A Book A Week

I recently got to spend the better part of two weeks on vacation in London. Visiting the historic places in the city and the surrounding area really inspired me to pick up some new books and to revisit others. One set of books that have had a huge impact on the city is the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling. The first book launched a worldwide phenomenon that inspired a seven book series, ten films, a two-part theatrical production, theme park attractions, and countless other media and products. I first read Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone as a kid almost twenty years ago. Like so many other readers of my generation, Harry Potter became a defining part of my childhood. As I visited locations like Platform 9 3/4 at King's Cross and toured the studio sets where the films were made, I decided it might be time to give Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone a reread.

Summarizing the novel would be an unnecessary exercise at this point. Even if you've never read the books, odds are you've seen the films or at least have a basic understanding of the central plot. Rather than rehash the story, I think it is more pertinent to share some reflections on this read, especially on my perspective of it now as an adult. For starters, Sorcerer's Stone is undeniably a children's novel. As a young reader, I guess I never realized how much the novel was geared toward my reading. From pace to word choice, Rowling has clearly targeted readers who share the age range of her characters. I think that this is most apparent in the pacing. Reading the novel now, I realized how much plot was burned through each chapter, especially toward the book's climax. This really makes me appreciate the way in which Rowling grew her story and writing to coincide with the growth of both her characters and readers.

Despite being aimed at younger readers, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone still has a lot to offer adult readers. I was pleased to pick up on references that foreshadowed events to come in later books that I would never have noticed on my initial reads. It really shows how intricately plotted the series was from the very start. Rowling builds her wizarding world with rich detail that provides it with a sense of reality and history that many budding fantasy writers never fully achieve. Reading as an adult this time also gave me a better appreciation for the motivation of the adults in the novel. Specifically, I found myself relating more to the situation Dumbledore was placed in and even empathizing a bit with the Dursleys. Don't worry, I still hate them as much as I ever did. I just understand where they are coming from a bit more.

After all this time Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone is as enchanting as ever. As a series opener, it establishes vast mythology and inhabits the world with instantly relatable characters, each as complex as the world they live in. Rowling deftly sets the stage for the larger story to unfold while also providing a satisfying conclusion to the novel. I feel very fortunate to have experienced these novels as they were published. I quite literally grew up reading these books. No doubt, a large part of my enthusiasm for the books seeps in nostalgia, but my reread has convinced me that anyone who reads them can find something to enjoy. If you've never read the series, I encourage you to pick the book up and give it a go. If you grew up reading the books like I did, go ahead and dust off your copy of the first novel. I promise you the adventures of the boy who lived are as good as you remember them.

For more information, visit the author's website, Amazon, and Goodreads.
(2019, 17)