Wednesday 29 January 2014

Harry Potter Reread: Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone

My sister Kaley, of Books Etc, told me that her virtual blog friend from Just a lil lost was doing a Harry Potter ReRead this year. Since it’s been a while since I’ve read the books (or any book really), I decided to give it a go.
Here's the post that explains the reread.
In the past couple years I finally ended up getting the whole series in hardcover. I had the first three in paperback and since I read them so many times and had owned them for so long they were slowly starting to fall apart, my mom bought the hardcovers for me. Normally I would wait to buy the books in paperback because they were cheaper, but the last three I got pre ordered so I got them in hardcover. I also own the Hogwarts Library set, which includes Quidditch through the Ages, The Tales of Beedle and the Bard, and Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. I have the Harry Potter Film Wizardry (because I was impatient, it's not the updated one that includes the last movie, sad) and the Harry Potter Page to Screen. I have actually yet to finish any of these (bad, I know). So hopefully I'll be able to include them into this reread and finish them this year.

I’m just going to state that throughout the course of this post and the ones for the following books I will probably say things that would be considered spoilers. However I figure if you haven’t read or at least seen the movies by now, you probably never will and I don’t care. Also don’t know why you’d be reading this post otherwise.

But in case you haven't read it, and are still going to read the post, I shall provide you with the synopsis. 

Harry Potter has never played a sport while flying on a broomstick. He's never worn a Cloak of Invisibility, befriended a giant, or helped hatch a dragon. All Harry knows is a miserable life with the Dursleys, his horrible aunt and uncle, and their abominable son, Dudley. Harry's room is a tiny cupboard under the stairs, and he hasn't had a birthday party in ten years.
But all that is about to change when a mysterious letter arrives by owl messenger: a letter with an invitation to a wonderful place he never dreamed existed. There he finds not only friends, aerial sports, and magic around every corner, but a great destiny that's been waiting for him... if Harry can survive the encounter.

That...really doesn't tell you much. Well then. Onto the review of the reread.
First point of notice, this book was way shorter than I remember. It took me maybe 6 hours to read it, and that was just on breaks and at work. Heehee probably shouldn’t have been reading, but when you are all by yourself and literally have nothing else to do, it keeps you from going insane.

As short as the book felt, I still loved it just as much as the first time I read it. Although I read a few of the lines with the actors’ voices, I managed to not compare it in my head.
I love how innocent and immature the three of them are. I know that they went through stuff that no one should have to, but they just have this youthful, troublemaking innocence that I love.
While reading, Kaley texted me her “duh” moment, that Lily and Petunia are sisters, and both named after flowers. I thought it was kind of funny, though I don’t think I realized it either. My “duh” moment was at the end of the book when I realized why Quirrell could shake Harry’s hand on his birthday (even though he didn’t in the movie) but not touch him in the final chamber. He says something along the lines of his master was so upset with him for not being able to steal the stone that he decided to keep a closer eye on him. Meaning he wasn’t the man with two faces until after that day in Diagon Alley.
I've probably read Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone at least half a dozen times, if not more. I tried to reread the series each time a new book came out, sometimes even when the new movie was coming out as well.
I can't decide if I want to rewatch the movies after each book, or if I want to wait until the end and try and watch them all in one go. I'm thinking it will probably be at the end of the reread. 
Next month will be Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets which I have to say I'm not really super excited to read. It's one of my least, if not very least, favourite of all the books. I think that actually seems to be the consensus that people like the second book less than the rest. I can't even really give you a reason why I don't like it as much. Perhaps I'll be able to at the end of February. 
Hopefully you enjoyed this post and are enjoying the read along as well if you're participating. Come back next month for my next reread post. 

No comments:

Post a Comment