Product Description

This boxed set contains editions of the first five titles in the series; "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone", "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets","Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban", "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire", and "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix".

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #467612 in Books
• Published on: 2003-10-06
• Format: Box set
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 5
• Binding: Paperback

Customer Reviews

Harry Potter
I am not the kind of person who writes big long review on the sort of things that are boring. All you need to know is that this box-set comes with five books, beautifully bound with a sandpaper cover, each with a superimposition of J.K. Rowling's signiature. You save about £29 if you buy the box-set, rather than buying them seperately (RRP).

Reading "Harry Potter" in the Original English is Better
I am an American. I have already read all of the American version "Harry Potter" series of books, and have appreciated how the characters and the writing increased in complexity with each volume. (I am also beginning to wonder if the last few books are going to be able to be used as doorstops or lethal weapons if dropped on someone from on high....) I also knew that we Americans had been dealt an unfortunate hand when the publisher decided to name the first book, "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" instead of "...the Philosopher's Stone." Oh! the frenzied arguments in churches we have endured!

I tend to read voraciously and without stop when the story and characters are well-written. I had noticed a lack of "Britishisms" but chalked it up to it being a children's book written for an international audience. However, when I read aloud to my husband on a road trip, the process is slower, and things come to my attention that usually escape my notice during my silent reading. I became very suspicious when some things began to sound "American." I finally hit the roof when I read about when the Captain of the Quidditch team, Wood, was showing Harry the sport's equipment. The book I was reading indicated that he picked up something that looked like "a baseball bat"! I learned that the American version had been wiped clean of "Britishisms" and the language had been changed to include "Americanisms."

I am 41-years-old and have a doctorate, but I know that most children here in the United States have managed to read C.S. Lewis's Chronicles of Narnia without needing it to be "translated" for them. I read it without difficulty as a child. We have many people who still read the KJV of the Bible, for goodness sake! And Shakespeare is studied and performed in the original. So, I was pleased to find out about amazon.co.uk and promptly ordered the entire Harry Potter set "in the original" English.

I now enjoy the series even more (and I have the beautiful phoenix cover on the last book instead of the mysterious blue cover). In addition, I no longer have the feeling that something is just not quite right with these children - that they don't seem to be British. After reading books that were never "translated" into "American," it just sounded too strange to read "Harry Potter" that way. I find that reading it the way it was originally written gives me a better sense of what is occurring. (Certainly, it may have created less of a crisis if the first book's title had been left alone!)

I can hardly wait until the next book is published, and you can be certain that I will be purchasing it "in the original" English.

Ultimate Reading Material
JK Rowling is a genius. All six of these books are among the best works of fiction that I have ever read. I am currently reading "philosophers stone" for the umpteenth time. I simply cannot get enough of Harry Potter. Am looking forward to "Deathly Hallows". Cant wait to see what happens next. I buy the adult cover versions as they are much more subtle than the bright colours of the childrens. The covers also give representation to what the story is about. If anyone was new to Harry, I would definately say BUY ALL THE BOOKS. Once I start reading the series again, I have to continue right to the end of "Half Blood Prince". Each year of Harry Potter's life sees him facing new challenges and you are able to watch him grow as a person. I much prefer concurrent books as it makes for a much easier progression from one book to the next. Also, Harry is faced with typical teenage anxietys which allows you to relate to the character.

Hurry up JK Rowling. Bring on "Deathly Hallows" and put an end to the speculation and suspense.