Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone-Book Review
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone and the other books in the series are one of the best selling books of all time. There is no denying how these books (and the movies) caused a phenomenon and has many fans of all ages. I plan to review all 7 books and more Harry Potter related books, food, and items all in celebration of Harry Potter's birthday(July 31st) and because I'm a huge Harry Potter fan myself.
The first book in the series is not only the shortest at only 300 pages but Harry doesn't even go to Hogwarts until halfway through the book. Meaning, the first half of the book is living with the Dursleys and how he found out he was a wizard. Now, we all know the plot of this book, but let's go through it anyway.
Harry Potter has lived with his aunt and uncle his whole life but he can't help feeling he is strange or different. Sometimes when he is scared or angry strange things like his hair growing back after a bad haircut, or appearing on the school roof to avoid Dudley's gang seem to happen. It all starts to make sense after in an attempt to prevent Harry from knowing the truth(the Hogwarts letters) the Dursleys bring the family to an abandoned shack on a rock thinking there is no way the truth can find Harry. Unfortunately(or maybe fortunately for Harry) Hagrid breaks down the door of the shack and tells Harry the truth "You're a wizard".
Harry, after finding out he is a wizard finds that there is a whole secret world of them, and a school for him to go to: Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He ends up going to the school by train where he meets his first friend Ron Weasley. At Hogwarts he learns there is much more than wand waving and spell work to be a wizard, there is also potions, broomstick riding, and even wizard history.
Halloween at Hogwarts was supposed to be fun and full of sweets but that was ruined by a troll which Harry and Ron defeat after saving their new friend Hermione, so it all evens out. It is suspected that someone let in the troll on propose to steal something from Hogwarts, the Sorcerer's stone. It's up to Harry and his friends to protect the stone and prevent Voldemort's(the wizard that killed Harry's parents) return at only 11yo.
Now for something new what was changed in the movie from the book?
1. The intro on the Dursley's crazy day before they got Harry Potter. Which, included Mr. Dursley slowly going insane. From seeing wizards walking around not in disguise and talking about the Potters.
2. Piers Dudley's friend doesn't seem to exist in the movie.
3. Harry's eyes aren't green like in the book nor is his hair messy with cowlicks.
4. Hagrid knew between Dudley and Harry on which one was Harry from the start in the book unlike in the movie where he guesses Dudley is Harry at the beginning.
5. The Dursley's dropping off Harry at King's Cross station laughing after Harry living with them from August first to September 1st.
6. The scene where Harry meets Draco at Madam Malkin's Robes for all Occasions is gone.
7. In the book, Harry and Hagrid picked out Hedwig together in the movie Hagrid surprised Harry with the owl.
8. Hagrid talked about Voldemort in the island sack in the book, but in the movie he talked about it in the Leaky Cauldron after Ollivanders.
9. The Weasleys find out who Harry is from Fred and George who see his scar while helping Harry on the train but in the movie Ron finds out first after going in Harry's train compartment.
10. The exchange between Ron and Harry on the train was less one sided in the book with Ron being interested in the muggle world like how muggle pictures don't move unlike in the movie where he comes off a bit annoyed when Harry points out that pictures move in the wizard world.
11. Draco offers Harry to help him find the right people on the train when he and his friends go to Harry's compartment to steal sweets and get bit by Scabbers in the book unlike in the movie where he offers this outside the great hall before sorting.
12. During the Sorting Ceremony, the students were done in alphabetical order in the book but in the movie Ron Weasley was called before Harry Potter.
13. When McGonagall goes to fetch Oliver Wood in the book he is in Flitwick's class and in the movie he is in Quirrell's class.
14. Harry receives the Nimbus 2000 after getting the remembrall in the book and used it for his training in the movie he gets it right before the big match.
15. Only the first Quiddich match is shown in the movie
16. All of Snapes and Quirrel's conversations occur in one scene in the movie unlike in the book where they have several conversations.
17. Norbert was discovered right after hatching and was taken to Romania in the movie but in the book Harry and Hermione alone gave Norbert to Ron's brother Charlie and got caught out with Malfoy after leaving the invisibility cloak at the tower and, instead, of Ron getting detention Nevile got detention in the book.
18. The movie skips both Snapes and Quirrel's challeges.
19. Hagrid gives Harry the photo album before the end of term feast in the book but in the movie it is at the train.
There was more changes made in the movie but I would be here all day if i mentioned everything. I still love this movie as much if not more then when i first saw it for my birthday (my birthday is November 16th it came out exactly on that day). Look forward to me reviewing Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets!