A review by tiffwaffles
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by J.K. Rowling
adventurous
hopeful
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Had I been a reviewer when I was a young child, I would have rated this book a glowing five stars- but even though I am coming here as a reader who loves Harry Potter and always reads the books, I have to put this at a four star rating.
I loved the story well enough but sometimes I feel that J.K. Rowling could have done a lot more to introduce her characters and write an engaging story. Still, Philosopher's Stone is the start of the Harry Potter series where she took her time building up the story and her characters. There is a huge part of me that wishes that this book was a little longer- but maybe that's just my personal opinion.
To be honest, I got this edition because of the illustrations by Jim Kay. I am a little sad that he's decided to step down as the artist after the fifth book was released last year- but it's understandable that he's made the decision to focus on himself and his health. The illustrations of these editions are absolutely gorgeous and do wonders to bring Harry Potter and his world to life.
Just a word of caution to those looking into getting the paperback versions of these specific illustrated editions. Since they are smaller than the hardbacks, the publisher made the decision to cut out quite a few of the illustrations. They are still nice and I've got the paperback version of this exact same edition on hand since I like loaning it out to my friends- but it does come with its drawbacks of not having all of the illustrations like the hardcovers do.
I loved the story well enough but sometimes I feel that J.K. Rowling could have done a lot more to introduce her characters and write an engaging story. Still, Philosopher's Stone is the start of the Harry Potter series where she took her time building up the story and her characters. There is a huge part of me that wishes that this book was a little longer- but maybe that's just my personal opinion.
To be honest, I got this edition because of the illustrations by Jim Kay. I am a little sad that he's decided to step down as the artist after the fifth book was released last year- but it's understandable that he's made the decision to focus on himself and his health. The illustrations of these editions are absolutely gorgeous and do wonders to bring Harry Potter and his world to life.
Just a word of caution to those looking into getting the paperback versions of these specific illustrated editions. Since they are smaller than the hardbacks, the publisher made the decision to cut out quite a few of the illustrations. They are still nice and I've got the paperback version of this exact same edition on hand since I like loaning it out to my friends- but it does come with its drawbacks of not having all of the illustrations like the hardcovers do.