Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone

First, I am aware that the book was published (at least in my country, the good old U. S. A., as The Sorceror's Stone; I am also aware that the author preferred her original title, and out of respect for her, I am referring to it by her title).

Second, I am aware that everyone under the sun has either read this book, read a review about this book, or talked to someone who has read this book or read a review about this book. There is no one besides hermits and those who live under rocks who has not heard of this book, and its six sequels. So I am trodding all-ready trodden ground, and I know I will not do nearly the justice that this book deserves, or that others before me have done. But I can't really call myself a book reviewing blog without addressing these marvelous books that have turned into an international phenomenon.

I first read the book, or rather my dad read it aloud to us, when I was fifteen. It was a magical, captivating experience of a book (especially since it had taken years for my dad to be willing to expose us to something so controversial, since he was at that time a pastor; but don't get me started on that barrel of monkeys). It was so moving that in the next week I read the second, third, and fourth books. The third book I read, from start to finish, in under three hours straight. I was hooked.

I stopped, for the time being, after the fourth book largely because my dad still wasn't sure he was entirely comfortable with the series (come on, dad, it really isn't a big deal) but also partly because the main character was growing up into a teenager. And if there is one thing I never, ever had much patience for (haha, pun) it's teenage boys. Even when I was a teenager and had crushes on teenage boys, I still couldn't stand most of them (including the ones I had crushes on).

Eventually I did read the fifth and sixth as well, but I still refuse to read the seventh (I literally could not stand Harry any more after the sixth book, plus I knew the seventh would just be sad, sad, sad; I could just feel it). But I'm a bit off topic.

Ahem. The Philosopher's Stone. A gem of a book, one that every child and every adult should read or have read to them at least once in their life. This is a children's classic that people will still be reading in fifty, a hundred, two hundred years (and beyond). This book inspires me; inspires me to read, inspires me to write, inspires me to live my life to the fullest. I literally cannot impress upon you how amazing this book is, and if you are one of those few people who hasn't read it, you really really must. Really.

Unless you are one of those religious nuts who thinks it promotes sorcery or witchcraft (in which case I would have to say you are dead wrong and closing yourself off to a moving and central piece of modern literature and culture; reconsider, because it was actually written by a woman struggling with christian faith, not with wicca or satanism).

To sum up. Read this book. Read this book. Also, read this book.