Harry Potter and The Sorcerer's Stone: The Illustrated Edition Book 1

I read these books as they came out as a kid. I reread them as an adult, and they still hold up. Book One provides a great entry into the series for young and old readers alike. Harry, a young orphan, discovers he’s a wizard, and goes off to magical boarding school. There, he makes great friends, plays wizard sports, battles a troll, and ultimately faces one of the most infamous wizards. The pace is past and the world is intriguing. If you are coming to this series for the first time, especially if you are introducing this series to a young person, I recommend reading up on JK Rowling’s transphobia and issues with the series in terms of stereotypes and lack of diversity and consider how these beliefs are conveyed in the book.

With this introductory novel was published in 1997, few would have predicted the unprecedented success this series would produce. And everything that made Harry Potter so successful is all first shown, though hardly fully explained, in this book, HARRY POTTER AND THE PHILOSPHER'S STONE.The novel opens with Harry living under the cupboard with his abusive aunt and uncle. He has had a mean, depressed life, and though an active boy, the sheer amount of trauma he must have endured would scar any child. But the door opens out of this lifestyle. I've read an interesting theory (obviously not true), that a much different writer than Rowling would have ended Book 7 with Harry having imagined all this fantasy world, where he was so prominent and famous, to help escape the ... MoreWith this introductory novel was published in 1997, few would have predicted the unprecedented success this series would produce. And everything that made Harry Potter so successful is all first shown, though hardly fully explained, in this book, HARRY POTTER AND THE PHILOSPHER'S STONE.The novel opens with Harry living under the cupboard with his abusive aunt and uncle. He has had a mean, depressed life, and though an active boy, the sheer amount of trauma he must have endured would scar any child. But the door opens out of this lifestyle. I've read an interesting theory (obviously not true), that a much different writer than Rowling would have ended Book 7 with Harry having imagined all this fantasy world, where he was so prominent and famous, to help escape the neglect and abuse from the Dursleys.He gets a letter (actually, hundreds) saying he is in fact a wizard. So he is enrolled the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Him, along with his new friend the giant Hagrid, go to Diagon Alley, a magical bazaar, and thus he is thrust into the magical universe so captured the imagination of millions. We soon learn Harry is world famous among wizards for conquering an evil Wizard named Vo - um - He Who Must Not Be Named. Sorry `bout that slip. =). Along the way, we learn that Voldemort is after a magical artifiact called the Philosopher's Stone (which was, unfortunately, changed from the UK original title to "Sorcerer's Stone" in all other regions). So much of the novel is driven by the three main characters defending this stone from Voldemort.Read more ›

SPECIAL NOTE: For U.S. customers purchasing the illustrated edition of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, you will notice the text has NOT been converted to the "Americanized" version of the original U.S. releases (with the exception of changing all "Philosopher's Stone" mentions to "Sorcerer's Stone"). So far, I have noticed the following: (EU/US) dialling / dialing; Shan't! / Won't!; sherbet lemon / lemon drop; motorbike / motorcycle; and dustbin / trashcan. For many purists of the series who never liked the idea of modifying the original text for an American audience, this is a good thing. Good or bad is naturally for each reader to decide--just know, if you plan to read the books while listening to Jim Dale's audiobooks, you'll notice a few superficial ... MoreSPECIAL NOTE: For U.S. customers purchasing the illustrated edition of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, you will notice the text has NOT been converted to the "Americanized" version of the original U.S. releases (with the exception of changing all "Philosopher's Stone" mentions to "Sorcerer's Stone"). So far, I have noticed the following: (EU/US) dialling / dialing; Shan't! / Won't!; sherbet lemon / lemon drop; motorbike / motorcycle; and dustbin / trashcan. For many purists of the series who never liked the idea of modifying the original text for an American audience, this is a good thing. Good or bad is naturally for each reader to decide--just know, if you plan to read the books while listening to Jim Dale's audiobooks, you'll notice a few superficial differences.The quality of this new illustrated edition is phenomenal. I've been excited about the release of this book since it was announced, but I never expected the book as a whole to be so well crafted.A couple of things to note:1. Underneath the book jacket, the novel is bound in a sturdy red hardback with gold lettering on the spine.2. The paper is thick with an eggshell glossy finish.3. All chapter intros are illustrated.4. Some images take up full pages or multiple pages. Most illustrations share the page with text.5. Every inch of the book is illustrated or decorated in some fashion. There are NO white pages in the book. Even the pages without large illustrations have the paper printed and marked with ink blots or paper "stains".I would highly recommend this for anyone looking to read the series (again, or for the first time), especially if you plan to read this with someone younger. If this book is a demonstration of what is to come with the illustrated editions for the rest of the series, we're all in for six more impeccable treats.

If you haven't already, take yourself on this adventure. An eleven-year-old boy lives with his aunt, uncle and cousin who are the worst (but beautifully characterized) people. They emotionally, psychologically and, in the case of his cousin, physically abuse him. He has always felt different but wants to belong. The moment he turns eleven, he finds out that he does belong but not in the world we know. He's whisked away to a magical world where he's not only welcome but famous. His discovery of this magical world is awe-inspiring, beautifully done and the world-building is fantastic. He discovers people of all kinds - people who revere him, people who are curious about him, people who befriend him, people who hate him and even people who want him dead.The magical ... MoreIf you haven't already, take yourself on this adventure. An eleven-year-old boy lives with his aunt, uncle and cousin who are the worst (but beautifully characterized) people. They emotionally, psychologically and, in the case of his cousin, physically abuse him. He has always felt different but wants to belong. The moment he turns eleven, he finds out that he does belong but not in the world we know. He's whisked away to a magical world where he's not only welcome but famous. His discovery of this magical world is awe-inspiring, beautifully done and the world-building is fantastic. He discovers people of all kinds - people who revere him, people who are curious about him, people who befriend him, people who hate him and even people who want him dead.The magical school he attends, Hogwarts, is full of magic (obviously), hidden staircases, ghosts, an array of magical people with varying abilities, adventure, Quidditch (the magical sport of choice), a history of the parents he never knew and treasure. This is an adventure story. It's a quest story. It's the hero's story. It's labeled as a "children's book" but it has captured audiences of various ages. It's transcended gender, age and nationality. It's epic. Start the journey today.

I liked the way the characters are introduced and I love the idea of finding our you are a witch or wizard and going to Wizarding school. I liked finding out about all the different lessons. My favourite part is when Harry first meets Hagrid. My favourite character is Hermione because she is just like me and she is always having to clear up after other people. She also learns what it means to be a friend. This is a magical fantastical adventure book set in our world but not. This version has been specially illustrated and the illustrations are amazing and really help to bring the story alive. I really enjoyed just looking at them for ages to see what you could see in them. This book made me feel tense as the suspense built up and then relieved at other times. I ... MoreI liked the way the characters are introduced and I love the idea of finding our you are a witch or wizard and going to Wizarding school. I liked finding out about all the different lessons. My favourite part is when Harry first meets Hagrid. My favourite character is Hermione because she is just like me and she is always having to clear up after other people. She also learns what it means to be a friend. This is a magical fantastical adventure book set in our world but not. This version has been specially illustrated and the illustrations are amazing and really help to bring the story alive. I really enjoyed just looking at them for ages to see what you could see in them. This book made me feel tense as the suspense built up and then relieved at other times. I enjoyed experiencing Harry, Ron and Hermione's highs and lows.

You never can have enough copies of this book! My whole family loved this magical book series and are diehard movie fans. The books are so much better than the movies with imaginative writings that teleport you into the wizarding world of Harry Potter. I loved Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone so much that I not only purchased the paperback book but repurchased it when the fully illustrated book released years later. The Sorcerer's Stone is book 1 of this series. Great read for all

I love Harry Potter books. I read the Sorcerer's Stone a long time ago when it first came out. I don't remember very much of it. Just that I liked it. Recently I've decided to introduce my kids to Harry Potter books. We started to read it. And I can see now why J. K. Rowling was having trouble getting it published. It starts very slow and the whole first chapter is very unnecessary. Only by chapter 3 did my kids got into it. I still love it and would read it again and again.

I love these harry Potter series and this book was actually my turning point in reading not that I did not read before that but I was attracted to series and trilogy after reading this I’m excited to give this set to our neighbor and classmates for them to enjoy and return. I have been wanting to read the whole series for a while and I am very pleased with the quality of this paperback set for the price. I expected mass market paperback quality considering it was priced apt.Always one of my favourite fantasy fictions. The box set was finely packed and the best gift I could give myself to survive this lockdown. No complaints, go ahead and indulge yourself into the best of worlds reading these books for knowledge, entertainment , vocabulary.

I read these books when they first came out I believe I was in middle school at that time. This is a great book for children but also for adults as the story becomes more complex as the series goes onward. Needless to say the books are far better than the cinematic counterparts And there are a lot of details at the movies miss you can only find in the books. I would definitely recommend reading these whether you’re a child or an adult especially feel like the films

I love reading books that were turned into movies because I see the movie and then read the book. This one is very exciting and you don’t see the ending coming. It’s more detailed and gives you a better understanding on the characters in this book. Harry Potter is a boy who finds out he’s a wizard after living years as a house keeper in his aunt and uncles house. He learns about him being a wizard and is forced to battle the same person who ended his parents life. Very good read for all ages!