18/100: Harry Potter and The Sorcerer's Stone

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Here I am again, about to read my way through the HP series. I've been in this place before, but I never made it past book two. I intended to just continue on with Prisoner of Azkaban but my sister, as self-proclaimed HP lover, insisted that I should go back to the beginning and re-read the first two books since it had been so long since I first read them. Well, don't let it ever be said that I don't take advice from other readers! 

The first time I read The Sorcerer's Stone, I was on a camping trip with my family. I spent quite a few hours curled up in a camping chair by the fire devouring it. I quickly made my way through The Chamber of Secrets as well, but something made me stop there, and I can't quite remember what. It probably wasn't anything significant, other than the fact that I am an incredibly moody reader and I moved on to something else. For some reason, the mood struck again right now and I'm plodding along again. 


I'm not even going to get into the debate about HP and Christianity; I'm not sure where I stand to be honest, which should be obvious considering I am reading them. I know it's a hot topic, one I have injected my own opinions and questions into in the past, but I'm not going to touch that right now. Sorry ;) 

I enjoyed it as much as I did the first time. Rowling has a distinct author's voice; she writes in a way that is plain without being superficial, dumbed-down, or simple. I think this style lends to the subject matter, anything too flowery or complex would muddy the already complicated waters. I also think this lends to a wide audience, in that children and adults alike can feel engaged. 

I imagine one of my favorite themes throughout the story will be friendship. Rowling does such a fantastic job connecting you to the characters and showing you the emotion and feeling, without it being... too much? Too dramatic? I'm not really sure...

I frequently found myself identifying with Hermione, even more so than movie-Hermione. Right off the bat when she was described as having brown, bushy hair I wanted to raise my hand and say, "ME!" I relate to her on a spiritual level (lol) regarding her viewpoint on school and homework... my favorite line would have to be the classic "we could have been killed, or worse, expelled!" Yep, I'm right there with you, Granger. (I also kind of hate to admit it, but I can be a know-it-all sometimes, although as we witness in the HP universe, being a know-it-all comes in handy sometimes). 

I'm looking forward to continuing with the series. I often wonder what my experience would have been like reading it as a kid versus reading it now; often we take away different things from books when we read them at different ages. 

Stats:
Completed: Mar 11
Rating: 5 stars
Pages: 309

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