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

Genre: Children’s Literature

With the 20th-anniversary reunion show celebrating the first Harry Potter movie coming out this month, I thought it was more than fitting to review the novel that started it all ‘Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone’.

I have a confession to make - although I’m an avid Harry Potter fan, before reading this first novel in university I had only read the final book in the series - I know, scandalous! But I wanted to know what was going to happen in the final two films, and from reading the first and last books in the series, I can tell you they are written in two very different tones.

However, you will not have had to read the books to draw this conclusion - the films are infamously known to get darker and more serious as they progress, and the books are no exception, yet I was still pleasantly surprised at the air of magic and wonder that the ‘Philosopher’s Stone’ created.

Even as I read this in university at the age of 21, I still loved this book, how could you not with the whimsical and funny characters and their funny little names and phrases. The fantasy of being whisked away to a magical castle in the middle of Scotland is not far off of what some adults dream of, so I would recommend this children’s novel to all ages!

Of course, it is a well-known fact that books always have more detail than the movies, but if you are a Harry Potter film fan debating the need to read the books, I would suggest jumping straight in with the ‘Philosopher’s Stone’, you will be immediately drawn in with how much more character everyone has in the books compared to the films. The book itself was also great as it was easy to finish quickly - since it is a children’s book the font is large, making the novel look deceptively long.

So I say go ahead and pick up ‘Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone’ and give it a read this January, whether it is in celebration of the 20th-anniversary reunion or if it has been on your reading list awhile, it is never too late to pick up a good children’s book.

Rating: * * * * *