by J. K. Rowling
An alternative cover for this ASIN can be found here"Turning the envelope over, his hand trembling, Harry saw a purple wax seal bearing a coat of arms; a lion, an eagle, a badger and a snake surrounding a large letter 'H'."Harry Potter has never even heard of Hogwarts when the letters start dropping on the doormat at number four, Privet Drive. Addressed in green ink on yellowish parchment with a purple seal, they are swiftly confiscated by his grisly aunt and uncle. Then, on Harry's eleventh birthday, a great beetle-eyed giant of a man called Rubeus Hagrid bursts in with some astonishing news: Harry Potter is a wizard, and he has a place at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. An incredible adventure is about to begin!
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Read this for the first time as an adult and was surprised by how much I enjoyed it. It doesn't talk down to you. The mystery of the stone actually works as a mystery. Dumbledore is funnier than I remembered. Highly recommend even if you think you've aged out of it.
The worldbuilding is the star here. Diagon Alley, the sorting hat, the moving staircases. Rowling made magic feel like it had rules and history and that's what makes Hogwarts feel real. The plot is simple but it works perfectly for what the book is trying to do.
Still holds up. There's something about the way Rowling builds Hogwarts that feels genuinely lived-in, like the world existed before Harry arrived and will keep going after he leaves. The first book is the lightest of the series but it earns every bit of the wonder it creates. A great starting point for fantasy readers of any age.
Chris Van Allsburg
