical "spell" cast by critics like Bloom there's a defensive "spell" cast in return. Not only does Goia think that the book is fun and enjoyable, he thinks it's bound to be a classic. This is one of those books that is meant to be enjoyed and shared. If Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone is not a classic, than the term hardly has a legitimate meaning. has peopled her magical universe with some of the most striking characters of contemporary fiction there is no better place to start in exploring richly inspired alternative world than this opening volume in the series. And author Ted Goia has tons of good things to say. The New York Times review of Sorcerer's Stone says that Rowling has "soared beyond her modest Muggle surroundings to achieve something quite special" ( source). Bloom has commented that "the book is not well written" and that Harry Potter lacks an "imaginative vision" ( source).ĭon't go thinking that all literary critics are down on Harry, though. The famous literary critic Harold Bloom wrote a scathing article titled "Can 35 Million Book Buyers Be Wrong? Yes." Wow, pretty harsh, Harold. What's more, some literary critics have problems with the series and wonder whether being popular is the same as being quality literature. For example, some religious fundamentalists have criticized the series for its portrayal of magic and wizardry (see this interesting collection of links at for more).
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The arguments back and forth between lovers and haters end up resembling a wizard's duel. Of course, like many pop culture icons, the Harry Potter series has both big fans and big haters. Rowling's magical world is a thrilling place! You may even remember just how crazy people got each time a new book came out.
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Six books later, the series has won tons of snazzy book awards, it's had major sales, and made mountains of money. People were amazed that a small "children's book" was so popular, even among adults. It also made it onto the New York Times Bestseller list. The book became a smash success, winning the UK National Book Award (1997) and the Gold Medal Smarties Prize (1997), and being named a Best Book of the Year (1998) by both Publishers Weekly and the New York Public Library. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone was published in the United States in 1998. She sent the book to many publishers until one (yay Bloomsbury!) finally agreed to publish her work in the United Kingdom in 1997 (under the original title, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone) ( source). Rowling dreamt it up on a train ride to London and spent years working on it ( source). Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone Introduction