Harry potter and the philosopher's stone - A first time review!

A few weeks back I started reading the Harry potter series. This is my first read. So I thought of sharing my views about this book.

I am a slow reader. At first I thought of watching the movie. Then my husband who is a big fan of Harry potter didn't allow me to watch the movie without reading the book first. According to him if you really want to understand Harry potter, reading the books is a must. So I had to " obey" him as he is very sensitive about this. After reading the book and then watching the movie it was clear why he said so. Yes he was right, I think it's a crime to watch the movie without going through the book.

So the most amazing thing about this book was how beautifully J.k Rowling built up the magical world to us. I was totally addicted, engaged from the 1st page of the book.

Philosopher's stone was the book of building the characters, the magical world to the readers. Anyone can make a clear picture about Harry's childhood after reading the book. 1st half of the book was all about how Harry was treated by the Dursleys. She beautifully presented Harry's childhood, the way he was tortured by dursleys, bullied by Dudley and how he was isolated not only from the family but also from his friends.

Harry was bullied extremely by Dudley and his friends. Anybody who has faced bullying can easily relate to that. Harry's life was described so nicely without even going very deep.

The book is written in a very simple way . The atmosphere she created with her writing is magnificent. The best quality of a writer is to present a character in detail without making it too boring.

Next is the Hogwarts life. First day at Hogwarts was interesting. Students were simultaneously put into different houses. Slowly getting introduced to rules and regulations of the houses. Harry made friends, probably for the first time in his life. And throughout the book you could feel how dearly he felt for them. It was the common lesson we've all learnt at some point in our lives - we value what is or was very rare to us. And Harry's friendship with Ron and Hermione and Hagrid was the definition of rare!

Ron was his friend from the train. Then gradually Hermione also came into their group. The bond between the three of them is so beautifully presented and the dynamics of the trio is what kept me intrigued. They cared for each other. Their loyalty towards each other touched me a lot.

At first they didn't like Hermione. She was kind of bossy, nerdy and on the other hand smart. Gradually she became their friend. It was so amazing to see their friendship mature till the end of the book. The trio also had some funny moments with each other. Overall I loved their friendship. Friendship is very much valuable to me. I consider myself a lucky girl in that case. I have made beautiful friendships. I am still in touch with my childhood friend, school friends and my medical college friends. Friends are special.

Coming back to the book, Malfoy is a bully in the Hogwarts, very annoying character. Bullying seems to have had a very strong portrayal in this book and I am sure a lot of us can relate to these insecure, nose-up bullies - be it in school, or the neighborhood park.

Contrary to the popular opinion, I actually found quidditch quite weird. It is very interesting. sure. But The game changer of the match - 'the snitch' is what makes no sense to me. Whoever manages to catch the snitch will earn 150 points to their team. The entire match ultimately depends on the snitch. Whatever happens in the other steps does not matter at all if your team looses the snitch. Isn't it weird! 😐

Overall it was a very enjoyable read, especially given I have never been a bookworm! J.K. Rowling created the magical world wonderfully. I think it is a wise decision to read this series, before diving into the movies.

This is the first time I am writing a review on any book, EVER! So there you go - keeping true to my introduction post, I have tried yet another "something new" here!