Why did I Wait so Long?

I just finished listening to Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone and liked it so well that I can’t wait to read the rest of the series. I can now understand what all of the buzz was about when these books were first published. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone was fun, full of excitement, and very enjoyable.

I’ve heard a bit about Harry Potter but only knew that he was a young wizard who was sent to a wizard’s school. I didn’t know the details about Harry or his life. These details made the story much more enjoyable. Harry’s parents were killed when he was a very young boy and he was sent to live with his mother’s aunt, her husband, and their spoiled rotten son, Dudley. Living with this family for ten years must have been horrendous as Harry lived under the stairs in a room not much bigger than a closet, wore Dudley’s hand-me-downs even though the boy was much larger than Harry, and was so neglected that it made my heart ache. All of this changed when a letter came for Harry telling him that he had been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Harry had no idea why his aunt and uncle tried to ignore the letter and subsequent letters that followed. When Hagrid, a huge man who is very loveable when not aggravated, delivers the letter personally, there is no denying Harry’s entrance into the school. Seems his aunt and uncle do not believe in magic and don’t want Harry to go to school to learn how to be a wizard. The part I didn’t understand is that they don’t want him as part of their family, which was obvious by their treatment of him, so why not send him to school and be rid of him? It’s a bit of a quandary but didn’t detour from the story.

Hagrid takes Harry to buy the school supplies he needs, e.g. magic wand, robes, and other assorted wizard type things, and soon Harry is thrust into a world that is very unfamiliar. Seems people at Hogwarts have heard about Harry and when they see the scar on his forehead shaped like a lightning bolt, they are all enamored. Not only is Harry trying to figure out this school but also why everyone seems to have heard about him. We then learn that his parents were killed by an evil wizard, Voldemort, and Harry is the only one who survived and the only one who has ever survived this villain.

This book had several subplots that I enjoyed. One was about Harry learning to play a game called Quiddich where the players soar on their brooms playing a game that is a cross between soccer, dodge ball, and a few other games. The heart-wrenching tale of the unicorns being killed in the surrounding forests was very sad and put a more humane touch to the book. The various yearly events at Hogwarts were also interesting. J.K. Rowling keeps the reader on his/her toes by weaving various tales into the main story line and it will keep even those who don’t like to sit and read for long periods of time fastened to their seats. All of this is tied together at the big finale and no questions are left unanswered. J.K. Rowling does a fantastic job of keeping the reader’s interest so much so that I can’t wait until I get a copy of the next book.

Character development was excellent. I felt sorry for Harry and his existence with his aunt and uncle. I cheered for him while he was trying new things at Hogswarts. Ron, Harry’s friend, was instantly likeable and being a middle child myself, I could relate to Ron’s feelings towards his siblings. Even the snobby school bully, Malfoy, was well developed and the reader takes an instant dislike to him. The professors were all unique and some of them I swear taught some of my college classes – could wizard professors teach at muggle schools?

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.